Blue Bee Sneaker Care: Giving Stockport’s trainers a new lease of life

The story begins with a girl who had too many pairs of trainers.

My habit started young and I can pinpoint it back to when it started, specifically during my Saturday job at JD Sports. Spending nine hours a day lacing up the latest Nikes inevitably imprinted on me, but on a wage of £2.22 an hour that barely covered my bus fare and a Boots meal deal I couldn't afford them back then. When the moment did eventually arrive, and I had saved up enough to buy my first pair of Air Max, I never looked back.

I’ve always been a Nike girl. Yes, ok so I'm originally from down south and there's apparently some unwritten rule about Nike being more of a London thing (I’m actually from Ipswich), and despite owning several pairs of Adidas Superstars and Sambas my heart still belongs to Air Max 90’s. The comfort levels are unrivalled and I just can’t get enough of the different colourways. I know I’m fully dating myself here but what can I say, it’s the millennial in me. 

Skip a few; today I own more pairs of trainers than I’d care to admit, and I can’t bring myself to throw any away. Every pair tells a story, and I'm not one of those people who keeps them ‘box-fresh’ for resale; that’s just a waste IMO. As far as I’m concerned, trainers/ creps/ sneakers /kicks (whatever) are meant to be WORN, adored, shown off and absolutely battered if the occasion calls for it.

My favourite pair (my raving shoes) have seen and been through a lot. Countless countries, cities, warehouse parties, festivals with god knows what ending up all over the suede, holes in the insoles and the air bubble looking less like a bubble and more like a muddy puddle. I really thought they had come to the end of their days and had been building myself up to a rare and emotional farewell when I came across Blue Bee Sneaker Care and Customs.

Trainers, Sneakers, Creps, Kicks…

I can’t be alone in this, surely other people have ridiculous emotional attachment to their trainers? Think about your first real pair of running shoes, the pair that took you round the world on your travels, or your lucky pair of football boots. Then there’s the cost of it all; far from fast fashion, a good pair of trainers ain’t cheap.

Far from it, there’s others like me out there. Tucked away on the 5th floor inside Hilton House in Stockport, Blue Bee Sneaker Care and Customs was founded by Mark Chapman, alongside his partner Tash and daughter Lily. Mark launched the family-run business after similarly finding himself running out of space in his garage (!) for his collection of trainers and no idea what to do with them. Rather than part with them, he taught himself how to restore and customise footwear thus transforming his own personal obsession into a successful and sustainable business model.

What can Blue Bee Customs do?

Their core services cover everything from deep cleans and repairs to one-of-a-kind custom designs, hand-painted or built using repurposed designer materials. Got a pair of Air Force 1s you want turning into something completely unique that you’ll never see anywhere else, or a beloved trainer that's seen better (or worse) days? Let these guys work their magic.

Football boot restoration is also a huge part of the business. Blue Bee are one of a select few places in Europe that have the skills to offer specialist football boot repairs including sole plate swaps and re-glues. This means that boots most people would chuck out can be fixed and played in again, and it's not just local Sunday league players who've caught on. Blue Bee counts Jill Scott MBE among their clients, and while NDA agreements mean they can't share any names, let's just say several Premier League players and clubs know exactly where Hilton House is.

Sustainable footwear

The environmental impact of fast fashion gets a lot of attention, but fast footwear is just as much of a problem. The majority of discarded trainers and boots end up in landfill, according to Fashion For Good and let’s face it, the majority of us don’t even consider an alternative solution. Blue Bee's whole ethos is about extending the life of footwear rather than replacing it.

The upcycling work they do is also pretty exceptional, featuring off-cut pieces of genuine repurposed designer material which is then used to customise both adult and kids' shoes and accessories, creating real standout pieces.

My raving shoes are back in the game…

…thanks to the team at Blue Bee, and in answer to the question I know you were all asking. So if you've got a pair of trainers that you can't bear to part with, now you know what to do.

Blue Bee Sneaker Care & Customs is based at Hilton House, Stockport. They offer drop-off and collection by appointment, and ship worldwide. Find them at bluebeecustoms.net or on Instagram @bluebeecustoms.

If Blue Bee's approach to keeping things out of landfill resonates, have a read of our guide to living more sustainably in Stockport.