I went here to see if this cobbler can fix my two Highland Tactical backpacks' zippers. He was…read morehonest with me and told me the way the zippers were built internally, it would be near impossible to replace. He told me to contact the manufacturer to get the zippers fixed or replaced. If they can't do it, he'll try to fix it. I instead contacted Amazon Asurion insurance program instead based on the cobbler's advice and they sent me a full gift card refund for my damaged bag in return that I must ship the damaged backpack back to them which I did and used the gift card refund from Asurion to buy a better backpack by Mardingtop that has YKK zippers. So I appreciate the cobbler's honest opinion and advice. I might come back to this place to see if I can get the soles of my Dr. Martens shoes replaced. Also they close early in the weekdays at 2:30PM not 5PM.

I have tried to go there twice now and both times they were not open when the sign says they are…read more I'm guessing they went out of business? Super bummed because they did a great job in a pair of boots a few years ago.

Brought my girlfriend's coach boots to him because one had ripped out of the soul near the toe. He…read moredid a great job glueing it back together but upon inspection it turned out a zipper tag was now missing on one side, and the the zipper itself was jammed now. The owner was pretty rude and didn't even make an attempt to see if the lost zipper was anywhere and just insisted they don't magically fall off. Needless to say that was a less than helpful response. Shame too because he did the job great, and a good price but returned damaged shoes and refused to acknowledge it. I'd take before pics of the shoes before going there but I'd still be wary but I won't be returning.

The owner is friendly and straightforward. The service was excellent, my heels were resoled within…read morea couple of days for less than $20. The pricing is very reasonable, highly recommend to anyone looking for quality without breaking the bank.

If i could leave 0 stars I would.Where to begin.... I…read morebrought in a vintage Japanese LV bag that has been since discontinued and asked if it could've been done in time for christmas.. yes- knowing I had a 2 week time crunch. IF YOU CANT DO IT, DO NOT TAKE THE JOB. I come back christmas eve. The bag looks even worse than the condition it came in. half arsed stitching, sealing, and paint job... oh and "we don't touch hardware". ON TOP OF IT ALL! $270.... I said absolutely not, can I pick it up again in January. I get told yeah I will personally make sure it looks perfect. I should've known then. It looks like he slapped more sealant over the already botched job making it look laughably worse! When I asked for even a PARTIAL refund on an already destroyed bag he said no. so here I am 270$+ in the hole to which he said was "very cheap" (yeah it looks cheap) and that I should show this bag to its owner so she can see how good it looks, trying to talk me down from a horrible situation. She would scream in my face and call me a moron at this level of "craftsmanship". $200 in the hole with a crappy looking bag that can't even be replaced. If this is his business model, avoid at literally all costs! You're better off letting the bag die.

I took two pairs of shoes to get work, picked them up and both were a different color. When I went…read moreto pick up the one they were fixing, it still was not remotely the same color~ but Marty, told me differently, me the owner of the shoes. He explained how wrong I was, when I asked for a refund he said I had no receipt~ the ticket was there ~ he offered for me to leave them again so I can make yet another trip to hope they are what I expected in the first place. Another customer came in, a friend, who offered to pay, twice, yet Marty refused. I walked out ~ his friend gets free service , yet I paid $60 for color change that I didn't want and is horrible, and being told I don't know my own shoes. NEVER EVER!

Chris did a great job cleaning up scuffs on the toe of my cycling shoes that are black. Cleaned up…read morethem so that they looked new. Cash and I believe $10 for the pair. I keep my shoes in general (not just bike shoes) a long time...I'm inclined to bring in shoes when they are looking like they need a refresh better than I can do at home. That way they can at least good until they reach end of life.

Lots of experience and fast service. I got a good price on the alteration of my birkenstock…read morebostons. The strap wasnt tight enough so I brought them in to have them adjusted. Worked great

Mike's Shoe Repair is a true treasure in Evanston. The team has revitalized my favorite shoes,…read moreadded new soles to consignment-store finds, and even worked miracles on handbags needing a fresh color palette. I especially appreciate their honesty--sometimes they'll tell me when a pair is beyond saving, which shows how much they value quality over a quick sale. With wonderful service, heart, and old-world craftsmanship, this shop keeps me coming back again and again.

My very necessary clogs were falling apart, and even though the Shoemaker could not fix them on the…read morespot and would have charged me $38 to get them back to me in two days I needed a faster fix! So he mentioned that the Value hardware store across the street sells shoe glue... and for that suggestion, I am forever grateful!!!! that did the trick, and it would never have occurred to me had he not suggested it to me! One great big five star thank you to him (whether his name is mike or something else? I forgot to ask.)

My elderly friend needed the battery in their watch replaced. Now where, do I ask, does one get…read moresuch a thing done? I headed to Old Orchard Shoe & Luggage Repair, downstairs, by Nespresso. There I found this spot, untouched by time, and an older man was reading the newspaper, and we chatted, until the other older guy came back from lunch. The battery was replaced lickety-split, good golly, and it was just $20. I have a leather purse that I need one of the snaps replaced, and I may have come here 10 years ago to have a hole punched in a leather belt. I better come back here soon and not wait another 10 years because these guys will have retired. Who knows, maybe they're already retired. No-nonsense good service and a good value.

I felt like Ray is my new best friend. He is personable and kind so I immediately took a liking to…read morehim. First of all, its difficult to find great shoe repair shops and tailors these days. His price was very reasonable to sole my boots. I have been to many places around the city and I am happy that I found someone who charges a reasonable price for solid work. My boots were completed on time as promised! I took a chance that unhappy people leave the worst reviews and I will return to this business and will refer more people to him!! He is a business owner that is worth your respect and support. Please treat him kindly so that he stays in business forever! Ray is one of a kind and a good person. We need our dollars to go to good businesses!

Excellent, well priced work.. So happy I found this place!…read moreHe resoled a sandal and fixed a zipper on my purse. The price was so reasonable that I said "are you sure?" It's such a thrill to be able to get an item fixed vs. throwing it away and spending a lot more on a new item.

Usually, Theodore does great work…read more Usually... When he doesn't, he will gaslight you and tell you that your eyes are wrong and that his work it is right. If what you want to take care to get repaired, you want to usually be good, then this might be a good option. If you want it done right or correct it in a way that's proper than maybe you choose somewhere else.

The owner John is a good man who prides himself on his work…read moreHe is an honest shoemaker who never upsets.

I have been taking shoes and boots to John for repair for many years and he is absolutely the best!…read moreI'm surprised he isn't written up in every magazine's "best of the north shore". I've also taken shoes to other highly rated shoe repair locations and they don't hold a candle to the quality of work that John does each and every time - and I'm picky! I don't often write reviews but I picked up a purse from him today and he made it look like new, so felt like I needed to let others know, especially during this difficult time for small businesses. Also, he's the nicest guy!