El Monte Shoe Service

I recently was in the area visiting the Lexus dealer and as I was leaving the dealer my heel broke. Just my luck! I searched for a nearby shoe repair shop on Unilocal and came across this place. At first I was skeptical because of the few bad reviews I read. But I was desperate so I thought I’d give this place a try.
The shop is small and humble and is owned by an old man.
His English was limited but wow~ his work was impressive!
Not only did he fix my broken heel, he he got rid of the scuffs on the shoe and buffed it up so the leather was shiny and looking brand new! Great service, great prices and excellent work. I come here from time to time and bring all my shoes that need repair and have been a happy customer ever since my heel broke that day. :)

I wish I had taken a photo before leaving my boots to be repaired; picture I ½″ hole on the soles of each boot from years of walking and dancing, but $ 45 later my boots are as good as new! Check out the new soles and heel. Great work at even greater prices and ready in two days, but beware of their hours, they’re only open from 8 to 5.

Don’t go to this place, owner is really rude, I told him I’ll pick up my shoes in the morning, he told me his shop will open at 8:30, I got there and waited for 20 minutes, no body opens the shop, when I called, he yells at me on the phone, and told me not to call anymore, because he’s busy and I called too much?! If his shop was open I wouldn’t have to call him!

I had a pair of Allen Edmonds dress shoes that had a hole in one of the soles and discoloration in the leather from where I toed them off because I was too lazy to unlace them and take them off like an adult. Being too cheap to shell out for Allen Edmonds recrafting service ($ 125!!!), i went to Unilocal to find a recommended cobbler who could repair my shoes for less. This place was not too far from my work and had mostly positive reviews, so I decided to give it a shot.
The proprietor took a look at my shoes and said that he could replace the soles and the heels (I didn’t know they needed replacing but he showed me how they were falling apart) and fix the discoloration for $ 35. What a deal! He said he’d only do half sole replacements (should have been a warning flag for me) because the middle part of the soles were fine.
When I went to pick them up, he proudly showed them to me. The shoes were clean and the discoloration was gone. But the entire shoe was about two shades darker (they were originally bourbon-​colored). I shrugged and thought maybe the shoes were so old (about 7 years old) that I wasn’t used to the original color (my wife later confirmed that they were much darker). However, that wasn’t the worst part. That came when I tried them on. There were lumps at the middle of each foot, as if the cushioning had been bunched up under the inner sole. Imagine stepping on a wadded up handkerchief — that’s what I was feeling. When I brought this up, his English got suddenly worse and at first he said he added cushioning, then he said the layer under the innersole was worn away and that I should buy foot inserts. He placed a pair in the shoes and they didn’t solve the problem (why would they make the lump go away?) and just made the shoes insanely tight. After trying to get an explanation for several minutes, I gave up as he walked away and started working on other shoes.
The shoes were seven years old and he only charged me $ 35, so I decided to walk away and live with it as a lesson learned. I’ve worn the shoes about five times since then, the wadded up feeling is annoying, but I made my bed and now I have to lay in it. Then today, as I’m putting them on, I see that one of the new half soles is already starting to peel away.
Lessons learned: stay away from this guy and you get what you pay for. Well, actually, I didn’t even get my $ 35 worth and if anything, he ruined a pair of shoes that could have been saved, albeit with more money spent.

NOooooo! Do not use this crazy man!!!
He ruined my sandals and my purse strap!! they were covered with spots of red ink! When I asked him to clean them up he just refused and walk away! Be aware that is why he asks for payment before he does the «service»
I should of known when I drop them off there was a lady leaving the shop very upset:-/
He is a thief and he is insane!!! AVOID!!!

Gentleman was very professional. He had sewn the loose stitching on my Dr. Martins. GREAT JOB! Fast Service. He was able to do it the same day since it was a simple fix. Went on a Saturday. Dropped it off and picked it up later that day. I’ll be coming back again and again for all my other needs!

I had a broken strap on one sandal and two pairs of wedges that needed new footbeds. Replaced footbeds and fixed strap for $ 37 and was ready in four days! That’s a little over $ 7 per shoe! Can’t beat that. Will return, again.

I love this little place. I’ve been coming here for over 5 years to get my heels, clogs, and purses fixed. The store owner, Jimmy, is an older man and this place is a one man show. He does a great job and the price is unbeatable.

It’s a very small shop next to a computer repair shop. It’s hidden in one of the side streets by Valley Mall. I have a pair of brown Steve Madden leather boots, they are a mix between desert boots and chukkas. The sole was wearing out after four years, but the boots were still in great condition and I didn’t want to throw them away. I was looking around but the closest «good» repair shop was around Burbank. Luckily I found this on Unilocal and I’m glad I did.
Prices:
$ 40 I put a relatively more expensive sole yet I felt the quality right away. Its a Vibram sole which you may recognize in some running shoes and specialty shoes. They are slip proof and have great traction. Which is awesome because prior to the new soles, despite them being boots, the soles weren’t the best. Now they are even more comfortable. He even polished them! He did a great job, they looked relatively new, given they were already beat up.
Quality
They feel extremely comfortable. The traction is great and I can walk in them for hours. The stitching looks great and looks reliable. I’ve been wearing them for months now through rain and shine, and they are holding up well. No problems so far.
Service:
He was really nice and explained the different soles and prices. From looking at my soles he knew I had under pronation and high arches. I knew that, but once he said it I knew he was a pro. A week later I got them back.
I was worried about taking them to a shoe repair because I’ve never had a pair of boots I really liked. I was worried the soles wouldn’t be able to be replaced or they would do a crappy job at doing so. But check this place out, I’m positive you wont be disappointed.

I called and asked about dying my dye-​able satin wedding shoes from white to off-​white, and the gentleman told me yes, just to bring them in. So I drove down and when I got there (which by the way it is really really hidden… the smallest little shop in between 2 normal size shops) and showed him my shoes, in his exact words, he said «that’s impossible».
Needless to say I came home extremely bummed and began looking in to returning the shoes to try and find shoes in the right shade as my dress, since it was «impossible». When I told my mom, she said we can do it ourselves.
A pot of boiled water, a tea bag, and a paint brush was all it took! My shoes are now the perfect shade of off-​white and I have proof that it was not impossible!!!
Other than that, his shop seemed very busy, his prices for other stuff seemed very reasonable, but I would definitely not go back there for shoe dying!

Don’t drive too fast or you’ll miss it, seriously its a hidden gem worth looking for.
After being told it was $ 50 to fix the sole of my leather boots from a place full of cranky-​mean people in Pasadena, I called around to find something for more reasonable. The bf actually found this place but it didn’t have any reviews so I was hesitant.
Nonetheless, I dropped off 3 pairs of boots and held my breath for 3 things: 1. The price 2. The work 3. The service
1. The price: $ 28 to fix 3 pairs of boots! awesome
2. The work was very nice, I haven’t worn all of them yet but everything looks good.
3. The man behind the counter was super nice and realistic about what needed to be done. Turn around time was 3 days.