I don't believe the owners are capable of managing a business anymore, as sad as it is to say. I brought in a purse four weeks ago, the owner was quite confused not knowing the day or the date and forgetting it right after I told him among other odd behaviors. I prepaid and was told to come back in three days, I have attempted to come now four times over the last four weeks and the business has not been open since. Reading the reviews, I have a feeling the money I paid and my purse are gone. I do not recommend you attempt to get something repaired there. I hope family members or loved ones of the owners read these reviews and check in on them as it seems they are struggling. read more

According to signs on the door, they are shutting down this business finally and thankfully at the end of this month. Long overdue. They are no longer competent or capable of running a business. Take your shoes to Lakeshore instead. read more

Stay away! Like many others, I wanted to support this small family business but my experience was terrible. The quick version: I paid $120 for three pairs of my wife's shoes to be repaired. It took us 6 visits over 2 months before we got her shoes back, without any of the work having been done, and a refund of $60. The owners are horribly disorganized, dishonest, and incapable of competently running a business. STAY AWAY! read more

Cobblers are struggling right now which is why I hesitate to give this poor review. But the family running this place are overwhelmed with the amount of work they have. The value is great. Because of the rush they are in I'm not sure I got what I paid for. I really like this place just wanted to warn people that it takes a while to get service. read more

i brought in a pair of pumps for new heels a month ago. I've been told they would be ready at least 4 times since. Each time I come back, not only are they not ready, but neither the owner nor his wife can find them! I am now standing in the shop, not leaving until they are finished. This afternoon I was told "20 minutes, for sure." I took a 20- min walk- still not done!!!! Never again. Totally unsatisfactory. I have to give one star, but you should consider this as a Zero score. read more

Paid to have new heels put on expensive shoes. Heel came off after three wearings. Shop wanted to charge for re-do, but rlented when I complained. Heel came off again and this time they charged me $60. Heel came off again. Never going back. read more

Paid $100.00 and shoes weren't repaired. Owner tried to refund me $8.00 even with a receipt.

It is less stressful to just " donate" your money to him and not expect any work to be done He did NOTHING for $80.00!!! I should have read the reviews!! I gave him 3 extra days and nothing!! I took my briefcase and with all respect said, you either need to hire a competent person or retire. He is just taking $ for no work!! I feel sorry for the customers and the owner!! read more

ok, I admit that I'm not a huge yelper, but do take reviews into account. I should have paid more attention to the reviews about Montclair shoe repair. Avoid, do not go. I have some hiking boots and the soles disintegrated. These guys showed up in the Vibram site, so I though "great". I'm not sure how they attached the new soles, but within six months they fell off. I hate to say it, but these people are total hacks. read more

Montclair Shoe Repair - Shoe Repair Near Me - Oakland, California

At your own risk! If I could give a negative star rating for this business, I would. For Christmas, my husband asked me to repair and polish his expensive dress shoes. I brought 5 pairs of shoes to Montclair Shoe Repair and paid close to $300 in advance. After a few failed attempts to pick up over the holidays, I finally stopped in after the New Year. I handed the owner my claim ticket and he handed me the bag of shoes and hurried me out. Stupidly, I didn't stop to inspect the shoes because I had my antsy 3-year-old in tow. When I returned home and opened the bag, I was shocked to see that not one bit of work had been done. NOTHING. I returned to the business and showed the owner the lack of work (his notes/stickers were still on each shoe) and asked for my money back. His response was rather shocking - 1) he started by saying he did not remember me, 2) then blamed me for not reviewing his work, 3) flat out refused to return my money. I would understand if the work was done but not done well - but these were completely and obviously untouched. I've taken this dispute to my credit card company, which I honestly hate to do, but I actually feel as though this is too dishonest to ignore. read more

I'm not normally one to Yelp a small business negatively - but after reading some other reviews coupled with my experience - this place shouldn't even be open, really. Brought two pairs of shoes in - guy charged me $56 upfront to polish them and replace the heel taps. Seemed pretty high, but, whatever - it was a small business and I wanted to support. A week later I go to pick them up, and there's a sign on the door saying he closed early for the day (it was 2pm). Ok, happens. Went back a few days later - and the guy couldn't find my second pair of shoes. Kept trying to pawn some other ones to me - I kid you not! I kept telling him they weren't my shoes - and that I wanted MY shoes, lol. He takes my ticket and takes me in the back to look for them, and I finally find them, unpolished, in a corner on top of some piece of equipment. Neither pair of shoes had new taps in them. I asked what gives, and he apologized and said to come back later. A few days pass, and I got back for the third time to get my shoes. Because I don't have the ticket (because he took it the previous time) he didn't want to give me my shoes. After trying to explain for about 5 minutes, he finally relented, after I showed him my drivers license. Upon inspection, neither pair looked much better than when I brought them in. Both still had scuff marks and a dull sheen. They did have new taps though. At that point, I decided to cut my losses. I'm actually gonna give this guy two stars, only because the whole experience prompted me to go online and buy my own shoeshine kit. I fairly certain I can do a better (or at least equal) job on my own - which will obviously save me in the long run. read more

I had a pair of black leather dress shoes whose rubber soles had started to fall apart, and wanting to give business to a small local shop, I took them to MSR. The owner looked them over and showed me a flat Vibram dress shoe sole that he said would be the appropriate replacement and quoted a two day repair. I needed them for a dinner that was a few weeks away, so the timing seemed fine. When I picked them up, the attached sole was a lugged, moulded sole that looked more appropriate for a hiking boot than a dress shoe. It wasn't the flat dress shoe sole that he originally showed me, but I knew that the original sole was also moulded so I accepted them with this unexpected swap. I stored the shoes unworn in my closet until the night of dinner. When I first put them on, I noticed that the laces were gummy and stiff and the foot bed felt a little lumpy. I assumed it was a characteristic of a new sole and would wear in so I drove to dinner. After parking, I started to cross the street and the right sole completely detached from the shoe except for a small portion at the ball of the foot. I managed to shuffle to the other side of the street and was able to loop the laces under the shoe to keep the sole from completely detaching. I limped to dinner and when leaving the meal, the left sole also completely detached. These shoes were walked on for less than a 100 yards before the repair completely failed. Inspecting the shoes afterwards, the glue job seemed insufficient but more importantly, the thick lugged boot sole was too stiff to move properly with the softer dress shoe and was an inappropriate choice to use. I took the shoes back to the shop and requested a refund which the owner refused. He offered to repair the shoes again, but I had no confidence in his work and when I pointed out the flexing incompatibility between the shoe style and the stiffer boot sole, he said that he would sew the sole onto the shoe through the foot bed. This was not an acceptable repair as it would damage the footbed of the shoe, leave exposed stitching inside shoe where my feet would rest, create holes in the bottom of the shoe where water could come in, and still not address the stiffness disparity between the shoe and the thick hiking sole, which I suspected would damage the shoes over time. I tried to explain these points but he would not address them and said that if the re-repair failed, I could keep bringing the shoes back in. Eventually he went into the back of the shop and did not come back out. I wish I had read the last 17 yelp reviews over the past three years before considering this shop. read more

Man, where to start. I brought in three pairs of my wife's shoes for some simple repairs and was told it would be about a week. We paid upfront, which in retrospect seemed odd, but I chalked it up to the fact that this type of business may just be that way - I'm sure it's not unheard of for shoes to be repaired and never picked up and paid for, and the owner out supplies and their time. A little more than a week later I stop by and he can't find the shoes initially. After about 20 mins, he finds them and tells me to come back in an hour. I tell him tomorrow is fine and leave. I gave it 2 days then returned, only to find that the store was closed. The posted hours indicated that it was open so I waited a few min but no one showed up. The next day I go in, show my ticket and again, shoes cannot be found. He led me in the back room to help identify them, and I saw one of the pairs and point them out. He pointed me back to the counter and indicated that he will fixed them while I wait. I asked about the other pairs and he found them and placed thrm on the counter. They did not look like they had been touched and at this point I wasnot confident that the other pairs would be fixed that quickly. I told him that I'm not sure what work was done and that I'd prefer a refund. He got fairly upset and I figured this was going nowhere so I told him fine - I'll just take the shoes and go, but that I thought the work was not very good and was not happy. He called me a bad customer, so I told him it was very bad work. I do not recommend going to this business for anything, which I hate to say about a small, local and independent business. read more

See all

Absolutely stay away from this business. I have frequented this establishment many times, but there is now a worker who does poor work -- and now I know the owner (he) is a liar. Here is the back story: They just ruined an expensive pair of shoes. There is a little old lady (she really is) who works for the owner, and the lady has no clue what she is doing. She is lost. She did the work on my shoes and gouged the side of the rubber sole in two places. See pictures. The owner knows she is terrible, but doesn't do anything about it. On top of it, she makes up pricing, can't remember what day it is, and does absolutely horrible work. I would normally say stay away from this business if she is in the shop, but now that I know he willfully continues working with her and allowing her to damage customer's products -- and then stonewalls and lies I have to say stay away, far away from this business. It's a shame as it is my local neighborhood show repair place, but the facts are the facts. Disappointing. read more

Came here about a month ago to get my boots repaired. I only had them for about a year and a half, and the platform separated from the sole. I came here, and it was only $25. It seemed too good to be true. The worker there, seemed very quick at word, and kind of rude. Within a few weeks, my platform separated again, and I felt a screw pop beneath my foot. I was just walking, nothing too strenuous. Not coming back here. read more

Montclair Shoe Repair - My boots - Shoe Repair Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

Awful. There is no other word to describe this place. I took in three pairs of shoes. The first time I went to pick them up they had not been done, but they were on the shelf where they keep the completed shoes. I said, "no worries, I'll be back in a week." The second time I went to get my shoes he could not find them and I had to go into the back to locate them. Still no work done. The third time, they did not even come out of the back room. The fourth time I again had to go locate my shoes, and still not done. He said he would do them right then and be back in an hour. Today I went in for the fifth time. I had to again locate my shoes and they still were not done. I said I wanted my money back and I was taking my shoes. He showed me the cash register and said he did not have the money. I said to refund it to my card. He said he didn't know how. I told him to figure it out, which he did (because he knew). I told him I was going to give him a terrible rating on Yelp. He yelled at me and said I was a terrible customer. Um, what? I'm pretty sure I was not the problem. DO NOT USE THIS BUSINESS. read more

Pay attention to the reviews if you care about your things. Brought in a brand new pair of blush pink shoe with a minor scuff from the first and only time worn. Asked if they had polish in the same color and if they didn't, I would find some, as the shoes were new favorites. Person took my shoe without saying anything, came back and the area with the scuff was now a fluorescent yellow. I couldn't believe it--he put spot remover on it. Which also dripped on another part of the shoe causing a yellow spot. When I asked what happened, he told me there was nothing yellow. When I made him look at the one shoe versus the other, he then insisted he didn't cause the yellowing because the spot remover was a clear liquid. I was so shocked that he not only took zero responsibility, he started yelling at me! read more

One star because otherwise I can't leave a review. I took in a pair of boots to have them resoled and polished. Paid $70.00. I wore them twice. The soles started peeling off. I went back. They tried fixing them while I waited. Great! I thought. Wore the boots two days later, I took them back because the soles were peeling off after only one wear. They wanted to fix them right away, I said please take your time, do a good job, use different glue. Take a look at my shoes when I went back a week later. Air gaps between sole and bottom of boot. Glue on boots where there shouldn't be. No offer for refund. read more

See all

I brought in sandals to be resoled and a purse to have the strap shortened. The work was so bad (see photos) that I feel compelled to warn others not to use this shop. 1. The items weren't ready when I was told they would be. 2. When I came back, the items couldn't be found. 3. The purse was damaged and a poor attempt was made to repair it. It's no longer useable. 4. The soles of the shoes were left rough and black goo was smeared on the sides of the sandals - also no longer useable. 5. Both items were left out on a shelf and were dirty (not that it matters now). A total waste of money. This may have been a good shop at one time, but it's time for the owner to retire. read more

See all

I took some boots in for a polish and heel replacement. The heels were not replaced when I picked up my order. The owner asked me to come in 10 minutes so he could fix the heels. When I returned, the heels had tape on them. The owner said to leave the tape on for 20 minutes so the glue can dry. I left the tape on for 24 hours to ensure the glue dried. When I took the tape off, one heel was coming unglued and the other had glue smeared on it. The job was a mess. Hopefully another shop can fix them. I'm not comfortable going back here and definitely wasted my money. read more

Montclair Shoe Repair - I took some boots in for a polish and replacement heels. - Shoe Repair Near Me - Oakland, California

I gave Henry my bag thinking it was in good hands, unfortunately I was wrong. In stead of fixing the broken zipper in my purse he glued the two sides of the zipper together! As if that solved the problem for the zipper. I also had a worn in lock on my bag and he said he could get rid of the rusted color. But when I received my bag back it looked worse than it did when I turned the bag in and was still rusty! Henry charged me $45 for this bag fix and did such a poor job he refunded me $10. He has no clue what he is doing and he is damaging peoples property. Stay away from this business! read more

See all

I brought my shoe into the repair shop to have the top stitching of my sneaker repaired. The stitch on the ankle part of my shoe was unraveling and I thought I'd have someone else repair it (better than me, I assumed). It was $10 for the repair, and when I went to pickup the shoe, I had thought the good side was the one that was repaired, but upon returning home I noticed how incomplete and poor the repair job was. The stitching did not match the original stitch (they did a straight stitch when the original stitching was zig zag), the material did not line up evenly, and the stitch didn't even run all the way through so there was still some material coming apart. I was appalled at the poor craftsmanship, and didn't bother going back to have them fix it in fear of them making it worse. I wouldn't recommend coming here. read more

Montclair Shoe Repair - Really poor craftsmanship - Shoe Repair Near Me - Oakland, California

The owner is very rude and unfriendly. Almost scary. He yelled at me when I walked into the store. There were no other customers!!!! Cannot recommend. read more

I had the owner replace a strap on a pair of rugged keen sandals .the repair lasted for 2 weeks and started coming undone . i said i wanted it redone- he insisted on charging me an extra 10 dollars which ithought was preposterous but i finally agreed to . when he insisted i pay it up front showing me the sign on the wall that stated that that the shops policy i had had enough i took my shoes back letting him know i would leave a clean review to state my dissatifaction . its sad since finding a shoe repair place these days is so difficult . read more

I brought my birkinstock sandals to get clean. They didn't clean it. The sandals look exactly the same as when I brought it in. They didn't clean it. Not even a little bit. He was very rude. Don't waste your money . I took it as a loss of $15, since I failed to read the reviews first. Plus parking is a hassle. I wouldn't recommend this place. I gave 1 star because i had to. Otherwise it would not let me write a review. read more

I brought two belts for minor repairs. I was charged $35, but I paid it assuming the repairs would be satisfactory. When I picked up the belts, I found all that had been done is weak glue had been applied to the leather.Poor quality and shoddy workmanship. read more

Please look at the 1 stars don't go here, brought in our daughters b day present Ugg's they sprayed them with a silver sealer ruined them with no remorse really really bad !!!!!!!!!!!! Look at these reviews and run ! read more

I brought in an ecru designer leather bag asking to have it cleaned, and to my horror this place turned it a very dingy, darkish gray. GRAY! He offered to redo it, but he couldn't return the bag to its original hue. I was pissed and he couldn't care less, offering no refund, nothing.. He also charged me an arm and a leg for that shoddy work. Save your time and money and go elsewhere. read more

I agree that this is a shop to avoid. I brought in one of a pair of brown suede Donald J. Pliner loafers to get part of the leather sole glued back on. Storing them in a dry closet had caused the existing glue to dry up in some way, but I figured it could easily be repaired. I showed the shoe to the woman there, who said it would be $10 and that I had to pay before the service. After I paid, she whisked the shoe to the back where the repairman spent less than 30 seconds on the job. He slapped glue on the sole and got glue on the suede-- so now that part of the shoe is dry and rough. He also didn't completely align the sole with the shoe and it's slightly off now. When she brought it back to me, I looked at it and could tell it was messed up. But the glue was on already, so what was I going to do? When I hesitated accepting it, she kept telling me the job was complete. I gave up and took the shoe. Of course the glue doesn't show on the bottom of the shoe when I wear it--but it was just a bad job. It's an indication of the type of work he does and I'd never bring anything else to him for repair. read more

STAY FAR AWAY. SAVE YOUR MONEY. $400 boots ruined. The guy took no accountability for his mistakes. Should have read the reviews... Also this guy speaks very little English. There's a older lady in the back who speaks zero English, but by her gestures she knew there was a mistake, but the guilty owner sent her up into an attic like some "slave worker" (as I hate to use that term).. I just wanted my shoes shined and got the pic attached as the end result. read more

Montclair Shoe Repair - TERRIBLE. Then he sprayed black spray paint to cover this horrendous job. This is a black $400 boot...... - Shoe Repair Near Me - Oakland, California

Henry has been repairing my shoes for the last few years since he bought the shop. The prices have gone up since the previous owner, but then so has everything so I don't mind. Recently he fixed a big tear in my Ugg boot, a broken belt, and polished and cleaned an old tote bag that looks like new. I am very pleased with the result. Henry is a good, kind person you can trust. He is one of the reasons why I like Montclair so much. read more

I had my designer purse zipper fixed in a minute, and it cost me next to nothing. I understand this shop came under new ownership during the pandemic. I had been hesitant to go here, as I'd heard unfavorable reviews about the previous owners. Now, I'm very glad to have found a reliable neighborhood shoe repair shop. read more

I'm getting married soon and the soles of my favorite dress shoes were toast. The color was faded and too worn for this event. I took them to Montclair Shoe Repair and they did a killer job! Fresh sole. They refinished the leather (beyond polish) and the shoes look like new, but feel like my favorite, broken in dress shoes. And they did it in a week. Saved me money from buying a new pair and I don't have to wear an uncomfortable, non-broken in pair at my wedding. I was nervous heading into repairing my shoes since I've never been to a cobbler. And these folks were fantastic. I feel great coming out of it. read more

Montclair Shoe Repair - Shoe Repair Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

The diligent owners, with an eye for detail and quality give my shoes the beautiful care that I want. Without asking, they condition and clean; they go all in for my shoes every time! Feel super lucky they are local! They are also so kind. Thank you Montclair Shoe Repair for going above and beyond for my shoes. read more

Montclair shoe repair has been around for as long as I can remember. I even used to work down the hall in the same complex as them for years. Everyone I know always brought their shoes there to be fixed. Recently I had a pair of boots that needed to be resoled because they were a bit leaky so I knew where to take them. The older guy at the counter said he would be able to fix them by the next day. It was a bit more expensive than I had remembered ever paying but it didn't bother me much because they had always done a good job. The next day I picked up the shoes and everything looked fine but the minute I went outside into damp grass I knew something wasn't right. Both of my socks was soaked, way worse than it had been before. I brought the boots back in less than a week later and there was a younger guy at the counter who said that for $20 they could waterproof them. I explained that the boots were already waterproof and that the water was getting in through the soles. He then told me that the older guy hasn't worked there in more than two years. I asked who else could have done it but he basically said I must have done it somewhere else. I even have credit card proof it was them. It got so bad I gave up and left. This is a case where a good business went bad, they are not trustworthy and no longer do a good job. It's time to find a new shoe repair. read more

I have been to this business twice and had excellent experiences both times. I took two pairs of shoes to them and had them restored to 'like new' condition. I had a pair of ankle boots polished and re-heeled and they are pristine now and I had a pair of Mephistos repaired and cleaned and they are perfect. I found this couple to be very nice. I am surprised by the negative reviews on here as this is not my experience. I love this place! My shoes are like new and will last for years more now. read more

What an excellent experience! Pyong (Henry) Yim, the proprietor, is knowledgeable, skilled, and kind. I had a long-standing issue with a pair of shoes that I could not resolve no matter what I did. I brought the pair into Montclair Shoe Repair and Mr. Yim was able to asses the problem and make a repair. I am so happy! I'm able to wear the shoes again, with out pain! I trust Mr. Yim with my footwear, and will continue to use his services. My husband also has had his shoes serviced, and has never been disappointed. I give Montclair Shoe Repair and Mr. Yim a grade of A+! read more

Came in here after my stilettos were making the most unsexy noise while I strutted my stuff in Montclair dog walking for my client..not a good thing..so I found this gem with a little help from a local.. The cobbler took a look at my shoes and said 20 minutes..in less than ten he was done and I was back to looking sexy again..magic comes in all shapes and sizes..including an old cobbler who made this lady right here's day! read more

Montclair Shoe Repair - Super old school and u know this guy knows how to fix a shoe or two. - Shoe Repair Near Me - Oakland, California

Montclair Shoe Repair (MSR) is near home, but I've gone to The Cobbler for 20 years until the business was ram sacked and closed during the protests. I found Mr. Yim, Henry, and I know I will be an MSR customer for 20 years. I wear shiny black shoes to work and bike shoes on the weekends. Henry did a lightning fast heels, tips, shine and velcro on the bike shoes. I rode on Sunday and looked sharp on Monday. Great work from a small local shop is what I support. read more

Great little place if ever in need of your shoes being stretched or repaired. Harry (shop owner) was very pleasant and kind to deal with. My shoes were stretched within 8 hours and was priced at 15 dollars which to me is affordable. Its very hard to find places that offer these types of services these days because there isn't much demand for it but im happy that Montclair shoe repair is still up and running. I recommend this business if you're looking to get your shoes repaired or stretched. read more