I know the business as 132 E Shoe Repair and I always go there because the man just knows how to fix things -- even beyond shoes. Handbags, belts, watches...He's very smart and good with his hands. read more

Popped in cause my boot's sole separated randomly (aka I tripped on a flat surface). They helped me glue n go in under 15 minutes. Very thankful I found them! "Express" lives to its name. read more

See all

His demeanor isn't the nicest and borderline racist. And in the past he charged me a paint job on a that he barely even touched. I'm on the fence about him. I'm sure there are better cobblers out there with a better attitude and one that won't act like you're a nuisance for picking up your stuff. read more

Took my favorite pair of Birkenstocks in to be resoled and to have the foot beds replaced. He also cleaned up the straps and made them look nice and clean. Turn around was less than a week and price was $80. I'll be coming back! The shoes look great and the guy working there was helpful and straight to the point. Take your shoes to the cobbler, people! read more

Ilyau Express - Shoe Repair Near Me - New York, New York

If you've ever seen me, you've seen me wearing a pair of black Timberland boots. You might not have noticed this, or even me, because neither of us are much to look at. But I love them, and I've been wearing them since the early 70s. Unfortunately, Timberland no longer makes this particular model, so mine are dilapidated to the point of being unwearable for any self-respecting person. (Thankfully, I have no self-respect.) Well, Yelp led me to this kind man's door. True to the sign that says "Shoe Repair," he repaired my shoes! And for only $16, which is cheap, at least compared to the place I spoke to in BK, which shall remain nameless because I can't recall the name. And they look new! That's partly because he shined 'em though. Watch repair is also one of the services offered in this tiny little shop, but I would stick to getting batteries changed. There was no problem there, but when I came to him with a busted leather band, the replacement was not quality. I put it on, and it -- quite literally -- broke half a block later. I tried to get my $10 back, but he just said he'd give me a new one, and I didn't have the heart to say no. Sometimes I'm just too nice. read more

Ilyau Express - Shoe Repair Near Me - New York, New York

Extremely helpful, great craftsmanship, and fast turnaround time. I stopped by to have a couple pairs of shoes resoled to extend their longevity. He was extremely cordial and helpful to my needs. He double-checked the service I wanted and asked for my availability for pickup. When I called to check if the shoes could be ready earlier than planned he kindly informed me that they were already done and ready for pickup. Once I picked them up I was very pleased with how seamlessly he matched the colors for the resole. I highly recommend him and will certainly take my shoes and boots to him in the future. read more

Eh. It was worth the repair to a favorite leather crossover purse - the strap separated from the bag. Can't say customer service was up there, but the craftsmanship was spot on. read more

Took two watches in to get the bands reaffixed to the face. Proprietor was kind and professional. Total cost was $30 which isn't unreasonable. Repairs were performed and completed within 48 hours, with no issues. Further, they offer shoe-shining for $5, which is hard to find in the city nowadays. Will come back for future repairs. read more

We've had several pairs repaired here and they've always come out well. (Usually it's replacing heels and sometimes soles.) Good place.

do not come here!! My heels were slipping out of my shoes so I came here to see if they could fix it. The man at the counter was SO rude and unwelcoming. I told him that my shoes were already tight in the toes and he gave me insoles that made my shoes even tighter. He told me that the insoles would "form" to my foot at the toe and make them less tight. That has not happened AND my heels STILL slip out of the shoes! He just made problem even worse. When I told him I wasn't sure if the insoles would work he pressured me into getting them. There was also a random man (assuming his friend) just staring at me and making me uncomfortable in the corner of the shop. read more

Fast and reasonable prices. Got the bottom of my leather shoes soled in a couple of hours and picked them up the same day! Will definitely come back for other shoe repair needs. Convenient hours and location. read more

My office recently moved so I was in dire need of a new trusted shoe repair shop and llyau did not disappoint. My shoes look fantastic. Not only do they look great but the work was completed while I waited. I couldn't be happier. I've officially found my new favorite cobbler. read more

They changed the battery on a waterproof digital watch for me. Nothing fancy. Nothing wrong with that. Credit card machine was "broken" read more

Real craftsmen. I had an unusual problem. They dropped everything and solved my dilemma with ingenuity, creativity and great skill in record time. I'm enormously impressed! read more

I took my leather loafers here for repair. They glued the loose sides, put on a new heel, and polished them. There were threads I wish they tucked in, but my items were ready for pick up on time, and for the price, I can not complain. read more

My favorite place to get my shoes repaired! Always top notch quality repairs and a fair price each time. I've been able to keep my shoes and my bags in great shape and around for a long time. read more

Just after picking up two pairs of freshly cobbled shoes from Ilyau, I bumped into an ex on 17th st. We'd had an acrimonious parting and hadn't seen each other in years. After a second of frozen indecision, I decided to let bygones be bygones and said hello. Him: "Oh, hi! What are you doing here?" Me: "Picking up some shoes." Him: "...You came to New York to pick up some shoes?" I guess he didn't know I'd moved back to town. The reason that I've recounted this anecdote is not to intrigue you with allusions to my lovelife, but rather to clarify that a 3-hour drive to get your shoes fixed at Ilyau wouldn't be the worst idea. My shoes look and feel GREAT. A patch on some leather eyelet trim was so good that I had trouble figuring out where the rip had been. The soles are sturdy, the heels don't teeter, and my elastics are taut like a swimsuit model. I spent a decent (but wholly appropriate) chunk of change there, but now my two favorite pairs of shoes are in tip-top shape *plus* I got the batteries replaced in 5 watches. I like to tell time. read more

This guy ruined my shoes. I needed to repair the shank on my caviar leather pumps. He just glued and stapled it back rather than replacing the broken shank. In addition, the glue job that he did was sloppy. I could have performed this shoddy repair myself and at least not left dried yellow glue all over it. He's not a real shoe cobbler. I feel these other yelp reviewers let me down and this shoe repair place not only did a terrible job, between the glue and staples, it's even more impossible for someone with any real skills to repair my shoes correctly. my shoes are ruined. read more

Yelp led me in the right direction! I had a massive stain on the bottom of my purse, a purse that I was trying to refurbish for the sake of the economy (it's a recession ya'll). I have no idea what the stain was made of...definitely wasn't water...could've been anything from oil grease to conditioner (or something much more nefarious). We said he'd need about 5 days to work on it...fine by me, as I handed him the bag with hope and a tinge of worry. I come back 5 days later to pick it up, hoping for the best, but expecting the worst and what do I get? A bag that looks new and green, with no trace of oil/conditioner/"other" staining the botttom. On top of that he knocks $5 off the price originally quoted. I leave VERY, VERY happy. I will definitely be back with every mangled, worn-down shoe that I own, for repair. read more

Found myself in a situation where I needed to have the battery in my watch changed and needed it done fast. Where do I turn to for answers? Yelp of course! And like most times, Yelp came through in the clutch with this excellent recommendation. I walked in here at 1pm and stated that I needed my battery changed. I handed him the watch, he took off the back cover, changed the battery, used a machine to put the back cover back on and handed me the watch. This whole process took about two minutes from start to finish. Could not be more perfect and efficient than this. The cost was 10 dollars and I was on my way. (Note: They only take cash, so come prepared) They also repair shoes here. Judging by the quickness and preciseness of how he did my watch, I would expect that the shoe service is just as good, if not better. Well when I need that service performed, I'll certainly be coming here to find out. Meanwhile if you have a watch in need of any kind of work, this is definitely the place to use. read more

Let's discuss the word Awesome. Awesome is a word that is used too frequently in American dialogue. The definition itself ("Extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear") is used to describe any and every positive development in our lovely NY lives. But!!! Guess what? Ilyau Express REALLY IS AWESOME. In the good, non-daunting way. I have a 1920s vintage croc clutch that I took in about three years ago, it came back to me good as perfect despite everyone else's assessment that it was beyond repair due to a wire sticking out since it's like, older than WWII. Today I picked up a 1 yr old pair of python Jimmy Choo flats that I would never trust with any other cobbler. I needed to resurrect them for spring as I'm whattheduck poor and can't afford to throw down hundreds of dollars every time I over-wear a pair of shoes, which is every pair of shoes. Again, guess what? Next day service, perfect shiny python flats with a new protective heel, a happy me. Awesome. And he takes credit/debit cards! Even more awesome as I never have cash on me. read more

The Union Square neighborhood has a great shoe repair shop - and Watch repair. I took two good watches in an the gentleman replaced the batteries while I waited. Friendly - good service. What a find! AND shoe repair- my shoes love this place. It feels like being in a European city..just two blocks east of union square! not fancy - just right. read more

This is for the watch repair side of the business. I would not suggest anyone take a watch worth beyond $50 here. I went in for a quick band adjustment for my higher end watch. The first warning was when he tried to take the watch off my wrist - he tried ripping it off without pushing in the unlocking tabs. I should have just left right there. He ended up taking a pair of scissors to my synthetic band and accidently cut it at an angle - requiring several adjustment cuts. He then used his own belly as a work surface for the remainder of the job - trying to rip out the pins with his fingernails. Total damage, $7. Ugh. Go to Star Watch Service up on 33rd. It's the same price, and the man there actually knows what he's doing. read more

I got there about a minute before they closed [6:29pm]- and still got the best service ever! They replaced my watch battery, and let me pick out a brand new strap-- from a whole box full of styles and colors [I got green for my ET watch]! Total bill- $14. Total time- about 5 min. out the door. They even were nice about me paying with a credit card. Quality- excellent. I also inquired about some random shoe repairs-- specifically for shoes that are too small for me now-- and "shoe stretching" is about $7 a pair. They do the works-- shoes, keys, watches-- and other random repairs too. They also had a rare key that I have needed, one that not many other places carry. Just walk two blocks east of U.Sq. on 17th street, its on the right-hand side with a yellow awning. Go- it's definitely the place to go to bring back all your old favorite things that seem broken--but they can fix!! read more

Went to the store at 3:45pm to drop off a pair of heels to have the red soles put on. I asked if I could pick them up the same day and I was told to pick them up at 5pm. It is now 5:07pm and I have picked up my shoes! Good job! read more

Fast, professional, and nice. Had the part I needed to repair my watch, and I walked out 8 minutes later. (I should note that perhaps mine was the most common repair imaginable--the clasp of the steel band had lost a part--because he literally had the part in a box a foot from his hand) read more

My shoes were absolute mush. I had a callus on the bottom of my foot in the shape of a hole, as there was more road-to-sock contact than one would think bearable. I have a high pain tolerance. But then there comes a point when not even duct tape will suffice, and rainy days start feeling apocalyptic. And that's when my shoes went into my closet, and sat there waiting for some shoe god to fly down and say, "be born again! Let there be sole!" Enter (into my life) Illyau Express. I gave them my mush, they said $48, I exclaimed, "I Believe!" and then skipped away. Two days later, my shoes looked new. Not only did they replace the soles, but they gave me new heels, polished up the water-damaged leather, and basically resurrected my Oxfords. So if you can relate to my story, then head here: it's cheap, it's friendly, it's magical, it's beautiful, it's better than life (because life ruins shoes and Ilyau Express puts them back together). read more

Fast, affordable, and friendly. I broke a strap on a new pair of leather sandals. It was fixed for a reasonable price and fast (I dropped it off at the beginning of my lunch break, came back within a half hour and it was ready to go). Will definitely come back in the fall for boot repairs and will recommend to others. read more

This place is great and the guy is absolutely wonderful. I called earlier in the day and said I would be stopping by before closing and he waited for me! Super nice and extremely helpful. Definitely recommend! read more

Very cheap and fast service! I was looking for a place to quickly resize the band of my new watch. I walked in, was helped immediately, and walked out with a shortened band all in under 15 minutes. It was also extremely cheap -- only $5 for the whole transaction. Recommended and will return for future watch needs. read more

The service was quick and affordable, repairing the heels on two pairs of shoes for less than $30 within 24 hours. My three year-old black boots were shined so well that they honestly looked brand new! However, I was surprised that my brown leather heels were still scuffed and scratched when I got them back, even though I asked for them to be repaired and shined. The man behind the counter then said that I would have to have "the skin replaced" to fix those scratches, though he absolutely did not mention this when I originally dropped them off. I wish he would have told me upfront so I could have considered this service instead of getting the shoes back with only partial repairs and an excuse. Unfortunately, the "repair" to the black wooden heel on my boots left even more to be desired. The paint looked good when I picked them up, but when I wore the boots today, it was only an hour before a dime-sized piece of that paint chipped off. After only seventeen city blocks on a day with perfect weather, these shoes need to be repaired AGAIN. tl;dr - My shoes weren't ruined, but sadly my search for reliable shoe repairs continues, since my shoes shouldn't peel like the paint in my pre-war apartment. read more

After the 20th time I was complimented on my boots, I figure I'll tell y'all the story too! I bought a pair of over-the-knee boots from a store in the garment district that always says it's "going out of business." I haggled them down to about $70 and left with some pretty hot boots. Unfortunately about two weeks later both soles were completely cracked in two and I continued to wear them throughout the season, probably not the best idea. I probably could have spent $100 and gotten a nicer pair of boots. But for $30 I got them refurbed on 17th street and now they are better than new, even waterproof! I also had another pair of boots repaired that I haven't worn in 3 years fixed up for $20 and two pairs of wobbly heels patched up for $15 each. Total damage = $80 for 4 pairs of shoes that I hadn't worn in years---cheaper than each individual pair originally cost me! I can't vouch for the watch repair, as I haven't worn a watch since 2001, but a great recommendation from a family friend that I would pass along to anyone else! I can't wait to get my summer shoes spruced up! read more

I read about this store on Yelp and hoped that the reviewers would be for real. They totally were! I work in the Flatiron/Union Square area and have spent whole lunch hours trekking around, trying to find a reasonably priced cobbler. Here he is! He rebuilt the heels of my boots and added rubber bottoms to both boots for only $25. They are like brand new again (because let me tell you - the posts of the heel were sticking through - the hole was getting big enough to possibly let pebbles and things roll around inside. Christ maybe even a squirrel could get in). But I am now happy to report that I am strolling the streets of NYC with a new hop in my step thanks to the great work of Ilayu Express. read more

This man is awesome. He is friendly, inexpensive, quick, and GOOD. He complimented my shoes when I brought them in to get the strap tightened, and found a completely innovative way to make the strap tighter without changing the appearance of the shoe. And he did the whole thing in two hours - I had my shoes back the same day. I've found my new cobbler! read more

Very pleased! Dropped off a pair of (originally) very nice boots. I'd worn through both the leather soles, and even a bit of the metal. Two days and less than $30 later, and my shoes look great. Soles completely replaced & leather repaired/shined. I'll be back with more boots! read more

These people are miracle workers. I brought a pair of Gucci flats that I almost threw out, and asked if there was anything that could possibly be done to save these beautiful shoes. I mean, they were in a beyond awful shape. For a mere $40 I was told they could be fixed, and I could not believe my eyes when I picked them up! They actually looked 100%, significantly better - unbelievable. And for a mere $20, he cleaned up another pair of JCrew heels I thought I would also need to say goodbye to. Definitely worth stopping in if you need anything repaired - highly recommend!! read more

Such a great guy who runs this place! I've come here before to get shoes fixed and purses patched, and his prices are always very reasonable. He does a really good job too. Will definitely make this place my regular shoe repair place. read more

Best shoe repair place ever. I brought in my black heels because the black pastic part of the heel fell off. They fixed my heel and shined my shoe for a very decent price. Though I don't live around here, I think I'll make this my go-to place for shoe repairs. The shoe was fixed fairly quickly and the hours were good to come after work. The man who works here was super nice and helpful. read more

Came here to get my Dad's Ferragamo dress shoes fixed. He needed new elastic on both buckles and an overall polish. Picked up the shoes about 1.5 hours later and we were fairly satisfied. The heel needed to be replaced as well but they overcharge for that. ~$20 is pretty ridiculous I think. They did a good job on the buckles but my dad complained that the polish didn't amp up the appearance as much as he hoped it would. We paid $12 for replacing the buckles and $4 for a polish, so overall, inexpensive compared to other places in the city. I guess we'll get our heels fixed by some old chinese man in Queens for 3/4 less the price. FYI QUICK SAME DAY SERVICE FYI CHEAP CHEAP read more

Came here on a Saturday to replace a watch battery ($10). The guy behind he counter even offered to replace the water-resistant gasket that snapped off from the battery cover with no extra charge. There was a line out of the door when I went, but it moved pretty quickly. Would come back again. read more