Nika Design

I’ve been coming to Nika for a number of years now. Dino is a great guy! Always very friendly, does a great job, and really cares about the craft of his work.

Cool style, cool store

Dino and Neda always vastly exceed my expectations! They expertly restored my grandma’s vintage Gucci pumps and made the cracked lacquer on my Louboutins look as good as new (and they’re now much more durable.) They always provide friendly service even if they’re busy, and their puppy who is often upstairs is adorable!

Excellent, bespoke service. Took my tan leather shoes in for repair as they were water-​marked and scuffed. For $ 44 they were re-​dyed and touched up in keeping with the original colouring, as good as new.

Nika is a tiny shop on Abbott Street, Vancouver, with a big selection of women’s and men’s leather goods. Shoes from Tamaris in Germany, women’s hand bags from David Jones, Adax, Gianni Conti… hand made mens shoes from Sweden, women’s and men’s leather and suede jackets from Jofama Sweden, wallets and briefcases from Denmark and Italy. Very high quality stuff which is fun to browse at. Customer service is okay and you do pay what is expected.

I’ve been bringing my shoes to Nika for a long time now. Prices are a bit more than what you’d pay at other places (i.e. shoe places in a mall) but the service is what keeps me coming back. They’re always friendly and I never feel rushed. My shoes are always done when they say they will be done, and you can tell they have a passion for shoes and leather.
I have very small feet, size 5. When I got a pair of boots back from having it topy’d, they commented that the leather was great quality and asked me if they would mind letting their clients know about the brand and where I got them because they know how hard it is to find the size. Great to know they get to know their regulars and keep them in mind!

PLEASE BEWARE!!! I brought a bag in for a repair involving dye. Neda managed to cover the spot in question, but FAILED TO PROTECT the rest of the bag that was perfectly okay!!! In the end, she sprayed dye all over the hardware of my bag, and parts of the bag that did not need any dye. No, this dye cannot be removed. So my BAG IS NOW RUINED. I ended up trying these guys based on positive Unilocal reviews, so I wanted to warn anyone else who may be thinking of going here. I cannot believe the incompetence, and would NEVER RECOMMEND this shop to anyone.

I personally think that Nika Design is the #1 place in the city to get your shoes repaired and taken care off.
Between me and my boyfriend we recently got 7 pairs of boots done.
One of my pair of boots was in a rather rough shape when I brought it in, the heels being a total mess, the leather dried out and the topy falling off it.
When I came to pick them up it felt like I suddenly had an array of new shoes, hardly recognizable thats how good the job was done.
Very neat and professional craftsmanship, it is evident that they know what they are doing and I would trust them to care and maintain my entire shoe collection.
On average we spend between 25 –35 bucks for work on a pair of boots and that is very reasonable, compared to other cobblers who charge more, provide passive service and do half as good as a job.
Dino and Neda are very personable and pleasant people who know their trade and it’s nice to talk to them as well.
The shop itself feels very cozy, clean, organized and welcoming and they sell quality leather products that are mostly imported from Europe.
I also got a pair of Italian made leather gloves which I am very happy with.
Thanks again for the great service and awesome work!!!

The couple have fixed everything from my 2 rain stained MK flats, the red soles on my loubs, and my favorites pair of dancing shoes that needed everything fixed — Super friend as well! Price is very reasonable for a gastown shop and service is honest and fast.

Found out about this place on Unilocal.Was looking for a place that’s closer to where I live so I came here. Brought in two pairs of Dior to add topy. $ 28 per pair which is the standard price, not cheap not expensive. Was extremely unhappy with the result. The turnaround time was pretty standard, about two days. The job was simple overall but not sure how they could still mess it up.
When I got my two pairs of shoes, I was shocked by how poor the job was. One pair was heels with nude bottom, but instead of using nude color topy they used the brown ones. Thanks. You just made my $ 900 Dior heels look cheap now. The other pair was black flats. They used black topy but they only did the front part and never bother with the back (bottom topy). Great. Now I have to bring them to the shoe repair shop in pacific centre to get them both re-​done.

If you recently purchased dress Shoes requiring rubber soles then this place can get it done in a few days for $ 28 starting…
Seems to be the going rate in downtown area which seems pricy but better put them on rather ruining the leather soles with all the rain we get in Vancouver
Value ³⁄₅
Atmosphere ²⁄₅ very small
Service ³⁄₅
Quality ³⁄₅
¹¹⁄₂₀

Service here is very friendly and prompt. Repairing the edge of my wallet only took 5 hours and I picked it up the next day. It was a lot cheaper ($ 20?) compared to the repair price that I would have had to pay if I were to bring it back into the shop where I bought it (they would have to ship it back to France)
Anyways, I’m fairly happy with the results but I’m not too sure how long the glaze on the edge of my wallet will last. I can actually see a bit of the white fabric showing because there isn’t enough glaze applied to that spot. I didn’t notice until I got home and I didn’t want to bother going back.
I may look around to see if there are other places that repair small leather goods but in general, this is a very affordable little shop and it’s very convenient for me since it’s right by my workplace!

Amazing results! I took in a pair of boots that had been massacred by a friends cat, I was told elsewhere they couldn’t be fixed and I was so devastated. They are my favorite boots.
A friend recommended I try taking them here, so glad I did! Wow! They fixed the scratches, barely noticeable now, and it took overnight! I will definitely be a repeat customer.

No returns even on non-​wearable items like wallets. My wife bought a wallet for me here and they won’t take it back. –1 customer nika.

Wow! Amazing service and surpassed my expectations. I got a huge unsightly oil stain on my purse and thought it was ruined forever… thanks to Unilocal I found Nika. Dino is so friendly and my purse looks picture perfect (even better than before I took the purse in, he polished it up and conditioned it as well).
I am definitely returning for all my shoe/​purse repair and cleaning needs.

Took in some Oxfords in need of some new heel rubber and a little MDF board that had worn off where the rubber had receded excessively.
They did an excellent job, I thought the value was fair and they cleaned up a couple of spots on the shoes that I didn’t ask them to do. So they came out looking better than when I brought them in.
I’ll be bringing in more work for them in the future.

The awesome cobbler at Nika saved my patent oxfords (ruined by the shoe repair at Vancouver Centre and a fall I had a few years ago) by filling in the scratches and adding a coating to keep the leather safe from any moisture. They look so great now! He also repaired a gouge in a pair of lambskin Prada flats, and you can hardly tell it was there. What other cobblers can’t or won’t do, Nika does with ease and speed. I will never bring my shoes anywhere else.

I had a non-​slip sole and repairs done to a pair of Lolitas 4 years ago. I’ve abused those boots through fall, winter, and spring and they are still in great condition. I purchased a pair of Duffy boots from them as well and they have held up perfectly.
Recently, I scrimped and saved and pined after a new pair of ankle boots, and finally got them for a great price. I learned my lesson and decided to have a non-​slip sole and topy put on them immediately. Given the shape my Lolitas are still in, I decided to revisit Nika.
It was $ 45+tax for the soles and topy — I love to hunt for deals, but forget looking for anywhere else. Neda and Dino are extremely pleasant to deal with, and the workmanship of their cobbler is excellent (she’s also awesome to speak with). It’s clear that they all have passion, experience, and knowledge with what they do, and this shows in their work and care for your shoes!
They noticed that the sole of one of my boots was set too far back, but since I got them on final sale a fair time ago, I can no longer exchange them. They put the non-​slip sole and topy on for me, and said to keep an eye on the leather by the toe for wear. I asked if there was anything they could do, but they said to keep an eye on the leather for now (since everyone walks differently), and if necessary, they can put a slice in to move the sole forward and cover the exposed leather. This way I won’t have to incur any unneeded costs. I would not have noticed if they hadn’t pointed it out, and it’s this honesty and attention to detail that tops off their work to five stars for me.
Another plus: I dropped these off near closing time on Sunday, was quoted a Thursday completion, and was able to pick them up on Tuesday.
Definitely come here to care for your shoes. Given my experiences here, I’m also working on the man to get shoes made here.

This awesome little shop is the perfect place to either discover beautiful new leather goods or bring your favourite shoes or accessories in for some TLC. I brought a pair of Fluevogs in for a small repair and was very happy with the quality and speed of work done as well as the friendly service.
The owners are very knowledgable about footwear and how it should fit. I was planning to return a beautiful new pair of boots thinking that they were too small, but after a quick consultation with Dino, he convinced me that they were in fact the correct size and would feel great after a quick shoe stretch. He was right! I have been happily stomping around in my boots ever since.

I recently moved here from Ontario and I’m still building my rolodex of people who do amazing work (i.e. tailor, shoe repair, hair cuts). After being turned away from one shoe repair that shall remain nameless I was placing all bets on Nika Design.
First of all, they did not turn me away in disgust for the poor treatment of my beautiful shoes. Second of all they returned my teal-​suede shoes in near mint condition! The colour is still bright and 99% of the damage is gone. They were all sprayed with protectant and the heel tip was replaced. The total charge was less than $ 40!
To bring your shoes back from the dead for a reasonable price I highly recommend Nika Design! They are now my go-​to shoe repair.