Over the past decade, the owners of YES Shoe Repair, brothers Lin and Armando Rangel, have been collecting a treasure trove of unique miniature shoes to display in a glass case next to the cash register at their La Jolla shoe repair location. Miniature shoes from all over the world, made from a variety of materials — including leather, wood, plastic and porcelain — have found a home at the Rangels’ shoe repair shop, located at 4150 Regents Park Row. The Rangels’ museum-type collection started a decade ago when local Realtor Cathy Nakanote first brought in a pair of miniature Dutch shoes from her own collection. “I collect Steiff animals, Vienna bronze small animals and miniatures from around the world, so I thought it would be fun to bring some mini shoes to YES Shoe Repair since it’s a shoe shop,” said Nakanote. “Little did I know that this would start a long-lasting trend that would set Yes Shoe Repair apart from the crowd of other shoe repair shops.” Over the years, more and more customers have admired the growing miniature shoe collection at the Rangels’ shop, and some have even brought in their own one-of-a-kind shoes to add to the colorful display. Today, there are more than 50 shoes in the collection — ranging from a pair of high heels with pink rosettes to leather moccasins to metal cowboy boots — and all about the size of a child’s shoe, the smallest being approximately one-inch long. “To me, it feels better to revive my old goods than to get rid of them and buy new ones,” Nakanote said. Of course, YES Shoe Repair also handles regular-sized shoes too. The brothers work wonders on old or broken shoes and leather goods of all kinds, bringing a new life back into customers’ most prized accessories. To see the unique collection or to take advantage of the brothers’ shoe and leather repair services, visit YES Shoe Repair at 4150 Regents Park Row, Ste. 165 or the Mission Valley location at 5664 Mission Center Road, Ste. 406. Hours are Mondays through Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, stop in or call (858) 450-0161.
