Superior Shoe & Boot Repair

First, thank you Unilocal for making it easy to find a solution near me! I love the map feature!
The men that work here are not only skilled but so helpful and so kind! They completely saved a pair of suede shoes that had a mark on them. They were so helpful and accommodating particularly given the quick turnaround time I had on them. Couldn’t be happier! Would absolutely use them again in a heartbeat!

Had a leather upper repaired. He exceeded my expectations. He stuck to the quoted time and price, which were reasonable.

I was SO happy to find this business. I needed a VERY intense repair of some heels on some booties and it was $ 20, done in a week, and the owner was so nice.
Was not in a rush, but he seemed to be able to accommodate anything if needed.
Definitely recommend this place for shoe repair!

This place is not fancy but certainly feels like the heart of America lives here. Superior shoes is located right on Main Street in Waltham and has been in operation for several generations. The owner takes pride in what he does and is very flexible so he can meet customers needs.
I was a little shocked the day I went to pick up my boots and the store was closed, but his hand written note made me realize that because he’s a small business owner he can be flexible with his hours. I applaud anyone who works to live not live to work. When I did finally pick up my boots, I was amazed at the great work you did in restoring them to their original condition and it was much more affordable than buying a brand-​new pair.
I am very happy with the craftsmanship and will definitely take any shoes or boots to superior for repair — i’ll just call before going in.

This IS your father’s cobbler shop. Good old fashioned shoe & boot repair with old world craftsmanship. Not cheap, but this kind of quality never is. If you have some nice shoes and want them fixed right, this is the place.

Very expensive and extremely slow service.
I dropped a pair of booties off for repair. First off, they are more expensive than any place around that area — $ 18 to replace the heels on a pair of high heel booties. Secondly, they take longer — dropped them off on a Saturday and the guy said they wouldn’t be done until the following Saturday. When I went in to pick them up, they weren’t done. I had to wait half an hour for the guy to finish them while I was there. Will never go here again — awful service.

I had an unusual request — the modification of a travel backpack. I needed a padded belt sleve sewn in to attach a replacement belt and additional buckles attached for the new belt. I supplied the materials. Superior did the work in 2 weeks as promised and w/​in their original estimate. I was very pleased with the outcome which was exactly as I had wished (the work was correcting a design flaw in the original Osprey pack). At $ 50 the price was quite reasonable for the work.
I also had a pair of sandals repaired and that was on-​time as well and done correctly.
I could not ask for more, particularly since the job was definitely out of the ordinary. The service I received was polite and friendly. I would definitely recommend.
In particular, they have the ability to repair travel/​backpacking gear, which is not common.

When the rubber heel tip on my favorite lucky Alden Shell Cordovan shoes was wearing thin I began to interview cobblers. After more than a year of searching met the fellow at Superior shoe and boot repair. He had in Alden manufacturer’s logo in the window and claim to be factory trained. I asked him to repair the rubber heal tip of my shoes. He wanted to know if I wanted anything else done so I asked him to buff the entire surface of the shoes; thinking to specify high or low luster seemed presumptuous so I left that detail to him. His quote for the work was very high but I trusted him and do not quibble over the cost of an artisan’s work.
When I returned to collect my shoes they were not ready. Week after week I returned to be put off. Finally he produced the shoes they looked as through they had been mucking stalls and closer inspection showed the upper was smeared with sole edging. The welting also looked wrong. Closer inspection showed that the entire leather heel and sole had been cut off and replaced with a vibrator sole and Cat heel! Worse, the new sole had been cut crooked and stitched crooked!
In short my favorite shoes, shoes that could have lasted my entire life had been destroyed by a maniac!
Replacing the rubber heel tip of the shoes is a bit of a finesse job and properly requires access to factory components. This cobbler had neither and hacked on components that were inappropriate and easily a decade old. To make it completely clear he was insane, spearing the upper with black edging proved that he had no idea what it meant to even polish a shoe!
When I asked why he cut the soul of of my shoes off, he explained that’s the way he priced it out. The shoes were in near ideal condition, the upper, sole and welting were all in good shape, only the luster of the upper and rubber heel tip needed attention. I was assured that the shoes were fine and would provide decades more service.
I paid him took the shoes and tried to wear them — the fact that the souls have been cut crooked made, one in and one out, they were completely useless for shoes and better suited to torture.
I went back to speak with him about the destruction of my favorite shoes and he was… unresponsive and impolite. Then he began to complain that I still had to pay for the shoes! What, again? I gave him the shoes and suggested that he put them in the window, so everyone could see his handiwork!!!
I wrote to the manufacturer and eventually called. In short, they do not train or certify cobblers and definitely do not endorse the use of their name.
I have gone by the shop since and understand why there are great piles of work all about. He is completely without the ability to do even the simplest of work. I heard a women ask for a repair to a handbag. It was a simple task of setting a rivet on the strap and perhaps even stitching it a bit. The razzle dazzle was amazing and it was clear he had no idea what he was talking about. He could have repaired the in less time and effort than he spent wasting the woman’s time.
STAY AWAY!

I have since moved from Boston and from the last time I had my shoes worked on by John (over one year ago), they have remained in the best shape ever. And I wear them out A LOT. I have had heels/​boots worked on by cobblers in the past, and never has the quality of work been so long lasting. I thought about dropping them off one last time before I moved, but they honestly didn’t need any work!
I sometimes wonder how the is able to stay in business when his shoe repairs are so long-​lasting…

I went in last week for the 1^st time. I dropped off 4 pairs of shoes; one of which I was going to throw away because they had gotten so damaged during a trip to NYC. As a last ditch effort I took them into Superior and I’m happy to say I will get to wear them again! All of my shoes came back looking almost like new for about $ 50 total… far less than the cost of a new pair. I will definitely use their services again.

The quality of the shoe repairs is fantastic. I’ve had a couple pairs of shoes and my favorite leather boots re-​heeled here, and they looked as good as new. The repairs ended up costing more than what I had anticipated, but I’m more pleased with the workmanship here than at a couple other repair shops that I’ve tried in neighboring Watertown. Every time I visit this place, there are at least one or two other people there — this place is bustling, for a shoe repair shop!
One downside is that their hours are limited — they are only open a few days a week.

Finding a nice cobbler is like trying to find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. It just doesn’t exist… or does it? The man that I dealt with (maybe owner/owner’s son?) was the nicest man and he actually took the time to chat with me about my shoes.
Oh and he made me feel better about the fact that my boots were synthetic. His theory… leather doesn’t stand up in the snowy, salty winter. Love it!
I’ve had to put down a deposit for shoe repair so that didn’t bother me. I also have paid about $ 40 for just a heel replacement at Odessa in Cambridge and been treated by grouchy salespeople. So for $ 32 for heel and sole replacement to have my boots looking new – I’m sold!
Good warning from fellow Unilocalers the hours are a little strange, but the later hours are good for me. Definitely call or check the website.

This place did a fine enough job on a basic heel replacement on a pair of dress shoes, but the turnaround time was quite slow – and I needed to put down a deposit. And the days and hours of operation are somewhat limited. But they were local – and my shoes needed a fixin’ – so I wanted to give them a try.
I believe it was $ 32 for new heels and a tiny bit of glue to fix a piece of leather, and a polishing. The same repairs a few years later were just $ 20 at Pelham in Newton.
While my experience was only a so-​so, my boyfriend brought a pair of hockey gloves here to be repaired – and they did a good job at that, for a seemingly good price, too.
Like many cobblers seem to be, this place is a family-​run independent. And that always makes me happy. Not to mention, the guy who runs the shop – and does the repairs – is super friendly. If you’re looking for special inserts, laces, etc., he has a wide variety of items for sale in the shop. Check the website for hours before you head out though.