Heartbroken over A favorite boot's broken heel Made whole by this shop Mr. J&L He works fast and he works well Walking on cloud 9 read more

J & L Shoe Repair - Fixed the pin and missing black pad on my heel in less than 10 minutes - Shoe Repair Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I was in a huge pinch my luggage zipper broke and he was able to fix it for me in under 20mins. Super grateful!

Spent $35 to repair my Steve Madden boot soles + get a shining. Order was done on time and looks brand new! Will be back.

Don Hong has modified 5 pairs of shoes for me. My left shoes require 0.5-inch complete sole lifts. Mr. Hong is a true craftsman who hand modifies my shoes, adds 0.5 sole lift, and then glues the original cut soles back onto the bottom of the shoes. I have looked for other shoe cobblers; sadly found they had retired. I'm hoping Mr. Hong will continue to help me and others who need their shoes modified. Thank you, Mr. Hong! read more

2 years ago, I took 2 pairs of fake leather black flats here to be cleaned and repaired. (I didn't know the leather was fake at the time). The shoes were really cheap, bought in China, but I loved the design and wanted them to last. The toes of one shoe were so scuffed/dinged I asked the owner if he could make it look shiny and new again. The owner pretty much didn't take me seriously and when I got the shoes back, he had basically put a toothpaste sized streak of polish on the scuff to cover it up, didn't even buff it smooth and called it a day. It was the same with the other pair where the color was coming off the plastic heel. He added a chunky dab of polish to cover up that up, didn't even smooth out the paint. The plastic was shiny and the polish was matte clearly didn't match but it was black I guess. Maybe he realized my shoes were cheap and thought I was an idiot for trying to restore them and didn't care to do a gold job. He ended up charging me $32 to messily shiny and "restore" these pair of shoes. I prepaid in advance and didn't think much of the price. I had never been to a cobbler before so I thought he did the best he could even though it looked hella wrong. Needless to say, 4 days later the polish fell off and my shoes looked like crap again like nothing happened. I have since thrown one pair away but the other were still my favorite flats. I took them to Old Style Shoe Shine downtown to see if they could be saved. The owner there said the leather was fake and that's why they scuffed so easily but he would make them look nice. I got them back recently, heels replaced, and they look almost new. About $30 for the repair too. It was a stark contrast from the crap result that I got from J&L. Please don't come here. I should have known from the looks of the shop. It's messy, dirty, and dusty inside. I got a belt hole punched here no problem but that's the extent of care the owner will put into details. Maybe he only works on repairing functional men's work boots or only care about resoling shoes but not the actual upper and restoring the leather. I would be horrified to take designer or expensive shoes here. The prices weren't even cheap! read more

A rather gruff, older Asian gentleman is the owner of this shoe repair store, which apparently has been here for ages. And is likely to one of a dying breed. In the past, I've had my Chacos sandals' heel given a new partial replacement, giving me an extra year or two before I had to chuck the sandals for good. Most recently, I brought in my Merrell waterproof hiking shoes ($110?) in to see if the inner part of the heel could be repaired, after it had worn out considerably (I think my cat must have been nibbling it). The owner quoted me a $30 repair, which seemed expensive, to put in a leather piece to protect the inner heel. I went for it, which seems like a good idea, in this age of chuck-and-buy-a-new one. Repair or recycle? I chose the former. read more

I dropped off my Birkenstock sandals for a partial resole of the heels last Monday afternoon. The kind gentleman recommended a more durable material and promised they'd be ready on Friday. I paid $24.22 as payment is required ahead of time. I wasn't able to make it in on Friday so I stopped in first thing on Saturday. The gentleman wasn't in the shop so I called out and rang the bell on the counter, he rushed back from nearby and apologized profusely. No worries on my part as I wasn't waiting long, the shoes were ready, and they looked great. Wore them yesterday and no complaints. read more

J & L Shoe Repair - Partial resole of Birkenstock sandals - Shoe Repair Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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J&L's gentleman cobbler, who has been in this business more than 30 years, is a very nice man and a true artisan. He did a great job re-heeling my boots at a very reasonable price. I feel so lucky to have found him - the shop is across the street from Northwest Bloodworks where I donate blood, so it was just luck. By the way, he did happen to mention that vandals had broken his front windows, which made me sad. It's tough for small business people to keep going and offer services at a good price, which he does. So if you bring your shoes in, please be kind and appreciative to him. He deserves it! read more

Nicest man you will ever meet. Friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Guarantees his work, but I do not see the need, his work is excellent. Need a shoe fixed or spiffed up, stop and see him. read more

Brought in a pair of leather black Sam Edelman booties that I've worn for about 5-6 years now. The sole of the Right heel was completely gone. Lots of dings and nicks on the heels. Cracked sole along the balls of the feet. I got them completely resoled and the nicks patched over by the kind gentleman here quickly and for a reasonable price. I chatted with him and he has been here for 30 years. He said business has been cut by half since COVID. Support a local shop and the environment by repairing old shoes instead of buying a bunch of new cheap shoes online. read more

Excellent service. Restored by Birks to "like new" condition. Very pleased and reccomend. Thank you!

Dude. This place is great! I brought in my shoes for a heel sole replacement (?) and he did such a beautiful job. Lots of attention to detail. He matched the color of the sole to exactly what I specified. Also, the rate was very reasonable, about 23 dollars I believe. I will try to update this review after I have walked more on my newly soles shoes but for now, I am super impressed. read more

One of my legs is shorter than the other, by about 1cm. For this reason, I have to buy fancy shoes and get one lifted so that my legs will be the same length. It can be incredibly expensive and a major pain in the butt since most places charge hundreds of dollars and take over a month to get it done. I was so happy to find J & L. I was able to get four shoes lifted in less than a week, all for the price that it would have been to get one shoe lifted at the only other place in Seattle I found that does it. I'll definitely be going back the next time I need shoes lifted! read more

Reading other reviews, I cannot imagine why the tidiness of a cobbler's shop would have any relevance at all. Mr Hong is a phenomenal craftsman who takes the time necessary to solve whatever problem you present. He is also a very sweet person. For me, it is a 2/3" leg length discrepancy that requires lifting my right shoes. He has done 6 shoes for me so far, all of varying style-- boots, athletic, street shoes -- and each job was remarkably well done. I can walk without a limp now and no one has noticed the lifts yet. I feel so fortunate to have found the craftsman. read more

A pretty decent shoe repair shop. My favorite pair of heels broke (literally, the heel popped off) nearly a year ago -- and I kept forgetting to get it fixed until walking by this shop with my dog one day. A week later and several pairs of shoes were brought in. The owner wasn't the most talkative -- but gave us estimates on the shoes he could fix, and let us know which ones were pretty much toast. A week & $37 later -- my heels were fixed and the 12 inch zipper on my guy's ridiculously high boots were repaired. The work looked solid, and the owner became friendlier when we brought the pooch inside to pick up our soles. Not the cheapest, cleanest, or nicest of shops. But the work done is solid. read more

The owner is a cobbler's cobbler. I love leather soles shoes but they don't love the wet Seattle sidewalks I traverse on a daily basis. He does a great job installing sole covers. I've had two pairs of Allen Edmonds shoes covered and one reheeled here. Service usually takes a week and is very affordable. read more

This is by far the friendliest and most inexpensive cobbler I've ever used. He did not push for the most expensive options either. I have a great pair of vintage boots from the 70s that he repaired expertly without ripping the entire sole of the shoe off and re-soling which would have been a much more expensive option. I brought in: shoes that needed the sole re-glued heels that a strap broke on that needed to be re-stitched vintage boots with a hole in the sole that had rubber soles added total: $43 read more

I was sadly not particularly impressed with this shop. I walked in a week before I had to leave the country, so I felt lucky when the guy behind the counter (owner?) told me my boots would be ready the day I was leaving. And also surprised cause that's quite a long time compared with other shoe repair shops I have used. I asked that the boots be reheeled, the foot be stretched out, and I asked if he could find some new fabric for the back of the boot that is stretched out. When I arrived back a week later, the shop was open, and there was a guy waiting at the counter, but no one behind it. I first thought that the guy waiting was being helped, but nope, the guy in front of me left in a huff, and then I called out, and turned out the guy was sleeping in the back. When he finally found my boots, it turns out all he had done was the reheeling. I didn't realize until later that he had not stretched out the foot, but it didn't surprise me. And he had completely forgotten that I asked him to try to find fabric. Yah, he did a decent job on one of the things I asked for, but it took a long-ass time, and he kind of forgot everything else. Sooo, new place next time. read more

Decided to give this artisan a try after having gone to the U-Village and Broadway Cap Hill cobblers for years. To my surprise, Mr Hong did a great job repairing two pairs of JChoo booties within minutes of arrival (much faster and cheaper than other sites I've relied on). When asked why I came to him, I proceeded to tell him about the Yelp reviews he's gotten over the years (he does not use the internet). He was touched. The next time you're in need of a cobbler, consider Mr Hong. Efficient, kind and crafty - at a very fair price. read more

I went here because I had heard such good things about this repair shop - cheap & great repairs. Well, I paid $27(!) on one one pair of boots to have the soles re-glued at the toes only & the zipper restitched about 4" on each boot. And when I went to pick them up, he had only glued one of the toes back, the other was still flapping around, so then I still had to wait while he finished (the boots had been there about two weeks already). Crappy crooked stitching on the zipper repair as well, and the boots are Fluevogs too, he even complimented on the good quality, thick leather. (and make no mistake, they're well broken in, very worn looking) But nope, will not be returning. Felt like I got the royal rip-off. And like another reviewer mentioned, he did not shine the shoes either, which I have experienced at other shoe repair shops after picking up my footwear. read more

My 84 year-old mom needed some boots repaired, and I brought them to J & L Shoe Repair. She's a sweetie, but has very high standards. J & L met them, at a very reasonable price, and had her boots ready when promised. Next task for them? My beloved hiking boots. Thanks, J & L! read more

The owner is so nice! I have gone in there to repair my shoe (a tiny piece of elastic had broken). It wasn't an easy repair, and I was willing to pay for it, but he charged me less than five bucks for the repair! Also, he's pretty creative with solutions. read more

I took in a pair of business-casual shoes for new heels. The first thing I noticed was the place was hot (middle of August - d'uh) and dusty. My desk is pretty chaotic, so I know that a clean workspace isn't necessary for quality work in general. However, I think cleanliness and orderliness are significantly more important in craft work than in office work. I wanted to try them anyway, so I handed over my shoes. I got them back about 5 days later as promised. The work looked bad: the new heels didn't quite match up with the old soles & there were a few stray pieces of rubber. It got worse: within 10 days the heels started to peel off. $20 for nothing. Since I work downtown I have more convenient options; rather than take them back to give J&L a second try, I went to Busy Shoes in Columbia Tower. (I'd been there before and that guy's craftsmanship looks great.) The two reasons I gave 2 stars instead of 1 are (1) I didn't give J&L an opportunity to fix their mistake, so it may have been a fluke, and (2) I don't yet know how well the new heels will work. Nonetheless, I wouldn't risk them just to save a few dollars (about $4-5 on a pair of new heels contrasted with Busy Shoes). read more

The owner is a very pleasant gentleman who does high-quality and fast work for reasonable prices. I hope this shop stays open indefinitely.

This is the best shoe repair shop ever in my life. I have 1.5 inch discrepancy of my leg length. and always had a lot of pain in my feet after a few hours od standing or walking. He is very knowledgeable about the effect of shoes to the feet, ankles, knees and hips. Also, he knows how to make the most orthopedically right shoes. He changed my shose into the most comfortable ones ever. It was a life changing experience. Thank you Mr. Hong! read more

Don't go anywhere else to repair your shoes. I brought 4 pairs of designer pumps in to get the heel lifts repaired and he did a PERFECT job of it in about 40 minutes (and believe me, these shoes were about massacred... I honestly didn't think they could be saved). He's so friendly and makes sure that your shoes are FULLY REPAIRED - he's been repairing shoes for about 22 years. Also, he charged me only $39.00! BEST PLACE IN SEATTLE. Don't go anywhere else!!! read more

The owner here is super friendly, and the service is relatively inexpensive. I had a pair of giant goth platform boots that I wanted to wear more often (it's not very practical stomping around in 8-inch wedges) so I had them cut down and the original sole put back on. It was nice to see that he noticed details - they had a bit of curve on the bottom to begin with, and he replicated it very well after asking me if I wanted to keep the same shape. Cost $42, and they have held up really well! Will be back for sure. read more

I love this place! I live in the neighborhood and this guy is so great. The owner is really friendly and helpful. He does fabulous work for a really reasonable price. The only issue to be aware of is that though he says he's open at 9am, he very rarely is there at that time. Small issue as he is the best shoe repair guy I've been to ever! read more

I've been bringing my shoes here for YEARS. This guy is so talented! I have to have one shoe lifted and he has never done a lift that shows. I can't even tell where he's done the work at times, he's that good. When I show people that one shoe is altered, sometimes they can't even SEE it, even after I tell them it's there. I could care less about a "tidy work space or clean shop"...dude does excellent work! read more

It cost $16 a pair to replace heels' sole. The person is not particularly careful with one's shoes. The leather surface came back slightly damaged. Also the repairman uses sticky masking tape on the leather which leaves the adhesive behind when you try to peel it off. Usually a good repairman would use blue type which is the non-sticky kind. Also, my repairman back home also would shine the shoes after replacing the sole, this guy doesn't care enough to do this. Seriously, find someone who loves shoes to replace your heels' soles, not someone who is just doing it as a job. read more

This is a good, inexpensive place to take your shoes to get repaired. I had the heals and soles on my boots repaired for $20.00 and they were ready the next day. Conveniently located in the Hill. read more

The owner did an excellent job on two very different boots and different tasks. The first pair were vintage yellow crocodile boots that needed cats paws and edging. When he was done the cowboys boots looked like new. The second pair were military desert boots. They needed a new sole. He replaced the entire sole perfectly so now I will get many more years out of my favorite boots read more

Brought in a pair of Doc's I've had since 94. He fixed the broken buckles and now they are better then new. Best cobbler ever.

Very nice guy. Fixed my broken luggage handle by using an extra thick stitches. Thanks!

I agree with others, this is not the cleanest of shops. But the shoemaker is excellent. Not only does he do shoe repairs, but EXCELLENT shoe modifications.. I have worn orthotics and orthopedic shoes most of my life (now 57). He's has been the best of many over my life time. He's the shoe guy. My left and right foot have different patterns and he was able to get them both right so that my feet ankles, knees, hips and fractured vertebrae in back and neck. They are so much better and pain levels are down about 70%. This man is skilled. he works with Andersons Footwear 2 doors down, and together they make AWSME shoe modification and custom insole's that make a girls mangled feet want to sing!! Wearing these for about a year with amazing results. Made 2 pairs of shoes and 2 pairs of sandals that help wonderfully read more

I'm new to Seattle and was worried about finding a good shoe repair place. I took my shoes here b/c of the proximity to where I live and I was beyond impressed. He fixed 3 pairs of heels and 2 pairs of boots in such a timely manner...they all looked impeccable and the total cost was only $80! Not to mention, he's a super nice guy and you can tell that he really cares about his work. Very impressed and will absolutely go back again. read more

Great guy who does very good work at a more-than-reasonable price. What more could you want? I've gone in for a number of repairs - including one restoration that another store said was impossible. The owner is very honest about what he can and can't do. The only reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of five is because I've had one of his fixes fall apart. But out of the 10 or so repairs he's done for me, that's still pretty damn good for saving me $$$ on shoes that I'm able to love a little bit longer. Parking in the area can be a PITA, but he's worth it. read more

Wish I had a positive experience here like others did. Sloppy work, overpriced, and most importantly, he lost the shoulder pad off my leather backpack I took for repair, then denied it was ever there, and now my beautiful leather backpack is useless. He also was very rude. I work a block away but I will NEVER go back. read more

This guy does fantastic work for very reasonable prices. I had some black leather boots with big holes in the soles and he repaired them for around $20. He's also very accommodating of your schedule, whether you need to pick up your shoes a little early or a few days late. Overall fantastic customer service and quality work. I won't be going anywhere else to get my shoes repaired. read more

I took a show here to get a lift and the man was very informative and nice. It took a week but I got it fast and at a lower price than other places. He did a great job. read more