Willie’s Shoe Service

Chris who handles the customer service is so casual, yet professional, and just great! They did a great job stretching my shoes!

This place is fantastic. They are not cheap, but they can be trusted with shoes that need top-​quality work. I recently brought in a pair of suede chukkas that needed a complete resole. Other shops thought the stitching was too complicated and offered a sole protector. Willie’s, on the other hand, knew what they were doing.
They finished the work on time and their work was perfect. It cost $ 160, but the shoes now look as good as the day I bought them. It is obvious that the people at this shop take pride in their craft. I will definitely be returning.

Took my new handmade oxfords into Willie’s to get a sole protector put on. Spoke with Kai who was very sweet. Now I know it’s a simple sole protector, but for nice leather shoes, hand stitched, it’s very important for the life and durability of the shoe. And you have to look it at every time you put your shoe on, so it should be done with care. I’ve gone to other places where they just slap it on and charge $ 25 for the glue job. Raul and the guys did a very nice job, work you can tell they take great pride in. They also talked to me a little about the build of the last and stitching, obviously shoe nerds, which is exactly what you want in a shoe service. Fair pricing, solid work. Highly recommended.

Came here to get an extra couple holes drilled into my leather weight lifting belts, and these guys couldn’t have been more accommodating. Did it while I was waiting, and didn’t charge me. Cool shop also.

Thank you! I shipped my boots from North Carolina for your magic touch as recommended by Liberty Boot Company. Worth it! They are gorgeous and back to life.

If you need your shoes resoled, or any other leather work done in L.A., this is the place to come. Not only is their work top quality, but they won’t rake you over the coals on price for it either. More than fair. These guys are great!

This place has relocated… a bunch of clowns took over the old location on Cahuenga

Wonderful place; wonderful people; fabulous service. Need your shoes resurrected? This is the place to go.

As a prefatory statement, I google and search for «the best» whatever, all the time. Not for everything, mind you, but when the best is called for. That said — you get what you pay for.
I previously took my shoes to Arturo’s in Beverly Hills. Arturo’s is OK, but inconveniently located, with lousy hours, and expensive. If I took a pair of shoes to Arturo’s, there was a good chance I’d forget I owned them by the time I had the time to go to pick them up.
I then took some shoes to a place more local to my office. I decided not to go back after (1) I was upcharged for handing over a nicer brand, and (2) a heel which was loose broke off shortly after they fixed it, revealing a giant blob of glue. If I wanted to not really fix my shoe, I could have done that myself, for FREE!
However, it was time to bring in about eight pairs. These included a few pairs of Manolos, a couple YSL, a very old pair of Fluevog chelsea boots etc.
When I brought them in, Raul (who is, btw, very very nice) went over each pair in detail. Did I want the Cadillac fix? Something a little less? He explained the pros and cons of various types of fixes. He was clear about cost. We worked out exactly what shoe would get what (e.g. half sole, toe tap, heel thingy). Caveat: you have to pay when you drop off your shoes. Price-​wise, Willie’s is more expensive than your neighborhood joint, but the workmanship is head and shoulders MUCH BETTER. It is priced similar to the «better places», but IMHBCO, the workmanship is still better.
For example, my Manolos which had a plain leather sole had a half sole put on in the same color, but a no-​skid type pattern on them (not that cheesy looking crap). Metal taps were put on each of the pointy toed shoes. They were all polished. The Fluevogs, which needed to have the elastic side panels replaced, looked new. I was told by Arturo’s and another person that this flat out could not be fixed. Willie’s fixed it ($ 35 per panel).
When your shoes are ready they email you, and they have a parking lot. They have good hours, including weekend hours. The place is spacious, clean, and well organized. You will not fear that your shoes are lost forever.
So yes — go buy yourself a nice pair of shoes and know that you can wear those shoes for a very long time, if you take care of them at Willie’s.

Love the workmanship here. Dropped off several pairs and was very impressed with the results. Not only that, but I showed up with a shoe repair problem I didn’t know how to solve. They quickly diagnosed it and made a fantastic suggestion. They go the extra mile, specifically wrapping your shoes in tissue paper when they return them to you.
Parking is a bit of a mess, but you can usually find a spot in the lot behind them.

I cannot say enough about this wonderful store and its customer service. Raul is a pleasure to work with and they expedited my order in 48 hours to make substantial changes to a pair of very nice new cowboy boots. Photo attached. I will never stop referring people to them! Bravo!

It doesn’t get any better than this! Willie’s has done countless jobs for me. I have had tiny things done such as a simple clean up and major work done with a pair of boots that Willies reconstructed and built a whole new sole. They are true craftsman in their trade and I am so glad they are here in Los Angeles!!!

Can be very pricey — but with every penny. I take my expensive shoes and boots here and am always happy with the results. Quality work. Always

My first time here and I did not give them a buck. What I did get was an honest answer and you do not find that much at retailers. Great place, great people and I will be back again.

When I needed someone to stretch the calves (about 1 inch) on a pair of new leather boots, many of my friends suggested Willie’s Shoe Service. Willie’s did an excellent job on my boots (they fit very nicely) for a very reasonable price!

They provide quality service. They use high quality products for shoe repair.
I highly recommend them over anywhere else in LA area.
I first saw this place driving by its old location. Raul is one of the nicest guys you’ll meet. I go to repair, resole, clean, and polish my dress shoes. New heels and repair on 2 pairs of dress shoes took about 2 weeks – well worth the wait.
I also went to him because I wanted some Vibram rubber sole protectors on my boots to make my soles last longer and they were expertly done. Clean. Solid craftsmanship.
I’m looking forward to getting some Wolverine 1k resoled along with some other boots repaired. I’ll update once it is done.

I’m a grad student and can’t afford fancy schmancy shoes (yet!), but I do own a few pairs that are nice enough to want to keep around for the long haul. When I take my shoes to Willie’s I know I’ll get consistently thorough work. Their repairs may cost more than other places, but their work lasts longer because they use better supplies. I always enjoy chatting with the guys who work there; everyone is friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. I’ve been coming for repairs for over a year now, and my shoes are always ready by the promised date/​time.
If shoes are near and dear to your heart and you’ve got a pair that need some lovin, take them to Willie’s! You won’t regret it

Forget all the other reviews about willies. This place is amazing. I was on the fence for a year about these guys when i finally took the plunge and went in with shoes. Took a pair if my Gaziano Girling Cambridge to get metal toe taps installed but was told that rubber inserts would do just as well. All i got to say is that they came out amazing. I gave him 2 more of my Gaziano Girling and a Vass dbl monk for him to install rubber toe taps. They came out clean and flush. None of that cheap shabby work everyone else does. RAUL wears a pair of whole cut Joh Lobbs so immediately i knew what this man was talking about and he addressed my concerns about craftsmanship especially in repair work. All these reviews of women’s shoe repair or men’s sub par dress or tennis shoe repair does not do this place justice. RAUL knows all the hardcore players in the hi end mens shoe business like Pierre Corthay and bloggers such as Fitzgerald. Definite 2 thumbs up!

Willie’s is the BEST shoe store I’ve ever been to. I’ve had several pairs of shoes repaired at Willie’s and I’m always impressed with the quality of their work. No sloppy work here. These guys are excellent craftsmen. The man who helps me most often (unfortunately I don’t know his name) is very friendly and gives good advice on how to make things last longer. The store is run by Shiny The Cat. Okay, I’ll admit it. That’s the real reason I ruin my shoes, to get to see Shiny. He’s a character.

How did I snooze on reviewing Willies?
I haven’t been to the new location, but at the old location on Cahuenga, they did an incredible job on a pair of Paul Smith boots that were born a half size too small. And about $ 300 too expensive.
But I had already fallen in bootlove with them and purchased them at a discounted price on eBay, so I brought them to Willies. The gentleman at Willies explained their theories on shoe stretching to me – slower is better — and I left them for a few days.
When I returned, my boots fit perfectly. It is SO easy to mess up a stretch, especially with delicate leathers, but Willies handled things with grace and a gentle touch. So now the boots that didn’t fit fit perfectly and have given me years of happy wear.
I would trust Willies with any pair of shoes in my closet. True artisans who also understand customer service.