Mr. Barrera always did great work on my shoes and leather garments. The site required more letters before posting, so I had to add this sentence. read more

Went in here to try out basic service (heel tap replacement). 2 stars for being on time (2 shoe heel replacements due in 1 week). I was disappointed in the workmanship,thus, no additional stars. The boots imo should have had a tan heel tap instead of a black. The heel tap is a little off on sizing and one is a crooked. Also got glue on the upper part of my boot. Was luckily able to peel off. I had another wedge where a tan tap was used but the job looks sloppy, he sanded part of the wedge and doesn't evenly transition to the rest of the sole. Would not be back and do not recommend for basic women's heels. read more

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Never called to tell me my boots were finished. When I returned to pick them up I was told to come back as he could not find them . After 5 return visits I finally called the police to assist me in getting back my boots . This owner Izzaro was rude and made up lies to the police. He then thought he was funny and called me back to pick up my boots that he suddenly found. He was evasive and had attitude as I entered the store to find three pair of worn and ugly boots on his counter. Not my boots. He shrugged his shoulders and said that's it I blessed him and departed. Do not use this business you may never see your boots or shoes again. Oh well lesson learned read more

DO NOT bring your shoes to this place they will ruin your shoes. I took two pairs of Jordan 11s in for repair and they came back destroyed with new holes on the side and completely disassembled midsole and air unit. They were supposed to just reglue the midsoles that were separating from the upper. I came to check on my shoes three times over a 6 week period and the owner kept making up childish excuses like "oh we just ran out of glue". DO NOT go here. read more

Barrera Shoe Repair - The shoe came back with a disassembled midsole. - Shoe Repair Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Loses shoes and blames it on you because I was too late to pick up (they're my sick mothers shoes and she only just recently told me that she needed to pick them up), but he said he was going to call and never did. When I told him that he said he never calls anyone because he's the only one working. Literally make it make sense. So yeah if he doesn't find my shoes it's going to be a big issue. read more

I hate to leave a bad review, but it's necessary to protect future customers. I brought in a pair of heeled leather boots that I've had for over fifteen years for my seasonal sole replacement as the heel wears down. Simple. I've had this done COUNTLESS times in the various cities I've lived in. At recommendation from a local, I tried this place. THEY CUT THE LEATHER on my right boot at the arch. They're clearly careless. Moving too fast, too much force. They didn't even tell me, I pointed it out to them while looking over my shoes on pick up. I had another pair of boots on the same order undergo a leather repair at the toe box crease, as it was worn out. Whatever leather they used, they put the polished side facing the insole and ruined my white socks. I wore white specifically to test their work. BEWARE. If you have high quality shoes, I would warn you against them. They will destroy the value and your shoes. read more

Great service and repaired my boot soles beautifully! Definitely would recommend and glad it's in the neighborhood.

First I went to get shoes rehealed and he did a great job. He seems to be a one person show with more than one location because good shoemakers are hard to find in the trade schools that used to teach this are no more. So bring your patience. When I drop them off he told me 6 weeks. On the other hand I had an emergency with my daughter's skating team bag and a broken zipper the week of competition. It was not cheap but it got a new zipper before the day of the competition. read more

Would not recommend. I took my shoes here because someone had referred me to this guy. See pictures of his shotty work. I don't know how he thought I wouldn't notice his poor work on a $900 pair of Valentino shoes... read more

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I've been using this place on and off for as they are local and convenient. That said, the low quality of work, lack of customer service and flat out dishonesty outweighs any benefits. I took a couple of boots to this place for a resole. The work looked good upon pickup but within weeks the soles started to come apart from the shoes. See pics. I had to take both pairs back at different times for them to re-glue. Even after their re-glues, I'm still having same problem and have been fixing it myself to save ongoing trips. This is supposed to be the most basic job at a cobbler shop! If you can't do this right, what can you do right? Will likely have to take them to a competent shoe repair to redo everything. This last time however, was a gem. I dropped off a couple of non shoe related items for them to repair. They told me it would be ready in 1 week. Yeah right, I had to come back to this place 5 times! Every time it was a different excuse. The first time-they couldn't find it, the second time- they were randomly closed in the middle of the day, the third time-one of the repairs wasn't done ( Good lord!) and the fourth time -old boy couldn't find the keys to the basement where he stores everything. What a joke! At this visit, he promised he would have them ready in week. This was in November. I call him in early January to ask if my stuff was ready to avoid another wasted trip. He cops a surly attitude (cause I dared to inquire on the status of my repairs?) and tells me everything is done and ready for pickup. I go in there and he's sulking like a little baby. Brings my stuff out and only one item was done and the other halfway! I'm totally flabbergasted, he gives me everything back and says he wont complete the repair! This place and this guy suck. If I could give a negative star I would. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place unless you like wasting time on fruitless visits and shoddy repairs. Read the other negative reviews, They describe this shop to a tee! Epilogue- In one of my many fruitless attempts to pickup my stuff, there was a distressed looking clerk behind the counter (not the cobbler). He couldn't find my stuff of course but was so shaky I had to ask if he was ok. He responds "No I'm not!" and shows me a bloody hand and mangled fingers. He says "the dog bit me and I'm trying to get a hold of the shop owner!" He was talking about the resident shop pooch that hangs out in window. Not sure what he did to the dog to deserve that but I'd keep my hands out of range if you are adventurous enough to go into this place. You are risking not only your shoes but your body parts! That guy was gone the next time I went in looking for the elusive repairs, never to be seen again. read more

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So this place was close to my old spot I decided to check them out since my Jordan's needed some repair work. I took my shoes in Feb. Didn't receive them until sept!! I understand covid hit and a lot of non essential businesses closed. But I had very little communication w the guy who worked on my shoes during the time. He kept giving me the run around. He was very unprofessional. Finally after 7 months he said my shoes are ready. I pick them up and there in a diff shoe box and missing a heel tab that he was gonna put back on! And the shoes were just ok looking def not what I expected! I tried to support local but completely was disappointed. Check out red star cobbler In wicker park instead. read more

Barrera Shoe Repair - Missing heel tab that he lost. - Shoe Repair Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If I can rate more than five stars I would !!super ,super happy, my favorite shoes have come back to life with a new heal and shoe shine so on point! Can't wait to wear these with my favorite outfit read more

I have been taking my shoes and boots to Esa for repairs for quite some time now. However, today is the last time that I will be doing business with him. First thing, I was overcharged for repairing 7 pairs of shoes. Additionally, I did not notice that one pair of them was never fixed until I arrived home after over 30-miles to get them up. Secondly, he has miss placed my shoes on a number if occasions. And tells me he going to look into this but never return my phone calls. Even after multiple attempts. And have the nerve to get angry when you call to inquire about your repair status. Lastly, I have had enough of this poor customer and disregard for my time and money. Never again will I patronize this business. Please be aware of this poor experience. With hopes it doesn't happen to you. Regards read more

Shoe lovers out there.... I was pleased with the work that was done, but the communication was poor. Came to pick up my shoes on the day I was told they would be done, but they still weren't done. read more

Saul is a leather artisan if there is such a thing. Great craftsmanship in shoe repair. Took 4 pairs of boots to get resoled and reconditioned and he blew my expectations! As we say as Mexicans, "es todo un chingon!" Great and fair pricing, believe me. For the work he did I was being charged more than double the price for the resoling of the boot. All in all, I'm a very satisfied customer and without a doubt have talked with him what to do next with my next pair of shoes. Con confianza! read more

Barrera Shoe Repair - Replaced all four soles on my boots. Tell me they don't look awesome. - Shoe Repair Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is so affordable! I dropped off a pair of boots expecting for the cost to hurt but I was pleasantly surprised! My boots look great and they were ready for pick up sooner than I expected as well. Please help keep this business open! They're trying to survive Covid but worry they may have to shut their doors soon read more

Barrera Shoe Repair - Shoe Repair Barrera - Shoe Repair Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Took my shoes here in February and got them back finally in April. The did a good job just don't be in a rush.

I dropped off my boots on a Wednesday afternoon to have the extra lining trimmed off. I was told it would be ready the following Monday afternoon. When I came back on Monday, the guy running the place spent almost 10 minutes trying to find where he put my boots. He finally found them inside a Target plastic bag and told me they weren't ready. Okay... thanks for wasting my time. I tried calling a few times after that day to check to see if the boots were ready, but no one ever picked up the phone! Taking a chance, I finally came back the following Friday and again he could not locate my boots! After about 5 minutes of searching, I pointed out that maybe there were in a Target bag like last time. Alas they were. He did a decent job at a decent price, but be aware that your shoes may not be cleaned by the specified date. He is also hard to reach by the phone and you may just have to pray and how up to see if your shoes are done. FYI, cash only. read more

Can't say about the quality of shoe repairs, but I had needed one of the straps reattached on a leather backpack. I took it to Barrera, and the person who took care of me was very pleasant and offered to do it on the spot (only took 5 minutes). He charged a reasonable price, and it was so convenient! read more

I was a bit hesitant to bring my shoes here, given the handful of negative reviews, but I am SO GLAD that I decided to use them! They were excellent: professional, friendly, speedy, and affordable. I had a pair of boots desperately in need of new soles, plus a handful of heels that needed new taps. They were able to complete the whole big bag of shoes in one day. The new soles are amazing - super rugged and yet still stylish, and all the rest look great, too. When I went in to pick them up, I brought another pair that needed some more serious repair. I was ready to leave them there, but they fixed these while I waited (less than 10 minutes) and now they are better than new. Frankly, I'm surprised to hear that they didn't finish work on time for others, since they were so quick with my large order. Similarly, I'm shocked that they have lost items, especially because they were able to find all of my shoes even when I had lost my claim ticket. My experience with them was excellent! I suspect these bad experiences are aberrations, and not the norm. read more

Very nice staff. High quality professional work. They applied 4 pairs of sole protectors. Great prices for HIGH quality. The prices here are better than in the Loop, or River North. I started coming here after Mr. Kim closed at 110 W Chicago Ave. This store is in Pilsen -- owner speaks great English and Spanish. I paid cash. No tax :-) There is parking in front. Highly recommended. read more

I used to be a customer, only because it was so close to my home. However, I stopped coming here after a series of bad experiences. Barrera Shoe Repair is not a business, it is a joke; a bad one, at the unlucky customer's expense! Shoes get lost, and it takes them 20 minutes to find them, because they have no real organization or shoe cataloging method. They will tell you to pick up your shoes on a certain date, after a certain time, and when you arrive, you will be told to come back another day because he didn't have time to get to them. This happened to me once, my friend once, and my neighbor twice! The work is mediocre at best, not nearly worth the charge. I will never give Barrera Shoe Repair my business again, and neither should you! read more

This is the worst place ever!!! Believe the comments about the owner and the workers, they are all rude and the owner thinks he can threaten people. I dropped off 3 pairs of boots and they told me the boots would be ready in a week. When I arrived they looked for 2 pair of boots for about 20 minutes and said they were cleaning the 3rd pair of boots. They finally starting looking in a bin of shoes and at the bottom of the bin were my other 2 pair of boots. They weren't cleaned either. So disappointing!! read more

I just picked up my 3-year-old leather riding boots from here and they look great. They needed new soles, and the other guy I went to told me it would be at least $100 and that I should just buy new boots. Since I like my boots and anyway couldn't find the same quality leather for $100 or anywhere near it, I decided to hang on to them and just not wear them on rainy days. Then I heard about this place. Not only did he charge me less than half what the other guy quoted ($35!) he finished them in less than a week and cleaned them all up for me. I'm super impressed and will be recommending him to everyone. read more

I have only been to this shop a couple of times but I know I will be a loyal customer! They did an amazing job with repairing and cleaning a couple of pairs of boots. I had to come back with a pair of shoes and they took care of immediately! You can tell they care about the quality of their work and customer satisfaction. Great customer service, excellent workmanship, and reasonable prices. read more

Highly recommend this place . I have a wedding to attend in 2 DAYS and my shoe strap was too big on the back and the gentleman repaired and fixed it to fit perfectly. They were fast and great quality actually surprised you couldn't tell they were fixed . Cost is good too . read more

The only thing positive that I have to say about his place is that the fellow who greets you seems very nice. Otherwise, there was nothing positive about my experience at his shop. I brought in a pair of Frye double-monkstrap shoes because I broke one of the buckles due to being to excited trying to put them on the first and only time I wore them (they were the shoes I wore on my wedding day and I was in a bit of a hurry). I was told that they only had one type of replacement buckle in-shop and that they would look for a type that more closely matched the remaining three buckles and call me in a week. First problem: I never received a phone call I was told I would. Second problem: I came in to inquire about my shoes and why I didn't receive a call. I was told that they couldn't find a buckle to match the others but if I came back in a week that I would be shown a few styles to chose from since my only option would be to replace all four buckles. Ok. When I cam back two weeks later (I was late, I know) they didn't have any buckles to show me. They told me to come back in a week and they would for sure have buckles to show me. Third problem: I cam back again and they say that they can't find a buckle to match any of the other three. I tell them that we already spoke about that and they were supposed to show me multiple styles to chose from to replace all four. Unfortunately they only had the exact one style of buckle that they showed me a month prior. As I didn't like the buckle I asked for my shoes back so that I could go somewhere else. Fourth (and worse) problem: When I get my shoes back, I notice they have been damaged while in their care. There was multiple large scuff marks on the top and side of the left shoe and both shoes had what looked to be black polish or oil on them (they are brown shoes). When I mentioned that the shoes were damaged in their care since I only where them once, at my wedding, and I took pictures before I brought them in, the fellow in the back responds by saying that my statement was "bullshit" and that it wold cost me to fix them because the damage couldn't have happened while in their shop. I told them I had pictures and tried to show them, but again was told that it wasn't their fault or responsibility. After a month the only thing I have to show is a still broken buckle and now damaged shoes that were not only somewhat expensive, but also have sentimental value. Stay away form a this shop as they don't have follow through or a sense of responsibility. read more

I brought in a pair of my favorite sandals to have a new sole put on. I brought them in on a Tuesday afternoon. The guy said they would be ready by Friday afternoon. I came back to pick them up on Friday after 5pm and: 1. it took him 10 minutes to find them, he couldn't remember where he put them, none of the shoes are organized there. 2. when he did they were thrown in a bin and he hadn't done anything to them 3. he said, "oh i forgot about them, they're not done, can you come back later?" No way! I grabbed by shoes and will NEVER GO BACK to this shop, I would never recommend them and I am sure they will go out of business they have NO CLUE of how to run a successful business!! read more

They resoled the back of my Birks that we're worn to the cork. Done in two days. Happy with the work! read more

Barrera Shoe Repair - They did a great job! 2 days great work! - Shoe Repair Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Pros: they are in my neighborhood so very convenient. They do a decent job and can be pleasant most of the time. Cons: they lose your stuff! They lost my leather purse which they never found. I never made a big stink about it because I was very close to donating to goodwill before taking it to them. If had been something more valuable I would have never gone back. Also they are truly unorganized and need to get a better system. It's very annoying to pick up your items and they can't immediately find them. If I find another place near me they will be history. There's a fantastic shoe repair in Hyde Park but I just don't feel like driving there. I have done it for my very nice stuff! read more

Mr. Isauro Barrera did the impossible. He somehow managed to clean a deep cat's urine stain off of my leather boot. What other shoe repair folks and google said would be impossible, aka "save your money because it's a lost cause,"-- Isauro made it happen. I'm so happy I didn't have to throw our way my favorite brown leather boots. This place has the best prices for high quality work. Seriously, this place is a hidden gem, but with his caliber of work, it won't be long before others find out. read more

THIS ESTABLISHMENT IS A JOKE!!! I dropped off a pair of thigh high boots for Barrera to add elastic in the thigh area. I was told to come back in 5 days. When I returned I was told 10 days. Returned again for pickup and was told that they needed til the end of the day to extend the elastic. My question was simply "Why wasn't I notified by phone as to a avoid another unnecessary trip "?! Sorry was the only answer. Fast forward 1 month!!!! I returned to pick up my boots and the repair guy acts as if he has no idea what boots I'm referring to! I jogged his memory of course! He takes almost 10 minutes to find them! He asks if they were in a box. I say yes, the original purchase box. He returns with my boots ....my boots had not been altered at all!!! I'm in shock and angry at this point! He then examines the boots and says "so you just want elastic in this area"? Keep in mind that the last time I stopped in, I was told that he wanted to extend the elastic as it wasn't enough stretch! Which insinuated he had done a job. LIAR!!! I said "how could you have my boots over a month and not touch them? Why wouldn't you call me? What's the problem? I don't understand! GIVE ME MY BOOTS, I'll take them elsewhere! Barrera's response "Yeh okay, sorry for wasting your time"! That's all he had to offer !! Maybe the lied and didn't actually know how to add material, I don't know! What I do know is that they are unprofessional, irresponsible LIARS!!!! You ever been so in shock & angry that you wanted to risk arrest?!?! LORD!!!! read more

If you are in need of a shoe repair this is not a place I would recommend. The owner is dishonest, rude and unreasonable. When I picked up the shoes he told me the work was complete but when I pointed out it was not, he took the shoes back and said he would now complete the job. That was a clear attempt at dishonest behavior as he tried to pass the shoes back to me having done nothing to them. When he did "finish" the job, he applied the incorrect color to my wife's pumps thus completely ruining the shoes. I would be very weary of visiting this establishment and strongly consider using another shoe repair shop with more yelp stars and better reviews. Below is a detailed summary of my experience. I brought a pair of my wife's pewter pumps to the shop so both toes could get touch up paint and then a polish job. I first brought the shoes to the shop 2 months ago. I was told the color is not common and would need to be ordered but the shoes would be ready the next week. That next week I arrived to pick up the shoes and I was told the color never arrived but it was ordered and they would be ready in a few more days. For the next several days later I made several attempts to call to check status but the shop owner did not answer his phone nor is his voice message set up. After 3 weeks, I was forced to physically visit the shop since I could not get through via phone. I was again told the color was on its way. I waited almost a month and tried to call the shop again and this time the owner answered. He said he had to find the shoes and would call me back in just a few minutes. He never returned the call so 2 days later I stopped in the shop. He handed me the shoes at told me the job was complete. I looked at the shoes and pointed out to him that the toe did not receive and touch up paint. He took the shoes back, looked at them and acknowledged he did nothing to them. He said the color never came but he could mix the paint. I asked if he was sure and he said that he was. He went in the back and 20 minutes later came out with the shoes. I could visually see that the shoes now has a different color on the toe and he got paint on the soles of the shoes. He ruined an expensive pair of pumps and I explained that with all the trouble I went through, the least he could do was refund me part of my $15 cost. (I didn't even ask for the full amount as I realize the small margins for small business owners. He refused and began yelling. This is a dishonest owner and I will never return and strongly urge others to not visit this establishment. If yelp could give 0 stars, that's what I would choose read more

I love this place because the service is always friendly and very professional. All the work is good quality and very reasonably priced. The owner and his son are very respectful and they love their community. It's a cash only place and I usually give them a week turnaround. They have made some improvements to the organization/cataloging of the shoes, but it's just better to save your ticket and bring it with you or it will take a long time for them to find your shoes. I've also had 2 bags fixed here when the zipper broke (they were cloth portfolio bags - the kind you get at conferences) and I got the bags back like new. Gracias Barrera Shoes! read more

I have NEVER been treated so horribly! Totally disrespected as a woman and a minority. After spending thousands of dollars of maintenance and repair on my luggage, shoes and handbags the owner treated me so badly I left in tears. After patiently waiting for over 3 months I told him that it wasn't important enough for me to make yet another trip to pick up my items. Each time he told me to come back nothing was ready. At this final visit, he got so angry that I felt extremely threatened. Not one of my 5 items was complete. Yet he MADE me pay nearly $200 for the bits and pieces of work that he had done on my collectibles. I went in offering to pay for what he'd done to date. Even though I was extremely disappointed in his behavior and threatening manner I was forced to be an unreasonable amount - just to get back the straps that were detached from 3 different bags. I've never felt so threatened, disrespected and EXTORTED all at one time. This is my 1st yelp review and I'm sorry that it has to be s negative one. But this kind of unprofessionalism can not go unchecked. read more

The husband and I took a handbag, a pair of men's ankle high boots, and a pair of women's knee high boots for repairs (sewing sole back to the upper for men's boots, handle reinforcement to prevent future failure for handbag, new soles and heels for women's boots, and thorough cleaning and shine for men's and women's boots). Explaining what we wanted done, and determining what could be done to fix the problems took a while, because we are not fluent in Spanish and the very professional repairman is not fluent in English, but we were satisfied that what we agreed to would be done and that everything would be fine, despite the language difficulties. I took pictures of the items when we put them in fork work, we gave a cash deposit, and were given a ticket showing the total estimate and subtracting the deposit, the amount to be paid upon pickup. The day we were to pick up our items, the men's boots were complete, but repairs were still in progress for the handbag and the women's boots. I thoroughly inspected the men's boots and they were in lovely condition compared to how they'd looked when we left them. He brought the handbag and women's boots to me and showed me that work had begun and was still in progress. The man assured me the work would be finished by 5 pm that day. I told him we'd return in two days, so he said take the men's boots now. He did not want the remainder nor a portion of the cash due to him. He said to just pay the remainder when we returned. The husband was pleased with the repair. We couldn't get back that week and the following weekend brought a blizzard. So our items remained for about 10 more days due to our failure to go by for them. I called ahead to be sure that all work had been finished, after the city had somewhat recovered from our blizzard. Using the ticket number, they easily were able to locate our items and assure me they were ready for pick up. All work had been thoroughly and expertly done. The women's boots looked like new, the handbag handles had been glued very securely to prevent future failure! I paid the remaining charge and our items with me. I recommend Barrera Shoe Repair. My next door neighbor has used Barrera for the past 18 years and will not take her household's leather goods and shoes anywhere else for repair or rebuild. I was very impressed with the quality of the work done on our items. Based on our experience, I recommend taking pictures of the items left for repair, keeping your ticket in a safe place, calling in advance to be sure the repair work is complete. The shop is well organized and each item Is labeled with your ticket number. There is some pay street parking on 18th street, but not cheap. The quality of the work and the value received for the charge is very good to excellent! It is very difficult to find a shop that does work this well. I don't like to push an artist to hurry a job! I'd rather let the artist complete the work properly and to his own satisfaction - that way, in the end, the outcome is good for all! Sometimes being demanding just leads to unnecessary tension. I was not pleased to read so many hyper-critical reviews. They certainly do not reflect my experience at Barrera. read more

OMG love this place! The Shoe: Brought my very expensive Frye boots after I wore down the wooden heels like 1/2-1 inch and there was extensive salt and water damage on the leather (this is what a winter in Michigan will do to your only winter boots). Dropped them off on Wednesday and was told it would be ready by Friday. However, due to the Yelp reviews and how busy he was I made a point not to pick them up until the following Tuesday (I wanted quality work not shabby work with a quick turnover). The Result: So that following Tuesday, it took me 5 minutes to pick up the shoes. He had no issues finding them and the shoes looked completely brand new. The leather was conditioned and polished, removing all of the salt and water damage. Both heels were completely repaired and matched. I was unable to tell where or how the shoe was repaired. The boots just looked completely brand new. My Opinion: They do quality work here for a reasonable price! Customer service is friendly (bonus!). Will definitely be back with more of my shoe mishaps. read more

I've never had sure BAD service in my life!!! I came all the way from Hammond,IN to get my shoes repaired. I usually go to the one right off 18th and Ashland but the nice man was closed. I called Barrera and he was open told me to bring my shoes I dropped them off on 3/24/20 the guy told me I could pick them up later that day or the next day. I call the very next day no answer kept calling no answer I called from my daughters phone at 3pm he answer saying "he was working in the back come 3/25/20 to pick up at 12noon went there the gate was on the door. Mind you I'm coming from Indiana. When back today at 1pm he wasn't here called when I got home he answered and told me he told me to pick them up Saturday!!! UNBELIVABLE read more

I brought my 5-year-old Frye boots in for new heels and a replacement strap that my dog ate on a Friday afternoon and they were ready and like new 24-hours later. Great service and craftsmanship. read more

I dropped 4 shoes for repair and left a deposit of $20. I had to do a trip overseas and I contact the store. In march when I came to pick up my shoes one of the employers told me that they have my shoes but it was in the store basement and they would need some time to locate it . They told me that they would give me a call, but it never happened . I called the place another 2 times until someone finally told me that they had "donate" my shoes read more