In the quest for a perfect shoe lay many opportunities to take an already great pair to the next level.  You can upgrade laces, get the stock insoles coated with leather, or get elements dyed to the color of your choice.

We loved these Mauri patent leather/ostrich-leg toe sneakers. The snow-white leather inners gives them a great orca look on the shelf, but like your favorite white tee neck- they’d be hard to keep clean for the long haul.  

The white leather was supple and soft. My shoe doctor Boris at East Village Shoe Repair combined some black dye with a little thinning agent (to open the pores), and applied the mixture using a soft brush.

All visible white leather was turned just as black as the outers; The wearability and likability was Darth Vadered up something serious.

They were given a finishing rub with a horse hair brush then left to dry for a couple.

For the first few wears, we’d avoid light-colored socks as there will be naturally be a little rub-off from the dye job.

Like a great stylist for your hair, an experienced cobbler will know exactly what can be done to custom dye your kicks. Thanks to East Village Shoe Repair at 1083 Broadway in Brooklyn, New York for letting us snap shots. I’m sure your smartphone can help find a capable cobbler near you.