Broadway Shoe Repair — Local services in Seattle

I bought a pair of wooden heeled platform boots online (Vivienne Westwood Rocking Horse) and chose Broadway Shoe Repair to have them restored. They were the most convenient cobbler to me, based on their location. I did not read reviews beforehand. I somewhat regret my choice.

When I brought the boots in, I went over everything I wanted done: Fill in cracks on platform sole Build up the heel to be level to the ground Resole them Re-attach/glue perimeter of shoe to platform Sharpen a decorative cutout on the platform Seal/Stain platform

They assured me they could do all I asked and took notes. They wanted my number to call me back and I obliged. 2 weeks passed and no one called. I decided to stop in and they told me the boots were ready. However, when I inspected them, not all of the repairs were made. They did not fill in any cracks, did not build up the heel, did not reattach the edges of the shoe to the sole, and did not stain the platform. In addition, the cutout in the platform was sanded crooked, and were not identical across the two shoes. Their reason was the machine was not accommodating of the shoe, so I asked if they had a hand-tool they could use instead. They told me they didn't have one.

I was very surprised with the sloppy work, and how many (transcribed) requests were seemingly forgotten. One of the two people working there seemed apologetic, but I still wanted my shoes repaired properly, so I asked them again to do the repairs we agreed on. They requested a week's more time.

I stopped in after that week to pick the boots up and while they were in much better shape initially, they were still not complete: The cutouts still needed some sanding, I had to point out cracks and chips in the platforms to be filled in, and they were again un-stained. They informed me they could not stain the platform without knowing what kind of wood it was. I did not have this information and when I reached out to the company, they never responded. So I offered to pay for an all-purpose wood stain or sealant, that they could buy separately. But they refused to use any stains not from their supplier. I ended up staining them myself when I brought them home. It was something I wanted to have a professional do instead.

Now, assuming all of this was done with no frame of reference, I could understand why the repairs were not up to the level of quality expected. However, I brought in an identical pair of shoes, that had been repaired (by their previous owner). And I left those shoes with them for the entire repair period to use as a template for the type of repairs I wanted. So, if they at any point the employees were confused or needed to check what a specific repair looked like, they could refer to the other shoes. But, I feel like this wasn't done with an eye for detail. The repairs they did on my shoes did not resemble the the other repaired shoes I brought in for reference.

The total cost for the repairs, which were not all the repairs requested, was $96. And I needed to go in twice to remind them what I asked for the first time.

I did not do any research before choosing this location, and wish I did. If they were not up to the task of doing all the repairs I asked for, I wish they told me in the beginning, so I could have brought them to a more skilled cobbler. I have nothing against the people working there, they honestly seemed like they wanted to help me, but it was not an enjoyable process, too expensive for the quality of repairs, and ultimately not the best work that could have been done on these particular pair of shoes. I would not bring such expensive shoes to this shoe repair business again, and would only use them for basic and casual...

I am dissatisfied with this place’s work and customer service. I would not bring high-end designer shoes to this place.

I have over $800 Jimmy Choo pumps I bought for my wedding. I added the bottom sole protection at this place and the end-result is not what you would expect on luxury goods. My coarse glitters were ground by their machine. They acknowledged that they made a mistake, but never apologized. Instead, a man working there wanted to “spray” on my designer heels to cover up, which I refused.

The owner gave me a “partial” refund on this bad job, but he did not even want to engage when the other employee and I were arguing. He just stood in the back and kept working like nothing is happening!

Throughout the conversation with the other employee, several additional issues arose: "Since we did the work, we cannot provide a refund. However, if you bring another pair of shoes, we can provide free sole or heel work." (Why would I bring another pair of shoes?) "If you want a refund, we will need to remove our added soles, and it won't look good." (… ) "When you leave your shoes with us, there is always a risk involved." (No one explained the risks to me when I dropped off the shoes.) "You seem to have high standards." (Yes, I do. Is that a problem? Shouldn't I expect satisfactory work?) "I have work to do, and I'm not going to argue with you." (Well,...

Not a huge fan of the customer service here. They were friendly and polite, but lacking in communication. I dropped off my boots for a new zipper & they asked if I'd like a shine so I got that too. I was told they'd be ready later that week(dropped them off on a Monday, told they'd be ready Thurs/fri) & they'd call me when they were done. I gave a call later that week when they were supposed to be good only to be told "oh ya those are super not ready" and they'll be ready the next week & they'll call me. Next week comes & I call again later in the week. I was told "they are in line" & they'll call me when they're done. Third week rolls around. I call again later in the week. They're done, but they didn't call me. This would all be fine if I was just told they'd be done in 3 weeks, but it just kept getting pushed off without any clarification. The work on the zipper was great, but the shine is barely noticeable. These boots had never been shined before so I was kind of surprised when it was offered because it takes a minute to get the first shine. It just looks like it was rubbed with polish & called it a

TLDR took my boots in for a new zipper & shine, took 3 weeks to to be done & wasn't called, shine didn't...