Cordwainers NYC

I had a patent leather ombré Prada bag that I loved dearly, and it showed — after carrying it for quite awhile, the stitching on the underside of the leather handle had come undone, and had ripped apart. It was pretty clear that the handle needed replaced completely, so I contacted Prada for repair — who informed me that, sadly, they no longer carried this collection, and they did not have the specialized patent leather available for replacement or repair.
After contacting several well-​known luxury bag repair stores in the NYC area, the consensus was that it was pretty much a lost cause — the best offer I had received was to replace the handle with black patent leather, since they didn’t have the color to match the bag, and I didn’t want to go that route. I took it upon myself to look for the right patent leather on my own, and after a lot of searching, I finally purchased a custom piece of olive green patent leather from a tanner in Italy.
Enter Cordwainers.
I contacted them via email, since I live in Massachusetts, to see if they would be willing to repair the purse and replace the handle (s) with the leather I had purchased. Rich was very accommodating, and I mailed my bag to their store, along with the replacement leather. After working on it for a week or so, Rich informed me that, though the leather I purchased was the right color, sadly, it wasn’t the right type of leather or thickness, and would not work for this type of repair. He then told me that he had some yellow patent leather that WAS the right type for this job, and said that he would custom dye it to match — and would replace both handles, so they would both be uniform.
Rich mailed my repaired bag back to me insured, as I requested, and I couldn’t be happier with the results — it’s pretty much a dead-​on match, and with the amount of time and effort spent on this repair, their pricing was extremely reasonable. I have already contacted them for a consultation on another repair, and I will be taking any future shoe/​purse/​accessory repair issues to them.

Came here for the first time to have the heels of my booties repaired. It was quoted at $ 20 which I thought was fair. After a couple of days, I received a call that my booties were ready. They came out great. They almost look better than when I first got them. Very happy with the work and customer service. The younger man that helped me was very nice and welcoming. I’ll definitely be coming back.

I took in a pair of suede red heels to re-​dye that were destroyed by spilled drinks at the lounges and a bag which the buckle closure snapped. I left them with one of the associates and shortly after the manager called to let me know that he had a piece available to replace the broken buckle on my bag. I thought it was nice that he called to triple check if I wanted to go along with the procedure. About a week later everything was ready. The suede on my shoes looked brand new. The buckle for my purse had a SLIGHTY depper gold tone than the rest of the hardware but unnoticeable at first glance. I will be taking the shoes that need serious work here from now on!

Great place high-​quality work exactly how they say everything will be done super friendly customer service i highly recommend this place prices are very decent definitely work the great job they don’t!

Re treaded my boots for with winter– worth every cent and did a great job. If you have never treaded shoes you should to keep from slipping on everything here and you should do it here.

Walked past this place on my block dozens of times before actually trying them out. Now I’m hooked! In the last few months, Rich has brought my vintage Coach bag back to life, put new soles on my favorite boots and fixed my favorite purse. He does a great job, and gets things done quickly and professionally! Highly recommend!

After doing a good amount of research to find a high quality place to have atreasured lambskin jacket that I have found difficult to replace, cleaned and refreshed, I decided to travel quite a distance to Cordwainers. The storefront is pretty stylish for a neighborhood shop and not what you would typically expect from a shoe repair place or a dry cleaners. It was clear from all the high end leather shoes and bags on display, that this is a business that many entrust to take care of their expensive leather goods. Based on other reviews, I was hopeful they could restore a jacket that would be difficult to replace. I was not disappointed. Cordwainers did an excellent job and my jacket looked almost new and still had that soft feel. Even the frayed parts where my seatbelt had worn the leather over the years looked like new. The service was excellent and the price was incredibly reasonable. I understand they not only will restore, shoes, bags and coats, but they can also custom make shoes. I will be sending all of my items to Cordwainers going forward.

This place is absolutely the best. I take all my precious babies (i.e. shoes and bags!) and they fix it up so nicely. I fully recommend this place whole heartedly. Love the atmosphere and their philosophy.

I read many great reviews about them and decided to turn to them when I found my favorite (and expensive) boots in the closet, which had not been taken care of for a long time. I liked their professional yet friendly manner when I talked to them and dropped off my boots.
When I received them, my jaw just dropped because they looked brand new. I still have no idea how they even did that… Maybe they went all the way to Tokyo to buy the same exact boots I had bought 5 years ago and replaced the damaged ones with them (haha)?! They did an amazing job and I truly admire their expertise and craftsmanship! Thank you so much!

This place is incredible. People and workmanship far beyond great. I would trust them with my most cherished articles.

They ruined my boots and refused to make it right! It pains me to write this, as I really wanted Cordwainers to be my new cobbler, but it was awful. I brought in my stone gray boots for heel recapping, and the friendly man who took them also offered to «clean» them. When I came back to pick them up they were tan. They rubbed an excessive amount of tan shoe polish onto my boots until they changed the color! My beautiful stone boots were the flat tan color of cheap pantyhose.
When I expressed my shock and disappointment, the man who took my order, another man, and his mother all came out to discuss it among themselves. At first they denied they’d changed the color, which was absurd, since the inside of the shaft is clearly a different color, and then promised to «fix it».
When I came back later to pick them up, it looked like they had mixed the tan polish with a brown polish to create a third color. They’re ruined. This time only the woman was there, who at first claimed they had to do this because they were «so dirty» (they weren’t, the stone was just a muted color), and when I explained that I never asked for color work at all, she said that I would have to talk to her son about the boots and took my number. And then never called. I’ve tried to go back but been unable to speak with the son. The whole experience was a disaster. Never go there. I’d rather get ripped off in Midtown than go back there.

They did an amazing job with the soles of a pair of Frye boots that I thought could not be saved-​look like new! I’ve taken boots to get resoled all over the city (I have some stompy feet) and have not seen work like this. After reading the reviews I will come over with some bags. Very friendly service and reasonable prices for the work you get.

I found Cordwainers by accident, after a very disappointing experience with another Astoria shoe repair shop nearly ruined a brand new pair of leather sandals. As soon as I entered the shop, I felt reassured… The owner greeted me and listened carefully as I explained how my new shoes were almost ruined and asked if there was any hope of salvaging them. He thoroughly explained what he could do to fix the problem, and showed me the materials he would use. Three days, and a mere $ 20 later, my $ 200 shoes were perfect once again. And if that wasn’t amazing enough… I found out they offer delivery service if you live locally!!! I couldn’t ask for more.
Fall is approaching. I just brought 2 pairs of designer leather boots to them which had some unsightly stains on the leather. One week later, and they look as if they were brand new!
This place is a true gem, exactly what you hope to find in a neighborhood business. Friendly, honest, high quality, and customer-​centric. I highly recommend for anyone looking to repair or maintain their leather goods and footwear.

I really want to like this place especially because I’m an avid believer of supporting small businesses. I took a pair of chanel flats to here for restoration. I was actually looking forward to getting them repaired because they had a great deal on groupon and the reviews here on Unilocal were excellent.
Upon arriving, the gentlemen in the front was very warm and welcoming. There was a slight language barrier, but his intentions were sincere. I told him I wanted to have the shoes cleaned inside and out and then redyed if possible. These are lambskin chanel flats, so the leather is very delicate and buttery soft. He told me it was not a problem and recommended that I should also get a protective guard for the soles. I agreed and was quoted $ 50 for the total cost. I was then given a stub and was told they should be ready by the end of the week (I brought them in on a Monday).
Later that day, I was given a call that the shoes were ready for pickup. I was a bit surprised because I was told earlier that it would take a few days. The next day when I went to pick up the shoes, a lady was in the front (the owner’s mother). She handed me the shoes and as I was examining them, they felt different. The leather was no longer soft and the insoles were extremely hard. Also, the dye was uneven– it actually looked like they brushed the shoe over with cheap paint and in between the part where the sole meets the shoe, the originally color of the shoe was exposed. There were also scuff marks, which were not initially there. SIGH. I was in complete disbelief when I was presented with the «final product». When I took a look at the soles, the protective guard covered so much of the shoe that they took off the chanel logo in the center!
I tried explaining to the lady why I was displeased with the final product. And in response, she asked me how old these shoes were. I replied about 3 years and she tells me well, leather isn’t suppose to last that long anyway. I found that to be incredibly RUDE and irresponsible. If the job was rushed and doesn’t meet the customer’s expectation, you shouldn’t blame the product. That’s poor customer service, lady. The same gentleman who was in the front walked in and examined the shoes agreed that the job needed to be redone. The mother then told me his son will personally repair this and will be ready in a week.
I left feeling unsure so I gave them a follow up call to see if I can speak to the owner before he starts doing any work. The same lady picked up and told me he was in a business meeting (??? I didn’t know cobblers had business meetings) and that he will give me a call after he reviews everything and give me a final quote on the price…
I asked if I can give him a call, but she refuse to provide me with any additional information.
One week later, and I’m still waiting for that call. I gave them a call today just to find out they have been completed by someone else, not the owner. The really sincere man who I initially met actually fixed my shoes and the job was done beautifully.
I was very satisfied with my shoes at the end but they really need to work on customer service. Mom needs to really stay home and not work in the front if she can’t handle negative feedback.
If I didn’t have to meet the mother, I would definitely give this place at least 4 stars. I understand with high demands, quality can be compromised. Manager should at least inspect product before the customer arrives. Because she just made my experience that much worse, 3/3.5 stars.

This is a no brainer, high quality work, very, very reasonable prices. I bring my shoes to be shined before meetings. I brought my wife’s purse to be repaired. Belts, shoes resoled, suede cleaned, they do it all and well. I highly recommend you bring your leather goods to be repaired, shined or cleaned.

I brought three pairs of shoes in on a Friday morning. Two needed to be cleaned and to have the heels replaced (I walk hard on the outside of my heels and had worn all the way through the heel caps and into the wood of the heels), and one pair just needed rubber added to the front.
They were ready the next afternoon, and they look amazing. Even the suede heels, which I had misgivings about because they were severely stained with indigo from my jeans, looked fantastic. The heels were meticulously repaired; they even filled in an area where I had scraped off a finish on the heels.
Great work, very quick turnaround, and a really good price. For the price of one pair of nice new shoes I got three pairs made perfect. The two men I dealt with at the desk were also friendly and knowledgable. I feel as though they’d be able to talk a customer through any kind of repair process. Can’t wait to bring them more repairs… Good thing I’m so hard on my feet.

I actually found this business because I was intrigued by the renovation they had done on their storefront when they opened. I had a pair of shoes that I loved and had worn through the soles so I figured I would give them a try. Not only was the man I dealt with very friendly but he asked questions I hadn’t even thought to raise, like if I was happy with the natural patina the shoes had developed over time and if he should retain that or cover it up. Not only did they retain the great, worn coloring of these brown shoes but they were able to duplicate it other spots so the restoration would look natural. I am very happy with the results and the price was great. Definitely would recommend.
**They lost only 1 star because I had to follow up a week later to see if the shoes were done, but I will chock this up to an oversight and will definitely be trying them again.

These guys are great. I dropped off a pair of new brogues to have them soled and heel taps installed, as well as my girlfriend’s new sandals, which she damaged after slightly tearing the leather on the sidewalk.
I put our shoes into their care on a Saturday, and on Monday they called informing me that both pair of shoes were ready. The rubber soles on my shoes were expertly fitted, and the guy also Scotchguarded them on the house. As for my gf’s sandals, they repaired the damage to the leather to where it was virtually undetectable.
If I recall correctly, the total cost was $ 36. The guy working the counter couldn’t have been friendlier, and was super knowledgeable.
I definitely recommend this place.

Found this gem of a business through Gilt City — easily the best purchase I’ve ever made through one of those sites!
Sent in several pairs of shoes ranging from Nine West to Manolos and Prada — each pair was cared for attentively and skillfully restored. I was overjoyed to see broken zippers repaired and heels replaced; a few pairs were on their last leg but miraculously given new life; some were stretched so they were actually wearable! Everything was conveniently picked up/​dropped off in a timely manner and the scheduling was clear and precise. And to top it all off, Richard, the owner, is so personable and easy to talk to – overall an A++ experience which I can’t recommend enough!

I’ve held on to two handbags I never used because of the bad shape they were in. No place in my LIC neighborhood was equipped to help, yet I didn’t want to part with them. So in my closet they have sat for years. That is until one day in January I came across a local circular with an ad for Cordwainers.
The logo design and description of services made me hang on to the flier. When I got home and looked them up online, I knew I’d found the right spot to take my dust-​covered bags. The option for home pickup and delivery was an added, surprising bonus. Though I registered online for pickup, I opted to drive by in person. I’m glad I did. The physical space itself was beautiful and the owner was so charming, happy to see me and reassured me that he would be able to do the work with no problems.
When they were ready, he personally called me to let me know. Again, I had the option of delivery or pickup and, again, I chose to drive by because I had a friend in town from Texas. I thought she’d like to see Astoria and would love the little shop. She did and, like me, was struck by the quaint space and how nice the owner was.
And the bags? HOLY @&#*$! I was FLOORED. They were like new! He even threw in waterproofing on my suede bag (the reason it was so dirty in the first place was because I’d neglected to protect it) and leather for the lining repair in the second. I squealed and laughed and said it was like I went to the mall and got two new purses.
My only disappointments are that they didn’t open up years ago so I could’ve been using my bags all this time, and I don’t have other things needing fixing any time soon. Maybe I’ll just swing by to say hi and have coffee. Seriously, that’s how nice he is!