I tried this place based on the good reviews, however, I was disappointed with the quality and workmanship on my boots that needed half soles. My boots were not even given a polish when returned. Found a cut marks on one of my boots when I got home, the store was so dark and it is difficult to inspect the boots there. The owner tells me that the cuts were already on my boots. My boots were old and I did not have any proof (photo before I handed over my boots to her) otherwise. Can't wear them, since water goes through as a result of the cuts. No water before I had the new insoles Would not recommend or return read more

This place gets rave reviews, which is why I tried it. I brought a few pairs of shoes for a polish and touched up. The price is okay at $10 a piece, but I've had a better polish job from the guys at Pearson airport. Nothing to write home about. A couple of the pairs of shoes came back with scuffs still on them. Looks like a super quick and dirty job. Won't be rushing back here. read more

Great service, great prices, great shop! I take a lot of shoes there and can never tell if the owner is being friendly because she remembers me or if she's just generally awesome. Either way, I'm hooked! read more

Had my heels built up and the sole of the heels replaced for $18. Work was great and the prices are very reasonable, considering the place I used to frequent charges $25 for the exact same work. Very fast turnaround (dropped off Thursday and picked up Saturday). And they had lots of cute replacement laces to choose from for 2-3 bucks/pair. Will definitely be returning! read more

Must echo the other sentiments here - quick, friendly, affordable, great location! Out of convenience, I used to cobblers around the College/Dundas and Ossington area. They were insanely cheap, but you'd have to return 4 or 5 times, because they really wouldn't repair your shoes properly. Not so with Sole Survivor! The owner took the time to explain exactly what she was going to do with each pair of shoes I brought in, why she was doing it, and what it would prevent in the future. When I picked them up a week later, I was so impressed by the work! I wish I'd known about Sole Survivor before pitching one of my favourite pairs of heels (one of the aforementioned cobblers told me that the squeaking I noticed AFTER taking them in for repairs was due to wear, not his shoddy work). read more

My old Italian shoe repair guy retired and I was searching for a long time for someone who could even come close to him. Loreena at Sole Survivor did more than that. She does a remarkable job. It's cool to see young people who have embraced the concepts of craftsmanship and pride in their work. read more

Great customer service, and they are very professional about it. I needed to fix the sole of my pair of boots. When I brought it into the store, the staff explained me very nicely that this type of sole is very difficult to fix. Instead she suggested to just nail plastic attachments for a quick fix. It took only a minute and it was only $5. read more

I thought this place was great - so cute and what a cool business style...and then I had them fix my favourite leather boots (flats), that simply needed new heels as the old ones were wearing down. I moved to Vancouver a week or two after the repair so they can't even fix the incredible mess they made. There are NAILS STICKING THROUGH MY SOLE AND INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE BOOT. It is CRAZY. What a waste of money. I'm simply lucky in a way that I wear insoles and so haven't damaged my feet and only my custom medical $400 insoles and $300 boots.... Skip the hipster bullshit and go somewhere else. I wish I had. read more

This is BY FAR the best shoe repair/customization shop in the city. And one of the chief staff is a flamenco dancer! She's converting a pair of boots for me into a pair of practice shoes for the most amazing price, and she knew exactly what I was talking about when I started taking about filis, toe-tacks, etc., and also what I needed from the shoe! I LOVE this place. I won't be go anywhere else for anything shoe-related. When I decide what I want from my performance shoes .,. "Lo" from this shop and I are going to have some serious conversations! I cant't wait!! read more

I brought my black leather boots here mid dec to get them resoled (to maintain them, not to fix them). Picked them up, 4 days later the sole came off and i had only worn them once (indoors). Brought them back at the beginning of Jan to get them repaired and the owner implied it was my fault (even though i was polite (not angry), and mentioned i think perhaps there was an issue with the glue (not 'her')). She repaired them, but..... it's been 3 wears and the sole came off again. Not worth my time to go back, or risk my shoes to go down in quality (they were more functional prior to me bringing them there!) Really unfortunately because i would love to support a young entrepreneur. I will take my business to the boot shop on dupont a few blocks away. read more

I brought my broken, falling apart, but beloved leather shoes here the other day and Katie had them fixed up in no time flat, for an amazingly affordable price. This adorable shop is a great addition to the neighborhood. read more

They took a month to put protective half soles on my shoes. I had also never worn them so I knew they were in great condition when I brought them in. However, when I got them back there were scuffs and scratches. The half sole on one of the shoes was also put on crooked. Do yourself a favour and seek out a more experienced shoe repair shop. read more

Actually horrible. Do not go here. Took bag in to get strap replaced and was quoted 2 weeks- ok no problem. After hearing nothing after three weeks I called to check in and they said my bag must have been moved to their other location and would be another week. Which is fine but please keep me updated. So time comes to pick my bag up and the leather they used does not match it at all and was not what we discussed. It was also a few inches shorter than it had been previously. It was a much lighter and wider leather making the bag look silly and there were spots of glue all over the bag. They said it would be 2 weeks and double the price to fix which makes no sense since they should have done it in the first place. At this point I just wanted to go somewhere else to finish the job so they offered to dye it for free. I thought what could go wrong and picked it up a week later. On the walk home I look in a shop window and I am covered in dye and it ruined my clothes. I had to steel wool it off my skin. I called twice to tell them about it and to see if they would seal the leather or something and they never cared to call back. Such horrible customer service and general handiwork. Never go here. My bag is garbage now. read more

Katie who owns the place is a true professional and so friendly. I only take my shoes here since I don't live near Tino's Shoe Repair on Ossington anymore. She is affordable and quick and very honest when it comes to what can be done to salvage your beloved boots. Not being a shoe person, I wear my shoes out until the end and thanks to her, I've been able to drag the end on as long as possible while the pair still looks new :p read more

Really great place for repairs. I have taken countless boots in and have been very happy with the service. The boots come back with very durable fixes. They are happy to answer questions and have a great turnaround time. Only thing I would caution is that the repairs are more about function than looks. Make sure to discuss thoroughly what the repair will look like before hand. read more

Went twice; both times I left satisfied. Personable and attentive cobbler; good work at great prices.

my frye veronica shortie boots needed a heel replacement and major leather conditioning. there were scuff marks that i have accepted that will never go away. but katie was able to polish it off and has brought my boots back to life. they honestly look brand new! i also brought my fiancee's boots to be stretched out -- pretty standard job... but he's happy he's not getting any blisters on his heels anymore. oh when i called to ask to pick up my shoes a day earlier, they were very accommodating and i was able to pick up with no problem. highly recommended!!! read more

I got them to repair some leather items for me. The quality of the work was pretty good, but had a few attention-to-detail issues (e.g. a strap was sewn on twisted) which I was able to repair myself. On the plus side, the work was done very quickly, and they have great prices! I would use this place again. read more

I would not go back here i brought my shoes in after they repaired the heels one week later they came off cheap glue cheap heels i wouldn't go back to this hole. read more

this shop absolutely DESTROYED my $800 suede boots. the right boot had a tiny little coffee stain, so I hopped on yelp to search for a good cobbler in my area. sole survivor popped up, so i wandered into kensington market and found the shop instantly charming. handed over my boots plus a couple pairs of heels that needed a good resole, and went on my way. the prices seemed fair, however they told me i'd have to wait a few weeks to be able to pick up my shoes. i wasn't in a hurry and i had dropped off a few pairs, so i chose to suck it up. weeks go by and finally the shoes are done, so i go in to pick them up. quirky as the shop is, the lighting was so dim i couldn't see jack, so i just gave a quick nod of approval and left. my needs had been no tall order, so how bad could it be? the answer is: TERRIBLE. my silky smooth suede boots had been so slicked down and clotted up with some kind of thick conditioner that they had completely lost their nap. how on earth did treating one tiny stain on brand new boots turn into ruining the entire surface area of both shoes? I was so livid I wanted to cry. I didn't even want to bring the shoes back, god forbid they make them any worse with another nonsensical remedy. i took them straight to my trusted cobbler on bay street who is totally out of my way, and he informed me that sole survivor had clearly treated my boots with something not meant for suede, and instead of cleaning the boots had covered them with a coloured substance in a sad attempt to disguise a stain the size of a dime. he also dropped the interesting tidbit that the owner at sole survivor had in fact come to him and asked him to teach her cobbling, and he had refused. he agreed to make an attempt at washing out whatever sole survivor had put on my shoes, but he wasn't hopeful and neither was i. in the end, he did the best he could and my boots did look a lot better, but despite having some nap restored they now had balding spots in some areas and none of the sheen could be brought back. just looking at them made me depressed, and i was way too embarrassed to wear them out, so after a few weeks of leaving them in their box i sold them on ebay for way, way less than i had paid. the other heels i had brought were successfully resoled, but overall the job was still thick and messy and far from seamless. one pair of matte leather heels was for some reason polished into a waxy gloss finish, but they were older so i was less picky with them. all in all, this was a really negative experience for me. the girls were nice enough and their shop really is very cute, but nothing makes up for solid years of experience when it comes cobbling. take your old boots and cheap shoes here, but keep your heels and expensive shoes far, far away. save them for someone who knows what they're doing! read more