Bob LoPresti, president of Joe Pacific Shoe Repair in downtown Honolulu, loves to tell the story of the first day in his first shop, The Cobbler Shop, in Redondo Beach, Calif., in 1979.

"A woman walked in and asked me for cherry cobbler," he says with a chuckle and a shrug.

Unfortunately, even more people today, decades later, are clueless about what a cobbler is. That means many shoes that could easily — and reasonably — be refurbished are being tossed out.

LoPresti, a third-generation cobbler, bemoans the fact that so many people do not realize how much a trained shoe-repair person can do to keep those favorite Ferragamos or Jimmy Choos looking new and feeling comfy.

The most-requested repair today, for men and women, is the sole guard. It's a half or full sole made of a rubberized material with tiny grooves running across it. When applied to the sole, it adds cushioning and grip, increasing the shoe's life span, comfort and safety. This is especially important for slick leather-soled shoes and high heels.

Many women don't realize that when their stiletto heels get worn down to the metal, a cobbler can easily pound in another heel tip and increase the life of the shoe.

If a woman buys a sky-high heel, then finds herself teetering on it, a cobbler can often lower the heel. It can be enough to take the instability out of the stiletto.

Many of us make the mistake of trying on a shoe in the store, only to find later that it's really too small. A cobbler can stretch the shoe in all the right places.

When a molded sole (such as those on Rockport, Mephisto or Skechers shoes) wears down, a cobbler often can replace the entire sole, giving the shoe new life.

Some companies, such as Mephisto, will refurbish shoes if you mail them back in a special envelope. Cheryl Tipton of Kula, Maui, almost threw out her dilapidated favorite Mephistos. Instead, she sent them to the company in San Diego and got them back looking brand new. The cost was $75, about half the price of the original shoe. Call (866) 349-7653 (FIX-SOLE).

According to LoPresti, the average woman owns 27 pairs of shoes. His wife and daughter own about 50 pairs each. It helps to have a cobbler in the family to keep those shoes on their toes.

SHOE-CARE HOME KIT

These are available in shoe-repair shops, drug stores and department stores. They typically contain: