Marvin’s Shoe Service

I had the heel of my leather boots replaced here. I thought the work on the heel was fine and at a reasonable price. However, as someone who keeps my nice leather boots in good condition, I was very upset to pick up my boots and find that they were stored folded in half in a cubby and now have permanent creases all throughout the leather. I will not be going back to this shoe shop.

When you walk through the door of this shop, you may stop and think to yourself, «hmm…how do they keep up with everything in here?» They don’t. This shoe shop misplaced my shoes. The owner offered to call me when the shoes were found, but didn’t he call until I’d come by to inquire twice more. (I’m not sure he even looked).
A month and one week after I left my shoes to have the heels replaced, they finally found them and THEN repaired them (as it was a 10-​minute repair). Oh, and they still charged me.
I WILL NOT GO BACK.

This place is a joke. My cobbler in California was a master craftsman, an artist who took great pride in his work, with wonderful attention to detail; he would return your shoes good as new.
Marvin’s Shoe Service is two-​bit shoe repair.
I went in with my pair of well-​worn knee-​high moccasin boots that I have had for 6 years, and have previously taken to my California cobbler for maintenance before I moved. One of my boots needs a new zipper, and the pair is due for a cleaning and touch up.
The man took my boots and declared there was mold on the foot part, and I quickly corrected him that no, the fine white powder was in fact alkali dust from a dried up desert lake bed. (I corrected him only because I imagine that in order to clean something properly you must know what substance is on it.) He was very dismissive and seemed uninterested in knowing and understanding.
Fine. So he quoted me a price for the zipper. Bit higher than I would have paid in California, but fine.
But HERE’s the kicker. THEN he told me that before he repaired my boots that I had to take them home and CLEAN THEM MYSELF. I was in disbelief.
Keep in mind there was no dirt or mud on the boots, just fine dust. I said, «But you are a cobbler, I do not know how to safely clean my leather boots, that’s why I’m bringing them to you.»
Then he said, «Well I DON’T HAVE TIME to clean your boots». I had in no way indicated that I wanted them done in some sort of hurry, or by a certain date. I would have been fine with them taking a month to get done. I repeated «You don’t have TIME?»
He said «Look around, I have a lot to do.»
Apparently he has time to put a zipper in, but can’t be bothered to do menial things like clean and treat a boot. I must do that myself.
Unbelievable. I was so taken aback.
Again, if you need new soles put in or maybe shoelaces restrung or something, take your shoes here for this kindergarten SHOE REPAIR.
If you want a REAL COBBLER who is a master of his craft, GO ELSEWHERE.