Brooks Shoe Service

If you have a favorite purse, pair of shoes or anything leather that needs repair this is your place. I recently had a vintage YSL bag that needed the handles replaced. I tried to get Saint Laurant store to refurbish my bag but the piece was so old they couldn’t so they recommended Brooks. I purchased a Groupon and applied it to my repair. When I tell you I am beyond pleased to be using my bag again and the craftsmanship of work on my handles is perfectly fitting with the design of my handbag. It was well worth the trip to Brooks and the price for the repair. I highly recommend looking in your wardrobe for treasures you want to refurbish and going to Brooks for the repairs!!!

Another great experience at Brooks. I have been using them for resoling for the last few years with good results. This review is for their leather cleaning.
One fateful day six years ago, I forgot an important rule: expensive tan shoes do not mix with heavy drinking. I was wearing a pair of JM Weston demi chasses, very classic shoes that cost an arm and a leg. Unfortunately, I forgot it was St. Patrick’s Day (this was in San Francisco, so I have a mild excuse), and I ended up tying one on. Toasts were made, glasses clinked, and drinks spilled over the course of six hours. Par for the course.
I wake up the next morning and find that my shoes have water spots on them from the previous evening’s session. Not a big deal, they are shoes and shoes are going to get dirty. I take them to my local shop in San Francisco, and they declare that short of stripping the entire shoe and redoing the finish, nothing can be done. They recommend a slightly darker shine, which I reluctantly take. You can still see the spots, but they are not terrible and, again, they are just shoes.
Up until this point, these Westons are in my standard rotation. After the spots, however, I wear the shoes less and less. I move to Chicago, where I wear the shoes maybe once or twice a month. Salt and tan shoes are also a bad mix.
The last time I was at Brooks, I was shooting the breeze with Mike, the owner of the shop, and recounted my Weston story. He said that there was no way that the shoe was stained, given Weston’s quality, and he urged me to bring them in for a clean. I did, and the shoes have been restored to their former glory. No spots, correct color. Back in the regular rotation.
Moral of the story: wear dark shoes when drinking. Otherwise, count on Brooks.

Terrible experience — no wonder they have so many poor reviews. I should have listened to the resounding input, where there is smoke there is fire people.
First of all, Mike treats his customers poorly and ran away as soon as the work was questioned (which was the second attempt at repairing shoes after the first was not satisfactory). Never have I been treated so rudely by any business owner.
Overall — poor craftsmanship, slow turnaround and overpriced service. Three things that don’t go together… especially the bad craftsmanship part. They need to pay their rent in that space — I get those high prices. Spoke with one customer as I was waiting who was going on her THIRD attempt at having them repair her shoes. Add that to their already lengthy timelines and you will miss having those shoes all season.
No clue how Brooks got on the referral list from so many high end stores in Chicago — but trust these poor reviews and ratings and go elsewhere! Harrys Gold Coast for Loubs and Village Cobbler or the Clybourn Cobbler for other needs.
Beware — not for discerning customers looking for quality service or those who desire being treated nicely and respectfully!

I wish I would have read these reviews prior to going. In summary, the employees are not friendly and the prices are ridiculous. I had to replace the heel tip on my Louboutin boots… the man quoted me $ 55 dollars… now, I’ve had this done before at other cobblers so I have an idea on the price. I said «omg, wow, that’s too expensive» in a surprised tone and said «I’ll pass». Then he said, well, if you just want to do the tips, then it’s only 30. I asked what the other 25 dollars was for and he said to shine, clean and make it look pretty. I said I only asked for the heels to be done. I feel that they just quote you the highest price to fix an item, even thought they added other services (that was not requested, nor was asked about). Also, I feel that since they noticed my shoes were an expensive one, they quoted me more. I did it anyway just because I didn’t want to make another stop. When I arrived on the day it was promised to be done… they said it is not done yet. I had to sit and wait for my shoes. I don’t think I will go back!

I have used Mike and his team for over 25 years and he has done an amazing job on each pair of shoes and bag that I sent… and there have been a lot! His team has been gracious and detail oriented. They even let me know when my shoes aren’t worth fixing. I never hesitate to refer them to my friends or new people I meet. Thank goodness there is still amazing and personal
service still available. These people are artists and designers not the basic shoe repair service.

I guess the owner thinks his store only caters to millionaires. He asked how much the pair of shoes were and make a remark that I should just buy new ones if they were cheap shoes. Guess several hundred dollar shoes are cheap to him, he has this elitist attitude, but come on you’re just a shoe repairer, not sure who you think you are. He talks way too much, I just wanted a simple fix, not listen to you for 10 minutes. They never called/​emailed letting me know the repair was done, 3 weeks went by and I finally went to the store to get them… Only used them because of a Groupon deal, will not be going back.

Very poor customer service. Took a pair of shoes to get fixed before vacation and went to pick them up and they were not fixed properly. Was so frustrated, as I wanted to take these shoes on vacation, but they were not fixed properly so could not wear them. The people behind the counter could care less and were so rude. I also had the same issue with a pair of Louboutins as a previous reviewer. They also used an off color of red/​orange and I had them redo them with the proper color. They tried to charge me additionally for that and I would not pay. I have been a customer here for many years and have been very disappointed the last few visits, especially with the customer service. When you are paying that much money to get shoes repaired I would expect better service and treatment.

Horrible customer service, VERY poor quality work!!! I brought in several pair of shoes; BRAND NEW Louboutin and they used an OFF COLOR red/​orange on the bottom. The plastic was cut unevenly and when I questioned this the counter person said, and I quote; «it doesn’t matter, no one sees the bottoms any ways». I was PROMISEDit would match the Louboutin red. RUINED my shoes!!! T I wish I could submit photos because the side of the shoes are now coming apart. WTF?!?
Second, the pricing… ridiculous.
BEWARE!!!

I got a recommendation to come to Brooks Shoe Repair from Jimmy Choo. I saw many bad Unilocal reviews, but ignored them assuming Jimmy Choo wouldn’t recommend someone they didn’t trust. I wish I had listened to the bad reviews, because my shoes do not look good, and now I have to send them out of state to be fixed.
The staff at the front desk is rude and cold. They do not make you feel welcome or comfortable.
On a positive note, the man who does the shoe repairs was very kind and made me feel like my repair needs would be no problem. He guaranteed that my shoes would look brand new when I got them back, but when I went to go pick them up (two weeks after they had told me they would be done) my shoes had smudges on them and the work they had done looked crappy.
The girl at the front desk told me the head guy would call me to discuss my options and of course I never heard from them. Not pleased with the repair or customer service.

I tried to exchange some shoelaces for being the wrong length. The owner said no because he couldn’t resell them and would have to «eat» the cost (probably $ 1). Mind you he charged $ 5. This shows a lack of character/​customer service in my opinion — at least for a high-​priced downtown cobbler.

A friend told me about Brooks so I tried them. They’ve done a great job on a number of pairs of my shoes and have gone the extra mile a couple times when I had a shoe «emergency» (if there is such a thing). Brooks is actually making me re-​think how I buy shoes — I might start splurging now knowing that Mike and his team will be able to keep what I buy looking good for years to come.

Got their Groupon for a $ 30 for $ 60 of repairs. Showed up with two boots to fix. The owner is snooty about any shoes not Louboutins or Jimmy Choos — upon informing me that one pair of shoes would not be worth fixing, I told him I loved it and would pay knowing it would not be a lasting fix. He lectures me about how he is a some — generation shoemaker and he is not a commodity but a craft. Fine — onto my second pair of much nicer shoes (mid tier brand tall patent leather boots) which needed a leather patch. He takes these willingly, explains in detail the great care he is going to take on all the nuanced blemishes on the shoe and then charge me an additional $ 25. So without the Groupon the total for one leather patch and a simple heel repair on ONE pair of boots is around $ 85. Fine. I expect it to be stellar. Two weeks later, I get an email it’s ready and when I pick it up the boots a few days later (tall leather legs/​shaft) are FOLDED in a small cardboard box, no stuffing to prevent permanent wrinkles and no covering to prevent scratches on the leather he charged me nearly $ 100 to repair. The heel looks pretty standard, what I’d get done for well under $ 20 and the leather patch is about a ⁵⁄₁₀ quality — just fine and perfectly average but can still see the edge of the original worn edge and the patch itself is textured like and tacky paint that didn’t dry quite right. It qas perfectly tolerable, but for his price point he’s definitely a commodity not the «craft» he charges for. Would not go to again and would not trust him with my Louboutin-​tier shoes.

I purchased a pair of Manolo’s at Barneys (for my wedding shoes — this is not a common occurrence!) and they suggested that I go to Brooks to have the slingback strap slightly altered. I did so, and found the owner to be rude, curt, and not all that efficient. When I picked up my shoes, there was glue all over the sides! I explained that was unacceptable and I expected my shoes to be returned to me in the same condition as when I dropped them off (does that even need to be vocalized?!?). Highly unimpressed overall.

Recommended by GUCCI my expectations were not met REGRET doing business with this place all negative from employees to owner far from being professionals after my shoes were DAMAGED. I was told they do what they can offended me with claims that I never asked for exceptional work even do I specified what I needed done, this place is a joke! would advise you take your business else were wether or not your expectations are low. Support other establishments never expected this after being recommended by Gucci on Michigan av I tend to let them know personally next time we meet my best to anyone taking the time to read my review.

My Louboutin pumps needed a little TLC so on the recommendation of Neiman Marcus, I took them to Brooks. They leveled the toes, added the red protective sole and replaced the heel caps plus gave them a quick polish and shine. The finished product looks great! They literally look brand new. The one downside is that they are a little pricey (just under $ 72 for the work listed above) but if you care about your shoes I think the cost is worth it.
As far as timing goes, it took a little over a week but that is what they told me from the beginning and I felt that it was appropriate. I also took a pair of sued booties to be weather protected. That cost about $ 19 and they were ready for me the next day.
I was a little nervous up front because I noticed a lot of negative comments about the customer service. In the end, I thought the woman who helped me at the register was professional and very nice. I met Mike briefly and he said hello and complimented my shoes so again, professional and nice. Overall a great experience for me. I would return and I would recommend this place to others with shoe repair needs.

I rarely feel this way about any service I have recieved– Mike is a thief and a con man!
Today after not recieving any responses from him about the bag he ruined with new stains, I had a very aggravating conversation with him about how he plans to remediate the situation– bottomline, he could not clean the stains he had created on the bag. After telling me again how is buried with business and owes me nothing, he starting making some low ball offers on the value of my 6 month old Dior bag. Then he had the audacity to tell me that he couldnt return my bag if he paid the small amount of money that he was willing to pay for remediation.
I am going to be sending my husband to pick up my damaged bag, just because I cannot imagine talking to this man, who is rude, couldnt care less for his own mistakes and dishonest.

What.the.heck.happened?!
I took my Marc Jacobs purse to be given a good clean up and while it was pricey (100 bucks) it was well worth it because my purse came back looking brand new!
A few years later I drop off some boots that are at most worth $ 185 for $ 70.00 worth of work (they are not even a year old i just wanted them cleaned up!) I recieved them back (in a speedy 3 weeks) to find that they did additional work that was NOT necessary (replacing the sole and heal) but never touching the leather, no polish and then there was a ripped seam in the boot with glue still attached. Im not sure what happened but the boots looked almost better before!
Did this place undertake new management?! They had such a great opportunity to get some really great business with all of the word of mouth they get from the big department stores only to destroy it with terrible customer service, high prices and long wait times.
I will not be back.

I really wished I had read these reviews before purchasing a Groupon for this business. I would have learned two things: 1. This shoe repair company specializes in high-​end shoes (so my little Nine West numbers were nothing), 2. I would have learned that my dollars are not long enough for their elite services and 3. I may have learned about this «Character» I encountered upon my visit.
So, I go trotting downtown to this store with about ten pair of boots that needed a combination of heels replaced, shoe shine and polish. I walk over to the counter where a woman greeted me and then appears a tall bald man (reminiscent of the character on the Mr. Clean bottle) and asks what I’m having done. The first pairs of boots I pull out are fancy pair with a rhinestone buckle (I had two pair). The woman told me that it would cost $ 15.95 to replace the heel (even though I bought the extra replacement heels that came with the boot). I thought it was a bit much but agreed as I had this Groupon to spend. The Mr. Clean character tells me ther would be an upcharge because the embellishment on the side of the boot «would be a pain in the but to work with» and it would cost $ 21 to repair the HEELS! Now what does the embellishment on the side of the boot have to do with the heels? After my protest, he agrees to replace the heels for the $ 15.95 price (with his heels not the ones I brought with me) if I would wait for them (ten minutes). I agreed.
As we go through the rest of my shoes, and I began to tell him what I want done and asking how much the service with costs. He interrupts me and says «Listen, I’m the expert and if you want to guess what I’m about to say then you go ahead and I’ll keep quiet». At this point I’m starring at this man in total disbelief, speaking to me like I was some child and not a paying customer! He then goes on to say, «Look, I’m not going to talk nickels and dimes with you. If I have to do that, we don’t need to do business. You can just go.» Again, Blank stare @-@!! Oh but there’s more! «I asses people right away and determine their demeanor and disposition, and if they have scowl on their face and don’t have a sense of humor I don’t need to deal with them. I’m just joking. People need to not take things so seriously». I stood there in sheer disbelief! Even the lady who was documenting my order looked uncomfortable. As a matter of fact, none of the workers looked happy in the place. If he talks to customers like that, I can imagine how he addresses the employees!
When the tally was complete, the balance came to $ 129.60 not including the two embellished boots I previously handed him to replace the heels on which was another $ 32 before taxes. The Groupon I purchased was $ 29 for $ 60 worth of service. And I promise you, had I not already bought that Groupon, I would have walked right out of there with all ten pairs of boots in tow!!! I got enough shoe repair service to cover the Groupon I purchased and I left that dreaded place with no intentions of returning, other than to pick up the one pair of boots they said would take TWO WEEKS to repair!!! WTH!!!
After sharing this experience with a co-​worker, I was told that I could have gotten a reimbursement or credit for that Groupon. I’ll know next time! Do business with Brooks Shoe repair at your own risk! They will get not a dollar more of my money!!!

5 for a shine and 5,95 for heel plates (that is a bit much).
Work is great, and they are fast.
No one in the store at 10 am!

I was told that this was THE place to get your expensive shoes repaired. I’m not so sure about that. I dropped off a pair of knee high boots to get cleaned up and polished and reluctantly paid $ 22 and waited almost 1 week to pick up. I’ve taken my boots for cleaning elsewhere and paid less, waiting 1 – 2 hours for pick up not 1 week. I ended up paying the $ 22 and waiting it out. I just picked them up and am not sure what exactly they did to my boots because upon inspecting them, I saw several scuffs that weren’t polished and dirt spots that weren’t even cleaned! Sure, the main scuffs at the toe were polished and cleaned but the rest of the boot was not. Why not?
I’m pretty bummed I even took them here in the first place. Luckily, I did not get the *extra* work done to the boots that they recommended that would have cost me an extra $ 30. No thanks. I’ll take my shoes elsewhere that will charge a lot less (Mike’s in Evanston). Unfortunately, Brook’s location is quite convenient for me, their prices and unfinished service is not.