Retailers Offer 'Recrafting' To Help Make Customers' Clothes Last

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Do you have shoes, shirts or purses that show signs of wear and tear -- but you can't bear to throw them out?

You might not have to.

As CBS2's Andrea Grymes reports, there is a growing number of retailers offering to make items look new again -- sometimes even for free.

John Calvert's favorite pair of shoes appear shiny and new now, but just a few months ago, they looked worn and scuffed up.

"My wife said, 'You know honey when you kneel down in church the people in the pew behind you can see that your shoes have worn through,'" Calvert said.

When Calvert went to the store to buy a new pair, he was told about "recrafting".

"I said, 'recrafting'? I don't even know what that word is.'

All Calvert had to do was go online, fill out a shipping label and mail his 10-year old shoes back to the Allen Edmonds' factory.

It was there that workers "recraft"- or rebuild shoes from the inside out: new footbeds, soles and heels. In fact the number of manufacturers offering "fix it" services is increasing.

"This is a way to keep them in the brand, keep them loyal, and not potentially lose them to another brand if they go out and look for a replacement product," said Mark Johnson with the Loyalty Marketers Association.

True Religion will fix "wear and tear" on its jeans for free. Customers just pay for shipping.

If something from Brooks Brothers needs fixing, just bring the item to a store.

Costs depend on the repair.

Kate Spade has a repair shop for its bags and shoes.

Just mail in the item and you'll get a quote for the touch up.

"Reduce, Reuse and Resole" is LL Bean's mantra. the company offers repairs for its popular "Bean boots."

And Patagonia recently launched a national campaign saying "if it's broke, fix it."

Offering recrafting and even a guide for do-it-yourself repairs to encourage customers to make their clothes last a lifetime.

As for John Calvert, it even made financial sense to have cherished shoes refurbished.

"They looked like a brand new pair of shoes and they're about one third of the price," Calvert said. "And I'm not having to throw away a beautiful pair of shoes that can be rebuilt."

Experts say if you have something you love that could use a little TLC, call or stop into the store and see if they offer recrafting options.