"You must not watch much basketball."…read more ********************************************** A well-known former member of Congress once asked me, "John K." he said, "Do you know the difference between a $5 shoe shine and a $10 shoe shine?" Wisely I think, I evinced ignorance. "John K., The difference is attitude." This I took more as life lesson affirming the importance of bringing a positive attitude to ones work than a commentary on boot blacks. However, I've used the criterion since in evaluating shoe shines. Although his base rate is $7 for about 20 minutes of work, Gus gives a $10 shoe shine. Gus, like a good bartender, is ready with a good tale. He was telling me when he worked at National Airport in 1991, a very tall African-American gentleman sat in his chair for shine. Gus watched as numerous passersby asked for autographs. Afterwards Gus asked him who he was. The gentleman answered, "Michael Jordan." Judging from Gus's blank stare Michael said, "You haven't heard of me, have you. You must not watch much basketball." As a Marine I have pretty high standards for a shoe shine. Where was Gus when I needed him at Parris Island?!

I enjoy a professional shoe shine. I am persuaded it is good for the leather. It gives you a more…read moreprofessional look. There also is the friendly banter that is integral to the experience. I have patronized this stand at Union Station. I've probably been here a dozen times or more over the years. They do excellent work. I have not been disappointed. In particular, they do the edge dressing. You will feel like a million bucks. The fellows I've chatted with are friendly. They like their jobs. That is important. They deserve the business. If only there were more places such as this, but they are disappearing.

What's that they say--"Seek and ye shall find?" Yeah, I don't know why it took a month for me to…read morefind Union Station Shoe Shine. I've been searching shoe shiners *verbatim* on Yelp and Google basically since I moved to DC in April, and this one never came up. The places that did, require you to leave your shoes for up to a week just to do a 15 or 20 minute job. Literally no one had a basic sit-and-wait operation; one place, a mobile service, ultimately took three days to answer an email, which ended up being too late. I randomly came across Union Station Shoe Shine one morning and immediately gave them a call. The reviews were stellar and the voice on the phone checked out, so I made the mad dash up the Red Line over there. Union Station Shoe Shine is a textbook shoe shiner's that you've assuredly walked past if you frequent Union Station. For some reason, it still never dawned on me. I was born and raised in New Orleans, where neighborhood shiners were a dime a dozen, and then I had a shiner in Houston that I'd drive 40 miles across town to visit. But I really didn't want to wait a week just to have my shoes shined, and this is where I learned the difference between the two types of shops. First of all, the two gentlemen--one of them named Ty--are personable as all get out. I sat in the "throne," basically, with my feet rested in the platform, completely stunned at the work being done while they answered all of my questions (they offer cleaning services, and you can also simply drop off your shoes, where they'll give you an estimate of a turnaround--usually about 15 minutes). During the conversation, my shiner explained why I was having trouble: dedicated *shiners* have closed down due to decreased demand, and all that are left are full-service repair shops who, naturally, take longer to do the same work. Facing a sea of travelers, I sat and watched him craft a mirror shine the likes of which I've never seen. I was left with this glazing white reflection of the skylight that retailers have to *Photoshop* in order to sell their shoes. Only midway through, my mind was made up that I'd be bringing my entire fleet back here, especially at $15 for such classic work. A dress shoe fanatic, I sent photos to all of my friends in the DMV area. All of that to say: if you're in DC and need a common-sense shoe shine, just go to Union Station Shoe Shine, smack in the middle of the train hall. They're efficient, super friendly and will take DAMN good care of you.

I came here because the sole of my boot had completely fallen off, and I no longer had the missing…read morepiece. As soon as I walked in, I was met with an unfriendly attitude. I asked if there was any chance I could have the boot repaired by today since I don't know much about shoe repair, and instead of simply answering my question, the employee laughed in my face and made me feel belittled. After leaving, I went to the shoe repair shop located directly below JC Tailors. The owner was incredibly kind, charged me half the price I was quoted here, and was able to repair my boot the same day. Based on my experience, I would not recommend this business. Customer service goes a long way, and no one should leave feeling disrespected for asking a simple question.

My shoe was repaired and looks like new. It was done in a few days and the price was very…read morereasonable. Good quality work.

I rarely write reviews, but Pete's Cobbler's Bench absolutely earned this one…read more I purchased an authentic vintage Louis Vuitton Keepall that I knew was going to be a restoration project. The bag had severely worn leather, cracked handles, no shoulder strap, and decades of wear. I visited several places and did a lot of research before trusting Pete's with it. From the moment I walked in, I felt like they genuinely cared about preserving the integrity of the bag rather than just replacing everything. They explained exactly what needed to be restored, what could be preserved, and why. They even kept the original Louis Vuitton hardware whenever possible, which was very important to me. The craftsmanship is exceptional. Every piece of leather was beautifully replaced, the stitching is precise, the bag was professionally cleaned and conditioned, and they even custom-made a matching shoulder strap for me. The finished bag looks incredible while still maintaining the character of a true vintage Louis Vuitton. The turnaround time was about six weeks, and every day was worth the wait. For anyone considering restoring a luxury handbag instead of replacing it, I cannot recommend Pete's Cobbler's Bench enough. Their attention to detail, honesty, and craftsmanship exceeded my expectations. They brought a beautiful piece of Louis Vuitton history back to life, and I couldn't be happier with the result. Thank you, Pete and your team, for treating my bag as if it were your own.

I would rate Cobbler's Bench a 10 not just 5 stairs. They repaired a pair of Louboutins that were…read moreeaten by an escalator. They are the very best.

had some loafers tha were fixed fast for a great price! They picked up my shoes from my address and…read moredelivered them a week later

I want to believe and trust in them, but my one experience trying to use them was decidedly mixed…read moreresult. The communication via text was very convenient and responses were very quick. Sadly, they said the sole of my boot was unable to be re-glued /reattached, even though to me, it looks like a very basic situation, & it was a brand new boot. but perhaps the way the boot was made, makes it nearly impossible to do without completely recobbling? One day when I have time, I will take it to get a second or third opinion. I assume they are good at what they do because they drive from the Quantico area only one day a week to pick up/ drop off orders, and they service multiple locations .

Did a great job fixing up shoes I needed at a very good price. I appreciated the txt alert when…read morethey were ready! I will be going back here for any future shoe fixing!

Excellent work. Price was incredibly fair. Cash only. Estimate on timeline was accurate. And…read morethey're just so nice!!!

See the before and after pictures…read more In our modern, high-disposable age, places like Golden Shoe Repair are quickly disappearing. It's a shame, as true craftsmanship and quality still matter. I was disappointed when the shoe repair spot at Langston Boulevard and George Mason closed a few years ago, so I'm incredibly happy that Golden Shoe is still around and going strong. I recently brought in a few pair of older Clarks. They are my favorite comfortable work dress shoes, but they had reached a point where they weren't quite right for business anymore. However, they still had plenty of life left in them. I took them to Golden Shoe for a full shine and restoration, and the results are fantastic. They look great now for a weekend or an evening out paired with blue jeans. This wasn't my first visit, either. Previously, I brought in my Doc Martens that I've owned since the 1990s. They handled that restoration perfectly as well. What to expect: * Service: Fantastic quality and a very fair price for the level of work. * Pro Tip: This is a cash-only shop, so make sure to stop by the ATM before you head over.

Quick and easy drop off + pick up! Extremely well priced for the services requested. I would highly…read morerecommend this place to anyone! I saw someone say they take cash only but I was able to use card.

I assume the station is closed. At 12 440 on a Tuesday I was…read morethere and no one was present. There is no sign suggesting a break, lunch, etc.

Moises used to be in the Johnston & Murphy shop at 13th and G Street, NW. He is now in the lower…read morelobby of Columbia Square: 555 13th Street (between E and F). Moises is still the best shoe shine in The East End. He can also take care of your repairs.

I have used this dry cleaner a number of times and there hasn't been a stain they haven't been able…read moreto remove. They used to be my regular dry cleaner when I worked nearby. While I have changed jobs, they are still where I go when my regular place just can't get the job done. Just today they were able to get old tomato sauce stains off of a white suit jacket I hadn't worn in years. I don't think they're absurdly pricey, given their location and skill, but I guess that's going to depend on the person.

Very annoying - they snapped my heels in half while replacing the caps, but refused to fix what…read morethey broke! I went in to get the caps on my high heels replaced, and the older lady took on the job while I waited. As she was doing so, she actually managed to break one of the heels in half! (They came out to me and admitted this, because with this breakage, it would take another 15 minutes to fix, which I was fine with.) But then the next day when I wore them, the other one also snapped in half, in the same place as the other one. But they refused to fix it, even they had clearly snapped while the caps were being replaced! So stay well aware from this place, because the older lady clearly has no idea what she is doing. Very annoying, as I have to throw away the shoes - an expensive mistake, which was their mistake and at my expense.

Short story: Leon's communication is abysmal, and the quality of work is even worse. I dropped my…read moreshoes off on 10/9 for a repair and didn't get them back until 11/8. I took a pair of boots on 10/9 to Leon that needed repair after my dog got to them. He came highly recommended from a trusted friend. He required payment up front, which usually I won't do as a first-time customer, but made an exception since he seemed like a good guy and my friend had excellent work done here. He promised an estimate within a few days. I waited a week before getting in touch by text, and got a very hostile response. We later talked on the phone and apparently he thought I was trying to scam him because his information has been "hacked", even though we'd already communicated in the same text thread. We cleared the air and he apologized for the misunderstanding. He got me an estimate 5 days later (for those keeping track it's now 10/21), and I went to the store immediately to pay. He took my money and promised they'd be done by the end of the month. He's just one guy, after all! Can't fault him for taking his time, especially if the work is good. I got in touch on 10/31 and he said he needed another week. I got in touch a week later and he says he's still not done, but says I can come by the store at 8pm that night to pick up. This doesn't work with my schedule, which is fine. That's on me. So today, 11/8, rolls around and I ask about when I can pick up. He texts to "come by 3pm", which means "come before 3pm". A typo, i realize in retrospect, and so when I showed up at 1:30 expecting him to be there I was surprised that the shop as closed. I called and was met with a stream of profanity about how he had told me to come AT 3pm. We bickered for a bit, I'm frustrated, and so I come at 3 to find him just starting the work on my boots. The resulting work is really bad. The patch leather is cut poorly and messily, the thread isn't properly sewn in, and there is glue all around the perimeter of the patch on the boots themselves. A cherry on top: when I was trying to leave the store, which is quite cluttered and small, I tripped over some detritus, and he laughed at me and then texted me "up yours" as I was getting to my car.

Leon is great... odd hours but he does a great careful job on belts and shoes and all else.read more