Charles Shoe Repair

Took in my boots because the zipper broke on one of them and needed to be replaced. Cost $ 50 for the zipper fix and then $ 10 for getting both boots cleaned/​polished. He told me to come back in about 3 weeks to pick them up, no phone notifications, just come. I came back a little later than that Dec. 18, 2015 after exams and the boots were ready. He said he could match the zipper and he did, the only difference is that the zipper pull is slightly larger than the pull on the other boot but we’re talking a ¼ inch or less on the inside of a boot — basically not noticeable to anyone else but for this I left off a star. Also, when I picked up the boots he acted like he was having trouble finding them and was relieved when he did. Very nice quiet man and as an Asian, I’m happy to support an Asian-​owned business.

NEW LOCATION! Directly across the street from where the old shop was, on 18^th & JFK.
I’ve had work done on my dress shoes two separate times here and both of my experiences have been top notch. The first was to install thin rubber sole savers. I was naturally apprehensive to let anyone touch my brand new $ 350+ Magnanni shoes, so I did a little Unilocal research to find someone I could trust to do a good job.
Charles, the owner, works on all of the repairs himself which speaks volumes to the quality you’ll receive. He is an incredibly nice and humble man who pays attention to detail and it shows. For the sole savers he worked with me to choose the right material, showing me a few options, and even took his time to bevel the edges perfectly.
For the second repair, on the same shoes, he replaced the heels which had worn past the first layer. He again showed me options: a full vibram rubber replacement or a vibram/​leather combination which matched the original heel perfectly. The shoes look brand new and are ready for another year of work! All for around $ 30.
His prices are reasonable, turnaround quick, and most importantly work immaculate.

Good news! Charles is still at 1800 Market street. He repaired the rubber heel of my Frye boots in just over 2 days, for only $ 15. This is my new, go-​to shoe repair spot! No weekend hours.

I go to this business and he does a solid job, decent prices, cash only. I just went there for a job and discovered he has moved! There was no forwarding information. It looked like all the small businesses that line the first floor of the same tall building were cleared out due to a reconstruction project. Maybe he’ll come back, maybe he moved, don’t know!
Just call before you go. He’s not there now.

Solid place, convenient to work. About $ 60 for half soles plus cleats and rubber/​leather combo heel. Seems to be in line with other prices around here. Good craftsmanship overall on my To Boots. I deducted 1 star for cash only and the $ 6 shine price.

I brought in three pair of wildly expensive but old boots that were literally falling apart (one missing a heel entirely, another with soles separating from rest of boot, a third just wrecked — I know, I’m hard on my shoes). I was super nervous, having had zero luck finding good shoe repair in Philadelphia but I didn’t want to go another fall/​winter without my favorite boots (NYC is lousy with great shoe repair people, Philly not so much). My boots are now fantastic — he even repaired one heel that I didn’t ask him to so that it would better match the new heel. Great little space — feels like an old-​fashioned workshop. Friendly, efficient, and fyi, cash only. Highly recommended. I feel like I’ve gotten 3 new pairs of boots. Finding K-​Shoe Repair is like finding a good therapist, maybe even better.

This guy does wonderful work. It was slightly more expensive than I thought it would be, but it’s actually a fair price for the handiwork. He’s reasonable, quick, and I would recommend him to others. I was very impressed with the quality craftsmanship.

I’ve taken a few shoes to have soles repaired. It seems to be $ 20 for everything. I’ve been happy with most of his work. When I brought something back (resoled heel fell off on first wear), he fixed it immediately.

Okay, so he is great at fixing simple things. I brought in 2 pairs of boots that needed their zippers fixed. The one was easily a simple fix and he did it in a short period of time and was great.
However, my better doc marten boots were in need of replacement zippers and he ruined the leather around the zipper and didn’t fix the zipper. He instead removed the zipper pulls so I couldn’t even pull the zipper up myself! He did give me my deposit back, but I wouldn’t take your prized shoes to him.

I have gone to K-​Shoe Repair twice now and I am incredibly happy. He is such an incredible craftsman and has repaired two of my shoes so very well and for such great prices. I have a niceish pair of boots that were $ 80 but the nice gold hoops that the laces go through keep breaking, snapping the suede holding them to the shoe. He has perfectly and strongly fixed these problems and the shoes look just as I did when I bought them, for only $ 10. The other issue I had was with a zipper on a boot that no longer did its one function – zip up! For $ 20 he completely fixed the problem and I cannot even tell what he did, he did the job so seamlessly. I would trust him with any pair of shoes, and know for a good price he would do the job incredibly well. He’s always been very kind to me and understands what I need right away. My highest recommendations.

I went to this shoe repair upon the advice of my fellow Unilocalers, and this was one of the few times I was steered wrong. I brought in my favorite leather pumps and showed the guy my issue — the leather on the uppers and sides of the interior of the shoe was ripped. You could actually see some of the leather lining (not black) while the shoes are on. So he told me he’d replace the lining for $ 20. I asked if that would fix the problem, he said yes. My friend picked up the shoes because she works nearby. I took them out of the bag and despite a new leather insole, the rips are all still there!!! I took the shoes back to him and explained that that wasn’t the repair I wanted and he told me he glued the rips and there’s nothing more he can do. So, my question is, why did I pay $ 20 for new insoles? I had no problem with the insole. And the rips are all still there. Infuriating, and a waste of $ 20.

This guy is the cat’s meow. My crappy light brown suede shoes are now dark brown and not crappy at all!!!

After months and months of complaining that I needed to get my boots and heels repaired, I finally brought in my favorite pair of riding boots and a pair of (new) high heels to Mr. K.
The boots are over 6 years old and made with Italian leather. The soles were worn so thin that you could see the rubber wearing off. The high heels were pretty new, just a few months old, but the little plastic nub fell off of the heel and it was really annoying to walk around Center City with unreliable footwear. Mr. K. did a fantastic job on both — He re-​soled my boots and gave them a nice polish; looked good as new. The heels? I’ve worn them almost every business day for the past couple of months at work and the replacement nubs have still held strong.
My only complaint is that the heels were nude and the rubber pieces he used were black. Not the end of the world, but I would have preferred if it matched.

I am tentatively giving three stars. I took a pair of dress shoes to be resoled and re-​heeled. So far no major problems. However, I noticed a slight gap between a section of the new heel and the sole of the shoe. Whether this gap will develop into a larger problem — like the sole detaching from the shoe –remains to be seen. Even if the sole stays put, I don’t think the gap should be there in the first place. Hence the three stars. The proprietor seems like a very nice and contentious man. But I won’t be taking my shoes for him to repair in the future.

It always feels great when you can support a local business and feel great doing it… This is your man for shoe repairs. An older gent who has excellent attention to detail, which is so necessary when you’re dealing with someone else’s favorite shoes.
Like other reviewers here, I’ve brought in designer Italian leather shoes and they have received the care they deserve. I’ve had pretty shoes destroyed at other places with weird, ugly repairs… so I won’t go anywhere else in Philly.
He’s also got used and new leather purses/​shoes at the counter (Coach, Uggs…) for anyone who’s interested!

Very nice guy, beautiful work, good prices. Go here!

I completely trust this guy with my most expensive shoes and I don’t even need to explain the details because he is so experienced he just knows exactly what to do with them.
He is such an expert with leather, as I’ve had him custom shorten two pairs of boots. This was definitely not an easy job but he did it and his prices were super reasonable.
I’ve also had him re-​heel, re-​sole, re-​tip and polish many other pairs of shoes for me.
I’m so glad I realized you could have someone save your nice shoes to keep them lasting forever, and I’m glad I found K-​Shoe Repair.

I chose this place because of its five star Unilocal reviews and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s so close to my work and I never even noticed it there before!
I brought in a pair of Frye boots and they were MESSED UP. The heels were missing big chunks of wood and leather and they looked really bad. They fixed them in less than a week for $ 20!!! I couldn’t believe how great the heels looked when I got them back, just as good as new.
The storefront is kind of… small. Literally only 2 people can fit inside at one time, so you might have to wait outside the door if you see people in there already. The owner was very courteous and efficient. This place is CASH ONLY — FYI.
Bonus points for having Hot Tamales as a neighbor. This place has amazingly cheap Mexican food — cheaper than any other place I’ve been to in the city, and it tastes pretty good too.

K-​Shoe Repair is my go to for shoe emergencies! I regularly drop off boots or pumps to get re-​heeled. I always get same day service and very reasonable prices. Also had my husband’s favorite Kenneth Cole boots re-​soled and it took three days.
Quick, good price, and great service, that’s K-​Shoe!

I just went here for the first time after having a friend recommend it. I dropped off 4 pairs of boots that were EXTREMELY worn out and in need of heel repair on Monday. That Thursday I picked them up and they were like new and for a reasonable price. The owner is very a nice gentleman too!