Ramuta's is that family shop from days gone past that really should be on Main Street of some quaint little town -- the wife runs the counter, the husband works on the shoes, and the sister comes in periodically to do her specialty work on "elastic" projects. I found Ramuta's years ago when a Nordstrom employee whispered to me that Ramuta's was the best shoe repair in town (she even hinted that Nordstrom used to send their shoes there for repair). Other famous clients include the Pac NW ballet (which gets the toe shoes repaired there) and most of the local theaters. Ramuta's will resurrect ANY pair of shoes (worth salvaging) that you bring to them. They have succeeded with my worst. New heels, new toes, new straps -- whatever you throw their way, they will work their magic and transform the shoe (or will be brutally honest that it is beyond repair). All this combined with kind, friendly, sparkle-y personalities. They make you feel like Seattle is still a small town. Make sure to be explicit if you need your shoes by a certain date/time, because the "ready by" date is more like a possible date rather than a definite one. So just call ahead to make sure the shoes are ready.
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