Varsity Shoe Repair & Alterations, Ltd

As for service and turnaround time this place is a definite 5 star! I’ve had plenty of shoes soled before and I have yet to find a place that does them as perfect as the shoe repair place at Yorkdale Mall in Toronto. (I should post the work done at this Yorkdale place and do a side by side comparison to the other shoes I’ve had done elsewhere and you would see the perfect work they offer, except at a premium price of course.) Varsity does a good job though it is just short of perfect. The fact that I dropped them off and was able to pick them up 2 hours later makes it so convenient and worth it. Anything is better than wrecking the smooth leather soles of my Saint Laurents I suppose. I would bring BLACK leather soled shoes here again in the future for the fact that black is less noticeable for flaws. $ 38 to protect the smooth leather soles is a small price to pay.

This place is great for alterations and shoe repair.
Shoes that I would have thrown out because I thought they were no longer «nice» were given a new life. Better than buying a brand new pair of expensive shoes.
The service is quick and efficient and the quality of the service is awesome.

At the last minute I had bought a new pair of pants to bring to an out of town event.
I called and asked about getting my pants hemmed the same day. I dropped them off at 2:30pm. They we’re done by 4:00… And I was able to get a spare set of keys cut while I was there for my friend checking on my place.
Great service, and great work.

Since moving to Calgary a few years ago, I’ve had trouble locating both a cobbler, and alteration shop. Who knew you could find both in the same location. I started with a pair of $ 700 Prada boots where the soles had become worn. Due to the curvature of the original soles, I was turned away by three Calgary cobblers when I stumbled across Varsity while driving by. For $ 65 he reformed the soles and reconditioned the leather and looked brand new. The owner Nhung is truly an artist!
Since my first visit I’ve had 4 pairs of shoes with both leather and rubber soles redone. Not only do the shoes look new, they feel like they’re right out of the box. Nhung carefully inspects the various support pieces of plastic, leather, etc. to ensure the full original quality and feel is restored. Most just switch out the sole. At Varsity, you leave with your favorite shoes restored to the quality of the day you purchased them!
During my third visit I dropped off two pairs of jeans to be hemmed. Nhung’s wife does all alterations. Just like the shoes the jeans hem out perfectly. She can do multiple stitches/​styles and can match the factory hem no matter the complexity.
Price wise, Varsity is more expensive than other cobblers. However, it also provides a level of service and experience unmatched by even Fishmans. Of the 10 cities I’ve lived in throughout the US and Canada I’ve always used cobblers; and Nhung at Varsity is the most talented I’ve seen!