Mike’s of Noe Valley Shoe Repair

Another piece of Noe Valley history ground under the jackboots of gentrification. Thanks for your service over these many years Mike. Enjoy yourself.

OUT OF BUSINESS! Karma has finally caught up to Mike and his awful business has been shuttered. GOOD RIDDANCE, MIKE! You were terrible at what you did and didn’t care AT ALL about your customers or the work you did.
If you left shoes there and haven’t picked them up yet, you’re pretty much shafted.

Solid work here. My wife and I have taken 3 – 4 pairs of boots here, and we’ve always have had great results and been treated nice. We used to go to Alexanders on Mission, but the work is better here.

DO NOT GO THERE. First off, the place is filthy. This guy is a rude, and he’s a thief. His work is horrendous. Service was horrible. Extremely poor customer service too. I brought a shoe to get fixed, it needed some stitching on the top, and the heel was coming off. He lifted it up and it came off. I asked the guy to glue it back and put a few nails in to hold it in place. The guy told me the shoe would be ready on Friday. I didn’t pick it up till Monday. When I arrived, the shoe wasn’t ready so he told me to wait while he fixes it. I was annoyed by that, but waited anyway, paid the guy $ 18.95 and left. 2 days later, the very same heel he had «fixed» fell off and got lost. I returned to Mike’s repair shop with the shoe, expecting an apology and a free repair job but the guy told me he never fixed the heel, he only fixed the other thing that had broken. While I was telling him how he did fix it while I waited, he denied it and said he didn’t touch the heel and told me I needed to bring the other shoe in to see what kind of heel it needs. Then he said he didn’t charge me to the nail he put in the heel. Well, which is it? Did you fix it of did you not? Anyway, while I was talking, he kept interrupting me with rude comments, and I had to ask him to let me finish a few times. Then, he said he could fix it but it would cost $ 26.95. When I said he should fix it for free, he said «no no no!» started walking away from me and didn’t even offer an apology or a discount. He simply walked to the back of the store and left me hanging. What a way to treat your paying costumers! I’ll never ever return there. That guy is total jerk!

Please don’t use this business. –My experience was terrible. I took a shoe there to have the soul re-​attached because it was coming apart. I was told it would be an easy thing to fix when I took it in. A week later I came back and it wasn’t ready (this was the day after I was told it would be ready). I needed to get my shoe back that day and was expecting to have it — the guy said he was «very busy» and it would be ready the next day (when I wouldn’t be able to get it). I asked for a discount for his being late with it and he got really angry, and refused and yelled at me. A week later I went back and got my shoe, and the next day when I wore it the soul came apart again. I will never use this business again.

Today I picked up a pair of shoes and boots that Mike re-​heeled. I dropped them off last Saturday and told him I would pick them up in a week. He did a wonderful job, they were ready on time and look good as new. Glad to have found a good cobbler who will definitely be getting more of my shoe repairs

Don’t bring your shoes in here! LIke others, I left my boots there for repair. When I returned, he couldn’t find them. Said he would look for them and call me. I never heard from him. When I called him, he told me that I already picked them up and that I should check my closet. I think that I would know whether I picked them up. He said that it was not his fault. No offer for compensation or a sorry. Definitely would not take shoes into his store ever unless you don’t want to see them again.

Mike is one of the few shoe/​leather goods craftsman still open. He does great custom work, at a fair price. Repairs are also top notch. It’s a pleasure to do business with Mike.

I haven’t brought shoes in but Mike has done a great job helping me repair and customize other leather products such as a briefcase recently. He’s very nice, fair and reasonably priced. Sometimes he’s not finished exactly on time, but close enough. I’ll continue to go back

This place used to rock, I used to take my shoes to Mike’s all the time and he did a bang up job and was actually reasonably priced. Then he LOST MY FAVORITE PAIR OF SHOES for a YEAR AND A HALF. I was upset, mortified, he said ‘they’re at home’ — um, why are you bringing my shoes home? And the stack of shoes on the floor only shows the organization in that place is astounding, I am not surprised he loses shoes on a regular basis. I am afraid he’s lost his touch and I stopped going there years ago, looking now for a new cobbler, unfortunately, I have to go to the one not that close to my work now, which is terribly inconvenient. Anyway, cobble at Mike’s at your own risk!

Bottom line:
1 star for customer service/​professionalism and product.
2 stars for Mike’s positive attitude.
My experience:
After dropping off a pair of leather oxfords to get resoled, Mike gave me a 1 week turnaround time estimate, and a price of $ 65.00. The entire ordeal took two and a half weeks, and three extra trips into his store, and wound up purchasing another pair of dress shoes for an event while he held them up.
When I first showed up on the agreed upon date of completion, Mike struggled to locate my shoes, and when he did they were still in disrepair. It jogged his memory, though and he explained that he had to order some sort of «special» or «replacement» sole for the shoes, so they were not done yet, but would be ready in a few days. He could have certainly called instead of making me come in. but no big deal.
Came in a few days later, and Mike again could not find my shoes, but assured me that they were almost done and if I just came back that afternoon they would be ready. At this point I realized his ticket system was seriously flawed, and there were just shoes strewn about everywhere. Again no phone call to forewarn me, that would have spared me a trip in.
Came back in that afternoon, and he brought up a pair of freshly soled shoes — the problem was they were not mine. We laughed that he worked hard to finish these, but they were the wrong shoes. At this point the ordeal was simply comical, Seinfeld-​esque. Mike explained his stitching machine had broken down and that I should come back in a few days after it is repaired.
I waited more than a few days, to be safe, came back and my shoes were done. I abstained from negotiating a partial refund, wanting simply to leave. As for the end product, the resole was rather haphazard — the stitching pretty uneven and very exposed on the bottom — I’ll be surprised if it lasts. Compared them to my finacee’s shoes she had done at the place in Westfield, and realized I’d be better off taking them elsewhere.
1 star for customer service and product.
2 stars for Mike’s positive attitude.

As a faithful and longtime customer of this place, I am very disappointed to read of these very sad experiences here, especially losing shoes.
However, none of my shoes were ever lost, and only the best and highest quality work has been done for me here.
I moved to Oakland three years ago, and after trying a 5-​star Unilocal place (the place inside the Safeway on 51^st), I came back here. That place flat-​out rejected two pairs of shoes I brought in for re-​heeling, saying they were too far worn and it couldn’t be done.
So, I travel back to Old Faithful: Mike’s Renewing. They, as always, did top-​quality work and took my rejected shoes in and made them like new again.
I’m always pleased with the work and the friendliness of the people there.

I never really used a shoe repair place before moving to SF, but I also never walked as much as I do here. All those miles tend to put a beating on my work shoes. My wife and I have probably brought about 7 or 8 pairs of shoes here for a variety of repairs including sole reattachment, heel repair/​replacement, and other structural issues. We’ve been very happy with the repairs and the service each time.

Initial impression is negative.
Had a repair made and it didn’t even last one use. I’ll plan to return and see if a second attempt is better. Afterwards, I’ll post an update.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — -
Went back and Mike was able to make a more permanent repair. Upping the review to a couple of stars.

I am David S from this comment thread’s friend (he posted a while back after coming in with me to Mike’s on one of my hopeful attempts to get my boots back).
I admit I was going to Mike’s just because it is convenient. What can I say, all the reviews above about the chaos and rudeness are accurate. I won’t be going there again.
Basically, a year after I dropped them off, I finally got my boots back today. I took them in for repair in early November 2010.
I had taken two pairs of boots in to be repaired. Mike lost both pairs. On my second visit, I persuaded him to let me go into the first layer of chaos in his store behind his counter and I found one pair of boots there, lying on the ground amongst a huge pile of others’ shoes and boots. The second pair of boots were not findable. He told me he may have moved them «downstairs». He said he’d call when he found them. No call.
I went back a month later, no boots. What surprised me more on this visit was how rude he was. He told me they were really badly made boots and could not be repaired. That I should forget about them. I insisted that I would like my boots back. Sulkily, he relented, said he’d take another look for them and said he’d call me. No call.
When I went back in, admittedly a while later as I’d been traveling and had frankly spaced the boots (nice weather times!), he told me that I had waited too long. I lost it and told him if he didn’t find my boots, I’d take legal action. He said he’d call. He didn’t. (Seeing a pattern here…).
Finally today, I went back in with a friend and he had the boots. He has repaired them. He did not charge me. But he did look at me as if I had crawled out from under a rock and basically threw the boots over the counter.
This shop is scratched off my list forever. I hope someone competent buys the store and makes something of it.

I stopped by earlier this week to pick up a pair of boots and when the guy couldn’t find them, he bitched at ME for taking so long to pick them up (Um, what? You can’t find possessions that I have entrusted you with & therefore deserve your hostility. Yup, that makes sense.) When I suggested that I would expect to be compensated if, indeed, they lost my shoes he literally scoffed at me and sarcastically said: Well, that certainly would be nice, wouldn’t it?
So I went back the next day to see if they’d found them and the woman on line ahead of me was distressed because they’d apparently soiled her boots in the process of «cleaning» them (I could see the stains & they were definitely not due to the distressed nature of the leather). The guy at the counter was completely unapologetic and unconcerned that they’d messed up her boots. I felt really badly for her and was VERY shocked/​relieved when he actually dug mine up off of the top of a shelf. The guy, however, acted like I should kiss his ass for not having lost my boots.
In short: This place really doesn’t deserve to be in a nice neighborhood like Noe Valley. I will GLADLY take my shoes way the hell across town just to avoid this place in the future.

Came in here a few times with a friend who continually keeps taking her shoes here for repair. Every time, literally every time, they have lost her shoes. They are almost always there, but it seems the ‘keep the ticket with the shoe’ is something that’s hard to do here. Last time I was in there, the person infront of us in line and behind us in line had the same issue. That said, my friend keeps going back here, so he must be good if not just absentminded.

After posting my review on 11÷4÷2009, I received 2 very vile messages from this douchebag named Liz C. on 6÷20÷2010.
The below 2 posts speak for themselves. Obviously, the person who sent this either works for Mike, is related to Mike, or is Mike himself! This just shows what kind of establishment he runs! What can I say? TRUTH HURTS!!!
Visit my page if you want to see the messages up-​close — as I accepted them for all to see.
*************************
Just a Note 6÷20÷2010
liz c. — San Francisco, CA
For your review of: Mike’s of Noe Valley Shoe Repair
Your stupid! lol
«I figured, how difficult could it be to clean, polish and remove a stain off a pair of yellow leather shoes, right?»
If u found it to be soooo not difficult then why the fuck you didnt do yourself dumb fuck … and on the real if i was there i would spit on your shoes and your face so fuck off and get a life big ass cry baby i hope you have a wonderful day dumb fuck
*************************
Thank You 6÷20÷2010
liz c. — San Francisco, CA
For your review of: Mike’s of Noe Valley Shoe Repair
Oh yes and let me see you on the street and ill bitch slap your ugly face

This place is a gem. I brought a pair of expensive shoes that were wearing out, and the owner pointed out to me that the shoes needed more work than I knew, but the price of repair was good so I went for it. Am I ever glad I did. My shoes are wonderful again, and the repairs are invisible and excellent.
Since then I’ve taken in a couple of other pairs to have them repaired, and again the quality and price of repair were excellent. This place is a gem!

They «lost» my shoes.
I brought in a pair of shoes, went to check on them after a week and they were still in the exact same spot on the counter. I went in again a week or so later, they hadn’t moved, but now there is a big greasy stain on them. I asked the guy when he thought they would be done. On the specified day, after calling to be sure that they were done, I went to pick them up. He said he couldn’t find them and that sometimes these things happen. That’s it, no compensation for my expensive shoes, no apology for the 3 visits to pick them up not to mention the loss of the shoes themselves, nothing. How in the hell are these guys still in business???