These guys do a great job, every time. Fair prices and the work is done when they say it will be. They are especially good for older and vintage leather items. read more

Do you want the cheapest shoe repair in town? Don't go here. Do you want your expensive shoes repaired correctly? Would you like the leather sole pounded flat again and the corking replaced so that the shoes are more comfortable than when they were purchased? Would you like to be told when a pair of shoes is beyond repair and not worth the money? Do you need a nice leather belt or the correct color polish? Then this is the place for you! Skilled shoe repair is very hard to find nowadays, but if you wear good shoes you need a guy and this is the guy. read more

The shop is filled with smoke upon entering, sometimes mild, sometimes heavy enough to make it physically unpleasant to be in there. I dropped off some luggage to be repaired, but the idea of sitting in smoke for a week bugged me the more I thought about, so after an hour I went back and canceled the repair. I am glad I did so because it still smells of tobacco smoke after I got home. If it had been repaired there I'm afraid it would have been effectively ruined for me, because I won't put my clothes into a bag that smells. Service was quick and friendly, and I really want to support the idea of repairing things instead of just buying a new one, but I simply cannot be in this shop or leave my stuff here. read more

Getting old, I have problematic feet and ankles and rely not only on chiropractors, etc., but also on this wonderful cobbler, who has helped me for years with all kinds of issues with my shoes and boots and even slippers. He has also done all the usual repairs for me. I am grateful that he is so skilled and more than happy to pay for this service. read more

Great service at very reasonable prices. The owner is really an artist. Takes great pride in his work. Has the ability to make worn out shoes look brand new. read more

Jacob is an incredible craftsman. Brought him a 20-year-old leather satchel I'd inherited from my grandfather which needed to be completely rebuilt. Not only did he do an amazing job, but he turned it around in just over a week. Couldn't be happier. Highly recommend. read more

See all

I have been a customer for a long time. I asked if a squeaky shoe could be repaired, and paid $15 when it was ready. The first time I wore the shoes, the sole separated from the shoe, rendering it unwearable. These were $125 shoes and now they were worthless. I asked for a store credit toward a future repair, or a refund, and was denied both. read more

Cambridge Instant Shoe Repair - The remedy was worse than the problem. $15 to repair a squeak turned into a total botch so that I could not wear the $125 shoes again. - Shoe Repair Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I visited this business to have a padded shoulder strap repaired. Turnaround time (1 week) was reasonable and met. The cost of the repair was the same as for an entirely new strap from the bag manufacturer, but I wanted to repair/reuse since almost all of the original strap was still in great condition. The repair was serviceable, but the new stitching was uneven and, ultimately, not satisfactory. I bought a few dollars worth of nylon strap from Hilton's Tent City and reused the hooks and buckle to sew myself a new one. Just need to buy a wraparound shoulder pad now, and it'll be good to go. General note: this experience really pointed out the downside of integral shoulder pads. They look fancy but are much harder to fix/replace. read more

Jacob did a STELLAR job on a super old vintage blue Coach leather purse and my most-worn pair of leather boots ever. It was $220 for both and it was well worth it, very reasonable price for this task. Would recommend him to anyone and will be coming back! read more

See all

Fixed a large rip inside a leather bag interior. Repaired the zipper, cleaned everything up, can't even tell there had been damage afterwards. Very skilled and quick work for a good value. Great experience! read more

I had a unique project that several tailors in the area l said they couldn't do. I brought it here and the owner was so kind and helpful. I also needed it in two days (the Friday before a holiday weekend) and he made it happen! It was actually done ahead of schedule, and he called me that morning to let me know it was ready. I will definitely be bringing and shoes, etc. here in the future. read more

My sister and I went to change watch battery. He was really nice. He said it would take only 5 minutes. We wait for it. Quick service and reasonable price. We will recommend to all. Thank you for your service today!!! read more

I will never go anywhere else with my shoes. Jacob is the man, so kind and sweet, reasonably priced and every job is done within a week. Love this business! read more

This place is amazing! My plane landed at Logan and I realized my shoe was broken (my heel was falling off). I called this shop and asked if they could look at the shoe, even though the store would be closing in 30m. The owner told me to come over. I took a cab straight there, and he fixed my shoe in 5 minutes! I would absolutely recommend this shoe repair shop. read more

I was hesitant for a while to write a review. I like that this seems to be immigrant owned and operated. I like supporting a small local business. But at the end of the day, I'm disappointed with how my shoes turned out. I brought in two pairs of shoes this spring. While they're still wearable, they were both damaged in the process of repairing, and the repairs themselves were not of high quality. (I can't find the photos on my phone at the moment, but I will try to edit this post later with before & after images.) One pair I brought in were vintage leather oxfords. The leather on the side of the shoe that creased near the pinky toe had cracked on the outside. I needed the tear to be filled in and patched. When I picked up the shoes, I saw that they were unskillfully patched, and somehow the soft leather had new scratches and scrapes on it. So, fixed but not. The other pair I brought in was a pair of Clarks Desert Breeze, a discontinued style that has a single buckled strap to secure the shoe instead of laces on classic desert boots. (Think monk strap boots.) My crepe soles were worn down so I asked that they be replaced with Vibram soles. Soles are great, but when I got the shoes back, the elastic piece that secured the buckle to the exterior was completely stretched out and has lost 90% of its elasticity. It's no longer stretchy and now looks like a floppy piece of fabric instead of an elastic band. Since the damaged band is what keeps the shoe "tied," I haven't been able to wear these boots for fear of the strap's fabric separating from the leather and rendering the shoe broken/unwearable. Clarks are supposed to be hearty. So again, fixed but not. I took these shoes to Cambridge Instant Shoe Repair to extend their lives. Instead, it's drastically cut them. If I had the choice, I would have gone to a more skilled leather shoe repair shop. read more

Fixed my mini-backpack strap for $10. He glued it and sewed it together. You can't go wrong! I'll be back for sure!

Do your shoes need love? Have you worn them down to the nub? Have you traipsed all around the town of Boston, digging them into cobblestone, catching them on brick sidewalks and tearing up the soles trudging through the snowy, ice-laden roads in Winter? Cambridge Instant Show Repair, while not exactly 'instant,' will make your heels, sandals and boots nearly as good as new. Three sad, sad little pairs of shoes and a pair of boots had been hiding away beneath the clothes in my closet long enough. Some without heels, some with rips and one with a broken strap, I finally gathered them all up and placed them in the hands of the cobbler here. In the bunch were a pair of black, classic peep-toe heels, black vintage Bruno Magli pumps, sand-colored cracked-leather strappy open-toe heels and gray knee-high vintage leather boots. I briefly discussed the repairs with Edward and off they went. I was given a quoted time of one week. When I returned to the shop a few days past the time, my shoes, brilliantly restored awaited me. Heels that look like new, straps restored to their original elasticity and a button replaced, rips repaired. Only the boots leave something to be desired, but I expected that, considering the condition I brought them in was horrendous. Edward said replacing the entire heel would have cost around $80, so he did the best he could. They are totally wearable and I am grateful that he did not just make that decision and opt to charge me! All four repairs for $60? This place definitely has my business. read more

Wow! Not only does Cambridge smell like sour stomach and onions, it is also paved with shoe-eating cobblestone. Cobblestone was invented by communists right? It is the great equalizer. Cobblestone does not appear to discriminate against certain shoes. It destroys all. So when my lifts (that's what they call the little plastic nibs at the end of a heel) have been spread thin across Harvard Square I go here, to the "bread line", to have them replaced. Overall shoe guy does great work with simple things like repairing stitching on leather and replacing lifts or elastic . He's not so good with getting my stuff back when he tells me it'll be ready though.... and once he dyed a pair of leather boots for me...... the experience spiraled into an exhaustive and frustrating process (and didn't turn out amazing). I blame myself though, cause my threshold for happiness is far too high. Anyway, he's a nice shoe guy, friendly, decent. I am grateful he exists really. Shoe repair folk and tailors....... they make the world a better place. Of this I am convinced. Aside: He repairs luggage (handles, zippers) and re-soles shoes as well. read more

WAY OVER PRICED!!!! I went there for a simple zipper replacement on a leather backpack that's older than I am. When I dropped it off he said it would be between thirty and forty dollars, which I didn't think was a deal but it wasn't quite a rip off. The truth was exposed when I came back a few days later to pick it up. While I was waiting I saw a man peel out OVER A HUNDRED DOLLARS in twenties and hand them over for a pair of shoes that still looked beat up. I sighed, thinking there was no way that I was gonna be able to afford what the repair may turn out to be. It turned out to be sixty dollars and the man claimed to have no recognition of the " thirty to forty dollars" conversation that we had. Bitch. I'd love to say there's a better place to go, but I know of none. So, if you find a shoe repair place that's not a rip off, please, let me know. read more

I went to the nearby Arrow Dry Cleaners, Tailoring and Shoe Repair to get a quote on fixing the zipper on my winter coat. The attendant stayed on the phone throughout the course of our conversation, said I'd have to leave my coat for 7-10 days, and that it'd cost $35-$40 to replace the zipper (which seemed a fair price). When I asked her if the problem might be solved simply by replacing the zipper pull (which has been my experience in the past) she said 'no.' I then walked across the street to Cambridge Instant Shoe Repair (their business card lists the business name as 'Cambridge Shoe Repair and Pedorthics') with the same query. I asked if the zipper could be fixed and how much it'd cost. The attendant took my coat and went to the back of the shop. I waited about 5 minutes and he came back and offered my coat for me to test. The zipper was working! I asked how much he wanted for the repair, and he said, don't worry about it, I just switched the zipper pull (there were two pulls on the coat--it was a double zipper, and he switched the top and bottom pulls). I was THRILLED. Not only did he fix it (Instantly, as the name implies!) without charging me, but I didn't have to spend a week of winter weather without my coat. Even though they didn't charge for the zipper, I bought some suede cleaner and a suede brush to thank them for their good business. read more

Here are the facts: I'm a broke grad student and I had my eyes on a pair of new Alexander Wang boots but it was either that or eat for the rest of the semester. Difficult choice yes, but I also love bacon. So there we were...and I had to do something with my worn out boots. Luckily for me, Cambridge Instant Shoe Repair was right around the corner and promised good things. For $40 they re-soled, waterproofed and otherwise put new life into my old boots. The price tag wasn't cheap but I am quite happy with the outcome (and the fact that I can afford dinner tonight). read more

The only reason I have renter's insurance is for the value of my shoes. Well, that and my fear of using my oven. Anyhow, this is my third shoe repair I have gone to in Cambridge and the only one I will go back to for life! He charges fair prices and wants to be sure you approve of his work. He loves my shoes as much as me!! read more

I had a great experience with this no-hassle shop. My riding boots had very worn heels that needed completely replaced. I took them in early on a Tuesday morning and there was no line or wait. The staff person (owner?) was friendly and prompt. One week and $30 later, the heels were replaced and the leather was shined. The new material is very similar to the old and the look of the shoe did not change. I've been wearing them (and walking all over the city) for over a month now and they've been holding up great! read more

I had picked up a lovely pair of vintage Selby pumps ($5!!) from SoWa wayyy back when, and immediately started wearing them all over the place when I realized the insoles were crumbling and the heel was flaking apart. Yelp turned up this place and though it wasn't really in my neighborhood I figured the good reviews made it worth going out of my way. I dropped off my shoes, explained what I needed to be done, but also threw out there that any restoration he could do on the exterior of the shoe (it had multiple colors and the leather was scratched in various places) would be great as well. He said to come by Saturday to pick up; I forgot, so I swung by Tuesday. It was a hot day, I was tired and going out of my way, and when I asked about my shoes he said that they were "more or less" ready but that he wanted to do some touch-ups on the outside, was that okay? And it was going to take another day or so? Well, yeah, of course it was okay as I had told him to do that at the beginning, but he had had my phone number on the tag and could've called me at any time to ask me that, and also to tell me that my shoes weren't going to be ready on time. That was going to earn this place a three-star review until I went back a few days later and picked up my shoes. They are GORGEOUS. The heels and insoles are great, and with a few little patches that he couldn't fix, the exterior looks amazing. I got at least five compliments on my shoes when I wore them out that weekend. It ran me about $35, which is more than the $20 he initially quoted me, but I really think that's reasonable considering I paid $5 for the shoes in the first place, and his work is great quality. I will definitely take my shoes back here for restoration, but will probably call ahead to make sure they're ready for pickup. read more

Took in two pairs of heels that needed to be reheeled. I was a little embarrassed as they weren't in great shape but are still so comfortable. They not only expertly reheeled both pairs but also retouched some of the scuffs and reglued a part of the leather that was flapping on the back. They look brand new and will get many more months of use. All for $30 for both pairs. Thank you so much! read more

Affordable. Accessible (walking from Harvard campus). Friendly. I'm down with that. My only complaint is the turnaround time. I'm used to having 1-2 day repair times, max but here it's closer to a week. Not sure why (why Boston, why?). However, the repair jobs have been good and they even have a little flair to show they care. I flipped my newly heeled pumps over and what do I see? A little red star on the bottom of each stiletto heel :) And if you're worried about sending expensive shoes here, don't worry - they'll take care of them. I've sent 3 pairs of designers shoes so far and I'm happy. read more

Update: the owner contacted me and suggested that my shoe experience might have been with an employee who has since left their business. The owner was very keen to resolve this review, which I'm appreciative of. I haven't had the time to bring other shoes in for putting in protective half-soles, but I would try this place a second time after the owner reached out via Yelp. ----- I am a shoe collector and my review is intended for high heels and boots, usually for putting protective black rubber half soles. Pros: Very fast response time. When the name includes "Instant," they really mean it. I needed a pair of Giuseppe Zanotti heeled shoes to be outfitted with black rubber half soles at short notice for a trip. This was done on time and quickly. Cons: $30 (!) to put poorly cut rubber half soles on my delicate Zanotti heels. I can still see a bit of glue sticking out from where the sole was imprecisely cut and adhered to the bottom of the shoe. This irritates me a lot given that I spent over four hundred dollars on these heeled sandals and had hardly worn them. The rubber half soles themselves were not of good quality either, so I've resorted to buying my own and taking them in to other cobblers. In hindsight, this was $30 poorly spent--I should've waited until after my trip to get a cobbler who could do the job quickly and precisely. read more

I'm so glad to have a cobbler literally one block from my place and a very talented one at that. I brought in my cheapie Target booties for him to stretch out not once, but twice! He worked his magic and they fit beautifully now, especially since I'm pretty sure I asked him to stretch it up one whole size. The stretch cost $10, but he said he'd be happy to stretch them again for free. I also replaced my heel taps on boots and stilettos. Boots cost $25 and stilettos were $15 - pricey, definitely. But for convenience and reliability, it's worth it. read more

I took three boots to be repaired and couldn't be happier with the service provided. Great quality & price and the owner (Jacob) is extremely nice and helpful. Highly recommend! read more

Quick, affordable, and complemented by Jacob's fantastic customer service, this shop was our first choice when making repairs. I work in a costume shop in the film industry and Jacob was able to handle everything we brought in. Many of our shoes and bags are rented vintage and must be repaired before we send them back. He was able to maintain the aged quality of the vintage shoes while seamlessly repairing loose soles, broken seams, and more! We are often in a crunch timeline so his turnaround time was a life saver. Every time I went in I had an extremely pleasant time, Jacob is just so personable and you can tell he's an expert at what he does. Highly recommend! read more

As everyone said, spend a few dollars and my brown dress shoes look great!

Positive shoe cleaning experience! The price quoted was lower than elsewhere and he did a great job in revitalizing my dirty boots. I only knock down 1 star because he quoted to have them finished by a certain time but was unable to get it done by then. However, I wasn't in a rush, so no big deal. If you need to wear your shoes for a specific event or need them by a certain time, I would make sure to come in way in advance just in case. read more

I was in and out in five minutes for a bag repair. They were extremely kind and honest and charged me nothing. I will definitely be back!

$6 to put a tiny tiny plastic cap on the heel of one of my high-heeled shoes? give me a break, it took all of 20 seconds. what a rip off. --UPDATE-- turns out another shoe place i went to charged about the same. i guess all shoe places around here are just really damn expensive. read more

The owner of this shop is a kind, generous person who re-glued the sole of my sneaker at no charge after someone in the T stepped on it and broke it. What an incredibly nice thing to do. Please have your shoes repaired here! read more

While the ridiculous Boston sidewalks may tear apart your heels, the guy here can certainly fix them up again. He has done a great job repairing everything from suede boots to leather strappy sandals. During busy times the wait for repair can be a little long, but the quality is worth it. read more

I will update my review pending the return of my latest 3 pairs of shoes, but the man who I assume owns this place resoled my favorite pair of Dolce Vita boots and made them look like new!!! Today, I tried going to a shoe repair in Davis, but the owner there told me that due to his health, he couldn't repair my shoes and was having troubles working. I mentioned that I'd just come back to Cambridge Instant Shoe Repair, because I had taken another pair of shoes there previously. I would have just gone right back to CISR but it's inconvenient to me..... Anyway, I walked in, and this guy who is working (owner?) looks at me, greets me politely, and waits for me to speak. I say "I have 3 pairs of shoes that need repair. I'm rough on shoes, so I am embarrassed of their condiiton" ... He says (over stacks of shoes): "We don't deal in shoes here" (pause for laughter). I say "I got another pair of shoes fixed here, I remember you being funny". -- He proceeds to tell me that he can in fact fix all of my shoes....one pair needing reheeling and general touch ups to scuffed and torn leather, one needing the wedge to be re-glued to the sole of the shoe, and the other a pair of wide calf boots (my calves are horribly disproportionate to my body, and I like to hide them all winter....these boots are cheap and made by Guess, but they took me YEARS to find boots that fit this well)....the boots are cheap but he tells me that he can replace the zipper, and that no one will notice if he replaces it and that he can fix the stitching. --- If he can fix my shoes so that they look decent/are functional.... he gets 5 stars. I really like this place... Really, I shouldn't want to go hang out at a shoe repair shop, but I like....kind of want to...who knew dropping shoes off for fixin' could be fun??? read more

I came to this shop early one Friday morning with 4 pairs of shoes that all needed to be re-heeled. I asked if there was any chance I could have just one of the pairs ready for pick-up later the same day (I didn't care how long the other pairs took). The gentleman behind the counter, to my delight, said that he could have all 4 pairs completed by the evening. I confirmed what time I'd be by, re-stated that it was for "today," and he said he'd see me later. I went to pick them up and not a single pair was ready. The same man I'd spoken to earlier said he thought I'd meant the next day. He asked if I could "wait 10 minutes" and that he could finish them then. I re-iterated that I really only needed one pair done immediately and I preferred to get the others another day, as I didn't have much time to wait for all 4 pairs to be completed. He said that was fine. I sat down to wait. Two other customers came in and were waited on in the meantime (including a woman who came by and a pair of shoes she'd dropped off last week still weren't ready!). Finally, 30 minutes later, I asked what was going on. He said "just 5 minutes more" and came out with all of my shoes completed. Now, of course I was happy they were all finished, but I was annoyed to have been kept waiting longer than I needed to be, especially since I was on a tight time-frame and had clearly mentioned I really only needed ONE pair urgently. It's not even 3 weeks later, and one of the heels has broken off one of the shoes already. At $6 per heel, this doesn't seem right. read more

It cost me $25 to fix a zipper of an outer pocket on my bag. Maybe that's standard but it seemed pretty expensive to me. But the bag is like new now so I'm a relatively happy camper. Except that they told me the bag would be ready in 3 days, but it was not ready when I got there. So I had to return the next day. Not cheap and not fast. Meh. read more

I brought in a shoe which had blown about an inch's worth of stitching. When the guy was done, in minutes, I couldn't tell, nor remember, which shoe had been repaired. It looked that good. And, he refused to charge me! What a gentleman. Note: I heard about this place from an old-school-Oxford-don type I was tablewaiting on. He recommended this place for custom shoes, tho I haven't seen his custom work yet. But this customer really seemed to know his clothes, again, old-school, bespoke style. read more