Ronaldo owns The Big Shoe Repair shop on Chester Ave. There was no interest in this historical icon small business. He bought it just before it was to be demolished. His great service and good shoe repair have made this a thriving business for 24 years now. And he saved one of our iconic and unusual buildings. He is friendly and helpful. I brought in an old pair of sandals that needed to be completely re-glued. He told me that due to age and the type of sandal that the repair might not maintain itself. I really appreciate his honesty. I chose to have them repaired anyway because I felt the price was very reasonable regardless. I highly recommend this business for your shoe repair needs. read more

The Big Shoe Repair - The Big Shoe Repair - Shoe Repair Near Me - Bakersfield, California

I have a favorite pair of roper boots that I've been wearing for years. The stitching around the soul came apart. Not only would new boots be expensive, there's always the fit and feel. I like these boots. I've passed by the big shoe on Chester Avenue many times. I decided to see how much it would be to have these resolved. Felipe has owned this place for a long, long time. He helped me pick out the sole that would be the best for this boot. He told me they would be done in a week so I came back the following Friday. They weren't done, which was a mild annoyance. However, I think men like Felipe are artists and sometimes jobs just take longer than they plan. Plus, he said he had been sick. I went back a few days later and my boots were finished. You can tell he did a very nice job. Thank you Felipe read more

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Fast turnaround time, my Birkenstock soles came out looking like new! 10/10 service!

Great work, very kind gentleman, just hardly ever there. I think he needs a helper. I need a job! read more

This gentleman is a master at his work. Any one who needs shoe repair go here first! Friendly, polite, knowledgeable a true craftsman with decade's of experience. read more

I visited the big shoe repair for the first time ever recently. I brought my brand new never been worn rockin tiki shoes for Felipe to trim the heel just a bit. I'm sooo glad I did, they feel great, they look just as before and his prices are more than fair for today's inflation era. Aside from that he swapped out some heel ends on two other pairs, repaired sandal straps on a fourth pair. He did his magic and I'm sincerely grateful. Thank you! read more

The Big Shoe Repair - The after - Shoe Repair Near Me - Bakersfield, California

The sign says open at 9 o'clock. I waited until 930 and no one was there. I called at 9:55, no one answered the phone. The mailbox was not set up and no way to leave a message. It appears to be closed. read more

I had purse straps shortened here plus some sandal straps that were too long. I recommend it for shoe repairs too. He will tell you if shoe is too worn to fix. read more

AN ABSOLUTELY MUST DO ! 5 HUGE STARS! It's Time to jump into The TimeMobile & scour the Earth & take you to places from a different time that you won't believe still exist. We have set the dial to 1947 in the town of Bakersfield CA. Now Everybody has heard of the old nursery rhyme: There was an old woman who lived in a shoe. She had so many children, she didn't know what to do. Well I've updated that classic for our visit here to Bakersfield. There was a repair man who worked in a shoe who had so many pairs he didn't know what to do. We've arrived at a Building that's in the shape of a HUMONGOUS SHOE - The Big Shoe Repair on Chester & 10th St. This place puts a Big Smile on every person's face who sees it. This is an off white colored 1 Story Gigantic Lace up Shoe that is 380 square feet. It has a black sole & heel & sits on a eraser red colored foundation. It has 50 foot long black shoelaces that are made out of 3 inch black rope. The shop is 25 feet tall at its tallest point & 32 foot long. If you wanted to compare this to a human foot it would be a Size 768. WOW! Now, that's the Real Bigfoot! LOL! This building holds an old fashioned Shoe repair business inside with a real cobbler. The building is a prime example of Programatic Architecture. This type of architecture is characterized by oversized objects created to make people stop in their tracks & venture inside & buy. The History: The plaster & wood structure was built by Chester Deschwanden in 1947. He worked as a cobbler for 3 years then passed away. His son Donald & his mother then operated the business for over 40 years. When Don passed away in 1992, the structure became vacant for a number of years. Salomon Olivera ended up buying the building from Margaret Deschwanden the original owner's widow. Mr. Olivera totally understood the history & what the building represented to the community of Bakersfield. He wanted to keep the tradition going even though he got offers to turn it into different businesses. Mr. Olivera ended up finding the perfect fit for the property. He found Felipe Torres a shoe repairman for more than 20 years. It's now called The Big Shoe Repair. I can't comment on the shoe repair service because I didn't bring anything to be fixed. Next time I come here I'll bring some some shoes or leather goods to be shined up or fixed. Besides shoes, Torres repairs anything with leather or stitching including jackets, pocketbooks, wallets, suitcases & animal collars etc. This is an Incredible Building that really needs to be landmarked as an Historic Place to preserve it for future generations. Places like this simply don't exist anymore. In 2022 the Building celebrated its 75th Annuversary. In 1989 DuPont used it in its carpet campaign. It's been featured over the years in magazines like Time, Newsweek, People, World Report, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest & USA Today. It's been on TV & in books about unusual buildings. Yet most of America & the world has never heard of it or ever been here. It's really a Secret Hidden Gem. A sad note, a motorist just recently crashed into the building. no one was hurt & Everyone is hoping the building can be repaired & restored. This is the second time in its history a vehicle has crashed into it. Hey you Drivers Please Watch out for The Big Shoe! Stop on by to see it in person, take a photo & get your stuff fixed. Get ready to put a Big Smile on your face! I LOVE THE BIG SHOE! To make it worth your trip, there's also a lot of cool things to do around here including The Woolworth Diner, Antique Shops, The Big Bite Dunkin Donuts & The Fox Theater which is on the Register of Historic Places. It used to be, you had to have Mega Bucks & be really Rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget! read more

He does a good job and he is pleasant. I recommend him. He is open during the week but not on weekends.

Such great service! My shoes look as good as new. He was able to accommodate a special request and the price was very reasonable. read more

Brought my nephews boots here and then all of a sudden it was closed for over a month! I called and called and there was never answer! We needed the boots for a wedding and we had to choose some other outfit! Truly annoying! Finally got the boots back, i gave the 3 starts because he did a good job but lacked communication. read more

So I purchased a $240 pair of boots for work from Bootbarn and after wearing them for a little over a year the stitching began to tear/break. The boots were still in very good condition except for the sticking, it simply needed some new stitching. I had about 5-6 options/places I could have taken my boots in for repair. However I had always wanted to enter the big shoe located on Chester and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. I was greeted by the gentleman behind the counter with a happy smile, I explained to him what i needed repaired on my boots. He gave me his professional opinion on what he could do to repair and prevent this from happening again to my boots. I was in no hurry for my boots to get repaired, so I went back a week later. He showed me what he replaced and repaired on my boots. I was very happy with the results. I will definitely be back for repairers for any of my boots or shoes. I love supporting local businesses, please help support this landmark stay open. read more

The Big Shoe Repair - All new leather on the backside (happy customer) - Shoe Repair Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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fixed my suitcase handle that Dallas airport (I think) broke! He previously repaired my shoes! read more

Felipe had my boots repaired on time, did a top quality job for a very reasonable price.

Took my mom's heels and he said they would be ready in a week . A week passed by and we went and he said come back in another week so we did and he was like actually I'll call u once it's ready we waited almost 3 months and when we went he was like sorry I actually lost the original sole which were coach material so of course we wanted the original. He never even called us to let us know to come in person to let us know he lost it. And when we did go he seemed really annoyed that we were there. He added a completely different cheap sole and didn't even offer a refund . Very bad customer service and very bad experience read more

I called ahead to see if they can fix my backpack and the staff said they possibly can. The man at the counter was very helpful, he said yes my backpack is fixable but it would cost $50 and it wouldn't be worth fixing if that's how much it was worth. Cool guy very helpful and wasn't just after my money. Glad to have this type of business around read more

Felipe is great and my shoes were repaired quickly and professionally! So hard to find shoe repair places and I am happy to have found Big Shoe Repair read more

i have been coming here for years to repair my shoes, no complains. the owner is friendly and wont fix a shoe if its not worth it. read more

Had some new soles put on boots and a WONDERFUL job was done!! He is a sweet man, always answers the phone and has GREAT prices!

I left my boots there a month ago and still no call or nothing I've been going to that shop almost every day and it's always a close sign. at this point i just want my boots back. read more

24hr turn around for a clean and polish job at a very reasonable price. Tip: Do yourself a favor and buy some Lexol leather cleaner and conditioner (found in most automotive sections) for routine at home maintenance. Simply apply some cleaner on an old tshirt and rub away, then with another old tshirt apply the conditioner to the shoes. Let it dry for about a day and either hit it with some polish or take it to get professionally done. These shoes are 10 years old. read more

The Big Shoe Repair - Clean and polish job by The Big Shoe - Shoe Repair Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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I took 2 belts there to have adjusted. He did them right there a on the spot. There were no other customers at the time. He was very professional, friendly and reasonable. It was my first time there, I will definitely use him again for any other repairs. read more

Words can not do this place justice. This picture is more than enough to merit a 5 Star review! read more

The Big Shoe Repair - Shoe Repair Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Super friendly and funny owner Felipe did a great job fixing my Uggs, which I thought were ruined. Quite reasonable price for the repair. I was surprised to get a call from Felipe the day after I dropped off the boots saying they were ready, when I expected to wait a week. I will be dropping off a pair of cowboy boots to have the heels shortened. Place is funky as can be--good funky, I mean, it IS shaped like a giant shoe--just keep your eyes open as there are some interesting roving individuals lurking about, not exactly the greatest neighborhood. read more

This place is legit! I had one buckle break on a pair of my high wedge sandals and the guy put 2 matching buckles and painted them black to match the old buckles. He had them finished and ready in 2 hours! I think the cost came out to be under $10! Not bad at all. I was expecting the cost to be an arm and a leg! I would highly recommend anyone to this place! Great customer service and I will be back! Give this place a try! read more

I love this place. The guy is super fast and always more than reasonable. Plus, I just love the fact that it is in a building that looks like a shoe! I brought a pair of black leather boots to get buffed and polished, this time. He quoted a good price and asked me to pick it up next day. This is among my 4th time or so here. I always leave happy with even happier feet! read more

Very friendly, fair pricess, and great work. I highly recommend The Big Shoe for all your shoe related needs.

affordable and quality work. I took one star off because my heftier repair took about 2 months. my light repair took a day and a half.

Brought my shoes in for a toe strap that broke on my left heel. The owner was friendly and took my information and let me know when my shoes would be ready. I came back the next Thursday (shoes were due to be ready Wednesday) and they still weren't done. He said that he needed a hour. Came back in 2 and they still weren't ready. I waited in store as he finished up my shoes and once I got home I noticed my heel tips were gone. On heels made of actual wood that's a no go.....The only thing I needed was a strap repaired so why were my heel tips gone? Sweet man and very friendly but I won't be returning. read more

Have you ever been to a shoe repair place that doesn't have shoes lying everywhere and actually finished your shoes on time? Well this place falls within the status quo. Shoes were repaired well. The ONLY reason this place didn't get 5 stars is because it's in the middle of a very very very sketchy neighborhood. Do not park on the side street, park in front. read more

What a great business! It's so nice to see old trades still thriving and owners truly caring about the quality of their work. The owner is very friendly, cheery, and has a very happy overall demeanor. He fixed shoes I thought I had permanently damaged and they were very affordable to fix! Highly recommend. read more

So the base of the heel on one of my boots fell off, and I couldn't find it. Brought my boots here and the man recommended he replace both heels to ensure they are even. It was only $12 and it was done by the next day! Def coming back here for my other shoe repair needs. read more

Last year my strap on my purse broke, I took it in on the spur of the moment to get repaired. He did it right away and charged me next to nothing. It was fabulous and it looks like it never broke. Well today the other side broke and I took it in to be repaired. Once again he did a wonderful job! He is so kind and pleasant and told me my purse keeps breaking because I put too much money in it. Haha! I highly recommend this place and will return with shoes next time! read more

Excellent customer service. Great repair work on both of my boots. He repaired an old, favorite pair of boots and made them look and feel better. I am very thankful for his customer service and craftsmanship. I needed my boots repaired earlier than anticipated, and he was able to accommodate my timeline. Great job!!!! read more

Great job. I needed my work boots done before Monday. He did it and it was cheap. All the other places said 3 days. He did it in 1 day. read more

This is the best shoe repair I have found in Bakersfield. Great customer service and the charge was very reasonable.My shoes were ready in two hours while i run some errands. I will be going back soon. read more