Felix Shoe Repair

Felix just saved an expensive leather jacket that I almost ruined. While visiting a client for work, I had to wear one of this sticker name tags and of course pressed it firmly onto my jacket, not for a minute thinking anything of it. Later in the day I removed it and with it came a lot of the black surface, leaving not only sticker residue, but a messy rectangular, very obvious, mark on the front left side. Since it was coming to the end of jacket season (woooooo!) I hung it on our coat rack and pretended it didn’t exist. Until I was going through and cleaning out my clothes and realized I had to either toss it or make an attempt to fix it. I took it to Felix because he is extremely honest — I had a pair of spike-​heel boots repaired by him once, and got a (humorous) telling off about the ridiculous style, how it doesn’t support weight evenly, don’t last long etc. He’s right, you know. Upon laying eyes on the sad jacket, he told me that it was very unlikely that he would be able to fix it, but that he would really try because it was nice leather and he didn’t want to see it go to waste. It took two weeks (because he would work on it after hours), but Felix made it look almost new again and I was so thrilled to not only be able to continue to wear the jacket, but also not to have to throw an invested piece of clothing away, simply because of a boo-​boo on my part. He is old school — and couldn’t we use more of that these days?

I really like this cobbler. He calls it how it is and what is the best option, even if it doesn’t give him the business. He also doesn’t mind obscure jobs like fixing my roller skate boots!
The hours of business need to be updated though. I arrived first thing Saturday to be greeted with a CLOSED sign. He is open at 11am not 9am.

I took two pairs of shoes to Felix’s shoe repair. He literally defaced the first pair, they were wedges that curved in the back but the rubber sole that wrapped around had worn off, he didn’t even remove the old rubber, just slapped two new pieces of rubber on top of the old, the shoes didn’t even have heels to begin with. While the other one was ok, poor craftsmanship but still wearable, the heel snapped 5 mins into wearing them the first time I put them on after I picked them up. He is terrible, I would really recommend not going to him. These were two of my favorite pairs of shoes, hence why I wanted them fixed and I just had to toss both of them out. On top of that he’s really rude. I told him I was unhappy with what he did to my wedges and he said it wasn’t his problem, he did the work so I had to pay him for it, and that if I wanted him to change them, he would charge me again. He charged me $ 70 for two pairs of shoes that I had to just toss in the trash. Unbelievable.

I had a very good experience at Felix Shoe Repair a couple of weeks ago. The owner wasn’t grumpy at all. He was actually friendly and helpful. Put heel protectors on my boots right there and then so that I could take them right away and didn’t need to come back for them. He also gave me some good advice on how to take care of my boots so that they last longer. I am glad I found this place.

I have had many pairs of shoes fixed up here and have only had great experiences. The owner is honest, even if it loses him money, and the prices are fair. Everything has held up great.

I got a pair of pumps re-​heeled and was pleased with how they turned out. The craftsmanship was excellent and the price was OK (twenty dollars, which is about what I expected). Will be back!

Some of these reviews are laughable! I went in this place looking for a few care products for my shoes. Maybe it was because I was dressed for snowy weather (I like to go on «hikes» to enjoy the winter) but the guy barely looked up as I came in. I thought to myself, that’s odd, he didn’t say anything back when I said hello. I asked him if he had any Venetian Shoe Cream, and he didn’t even know what that was. I wouldn’t bother asking him about let alone letting him work on shell cordovan or any good leather, he probably wouldn’t know what you’re talking about. I then asked how much for some neatsfoot oil, to which he replied, look on the bottle (it was written in sharpie on the side.) $ 14 for a tiny bottle of neatsfoot? What a joke (you can find a 16 oz bottle on amazon for less than $ 10 shipped.) At that point I left the shop. This might be a great place for people who think Fryes are top of the line shoes (they haven’t been for a long time,) but if you have a real pair of shoes (AEs, Alden, anything with Horween CXL or Cordovan, etc,) and need a quality cobbler, look elsewhere.

My husband had three pairs of my boots re soled for the holidays. Wonderful job on nice boots (Fryes and two pairs of Italian boots). He was upfront with my husband that two pairs of the boots had been worn pretty bad (true) and that his repair might not last. The boots in better condition received no such disclaimer. All have held up beautifully and have new soles to match the hard wear I give my boots. He is expensive, but seems to do work of quality, and not just glue and staple.
My husband says the price reflects the work he must put in (I didn’t ask how much…), and I am happy to have more years with my boots.

DO NOT GO HERE FOR YOUR BAGS!!! I went in to get a few holes on my new Frye bag and he said the strap would be too long and he could could cut it shorter and sew it back. I picked it up today and the thread didn’t even match! I said was there a problem finding a matching thread, he said no one looks at the thread. Also he said he uses a different machine. Not only was the thread a different color, it was so crooked and there was glue on the strap. It looked like I tried to do it myself at home. I will not go back there again.

I have found my cobbler.
Yes, the man knows high quality shoes and yes, he will tell you why he won’t repair a cheap pair of shoes bought for $ 20 with a plastic sole. I heard him speak to such a customer on my way out after initially dropping off my leather soled shoes for repair.
On the flip side, because he’s an expert and because he knows good leather, you can trust he will work well with such items and will refuse to waste your time if he doesn’t think it’s worth it. Yes, he’s pricey, yes it’s cash ONLY and he usually asks for a deposit before he works on your shoes.
But know that he is also willing to work with you. He was with me! I even received a surprise in the end. I am very grateful to him.
Christos was patient, wrote down the info for me for both shoes I wanted to repair, ran through his plans for each shoe and explained that if I needed more time to think about which to do first, I could always come back after reviewing my budget. Which I finally did do, after running through the various stores in the Square trying to find a pair of good quality shoes that weren’t cheaply made at $ 60 or out of my price range at $ 300.
I gave him the leather booties and he explained how he could just build up the heel, using a thicker vibram material and that I could always come back to reinforce the sole. A couple of days later, I picked up my new booties and discovered to my surprise, that in addition to the work done, Christos had taken pity on me and applied mink oil to my booties at no extra charge! I thanked him profusely and listened patiently to when he reminded me that I needed to take better care of my shoes, re-​applying the mink oil in two more months, so as to enhance the quality of the leather. I really appreciate his advice, never having taken the time before, and not knowing where I would start in order to learn.
I’m sorry that all the grumpy reviewers were chastened for mistreating their soles, I know that he reminded me that I need to take care of my shoes. But one always attracts more bees with honey than vinegar, so do please remember to smile and say Good day!

As other reviewers noted, the owner is pretty gruff and can be brutally honest, but it’s kind of endearing. His unsolicited opinions/​advice might come off as harsh, but it clearly comes from his expertise and his «respect for the shoe.»
Once, I brought a pair of shoes from DSW and asked him to re-​sole the bottom. He took one look at them and pronounced them as unworkable, explaining that the material of the sole made it impossible to fix. I appreciated his honesty, but since I didn’t expect to get rejected by him, I ended up carrying my shoes around for the rest of the day. So, make sure you’re okay with that possibility.
Next time, I brought him a pair of Frye boots and asked him to widen them. Again, in about two seconds he appraised the shoe and pronounced it of ‘very very good quality” and advised me not to wear them in snow to avoid damaging the leather. He then widened them (2 day turnaround) and said if I needed to get them widened further, he would give me a discount.
Another time I asked if he could lengthen the shoes a bit, but he told me this would damage the shoe and that instead I should stretch them on my own (wearing thick socks and bandaids, then walking around the house). If this didn’t work, then he would lengthen them, but doing so would risk cracking/​splitting the leather.
All in all, he’s good at what he does. Just be prepared for his honesty and the possibility that you might be leaving with your shoes in tow,

Helpful but everything in this store seem a little overpriced. The guy (Felix? I guess) is brutally honest about the condition and quality of the shoes you are asking him to repair. I welcome this type of honesty, but I can see how that might turn some people off.

Workmanship: Average to Good
Prices: Exorbitant
Attitude: Off the Charts
There are half a dozen places in Cambridge where you can get similar service for a fraction of the cost.

Felix Shoe Repair is a great place if you are looking to make your expensive shoes last longer. I have bought a few pairs of expensive brand boots and wanted to protect the soles from wearing down too quickly. Felix did an amazing job at putting rubber soles that not only protect the boots but also make the walking on cobblestone a lot more comfortable.
Felix services are not cheap. However, if you have found a great pair of shoes/​boots that you want to use for a long time, Felix can make it happen. I think this is a great investment. Plus, it is rewarding to support old European craftsmanship that is so hard to find in the U.S. these days.

Took in several pairs of Fluevogs for re-​heeling and polishing. Even brought the replacement parts with me, since Fluevog shoes take special rubber heels that you can order through their website.
When I went in to drop them off, I felt as if I had to explain to the cobbler how to do the job. «These heels need to be replaced onto these shoes.» Even after explaining the obvious, I got blank stares. I was also not quoted a price, even after I asked several times. «Will be cheap, you work in the Square, no?»
Went in to pick up my shoes, cost was $ 90! And to boot, one pair had been polished up to look like a clown. They were a pair of brown saddle shoes with a cream middle, and the cobbler used a bright white polish to cover up the cream. Completely mis-​matched colors, not even well blended. So streaky it looked like a five-​year-​old had done it.
Fast forward about three weeks, and the new heel caps on almost every pair he fixed started falling off. The cobbler hadn’t even adhered them into the shoe. I am not an aggressive walker by any means, so having a brand new heel cap on almost every pair he touched fall off was worrisome.
What a waste.

Unfriendly and unhelpful. I brought two pairs of much loved boots to him and asked how much it would cost to replace the worn down heels. He berated me for beating the soles into such bad condition and said I should just buy new boots because fixing these would cost over $ 100. The icing on the cake was when I returned the next day to ask a question and he snapped at me for expecting him to remember that we had ever had a conversation.
The boots sat in the back of my closet until a friend suggested I try a local shoe repair place. I had little hope, but the guy fixed them for under $ 30.
Felix Shoe Repair seems set up to prey on a gullible, transient population. Avoid.

As the economy gets tighter, wages drop and the price of everything else goes up, we are more and more inclined to hold on to our shoes. Thank god for Felix who keeps our shoes going and going and going. Sometimes the souls of your $ 250.00 shoes need some TLC and Felix is the one to make this happen. On the flip side, Felix will be honest with you if your shoes have seen their last days and are ready to be retired. He will give you the real story on what the right choice is for saving or abandoning your favorite shoes. In addition to repairing and keeping your shoes looking great, Felix carries a variety of laces and other shoe-​related accessories and if you’ve shed a few pounds, he will even make sure to help you get the extra hole punched on your belt.

Like most chicks, I live out of my handbag. Monday-​Friday this bad boy’s equipped with everything I need to get through the day. Unlike most woman I have just the one, so when its strap threatened to bite the dust I had to act fast.
Fortunately I found Felix Shoe Repair of Harvard Square. I was drawn to the shop because of the gorgeous carved wood frames that curve whimsically around its exterior. That and the pair of stuffed-​animal tigers in the window display pretty much had me hook, line and sinker. So I went in.
Surrounded by walls of leather belts, straps, shoes and other misfit bags like my own I chatted with Christos, a cobbler for over sixty years and the shop’s owner. Score! In his charming, albeit thick Greek accent Christos told me that he could repair my bag for twenty bucks and in just two days. I resigned myself to the fact that I’d be using my only other bag (a plastic beach tote) in the meantime and left Christos hard at work behind his Singer sewing machine from yesteryear.
On my way to class a couple of days later I stopped at Felix Shoe Repair and my bag was waiting, with a beautifully reinforced strap ready to take abuse for many moons to come. When I went to hand Christos my debit card across the cash counter; he smiled and said «Sorry no cards». As I started to explain that I didn’t have time to hit an ATM and that I would just come back the next day he stopped me, saying «Take your bag and bring the money tomorrow».
I politely hesitated.
Christos insisted.
When I returned the next day, he seemed completely unsurprised that I’d kept my promise. If you ask me this is a craftsman with a shrewd business acumen and it’s serving him well. Needless to say, I’ll be a customer for life. In fact it’s safe to assume that I’ll be back in his shop just after the holidays to have a few notches added to my favorite belt.

It is sad to know that Felix himself won’t be here forever. His store is a Harvard Square fixture – he has managed to hang on through all the rent increases that drove other places out of business (or to Porter Square) – and he does great work, too.
Funny about him telling everyone he won’t fix their shoes. That did happen to me once – what he told me was that it would cost more to fix the shoes than to buy a new pair, and he was right. But in between, he’s fixed about a dozen pairs for me, mostly putting on new heels, but in some cases resoling, restitching soles, patching tears, reinforcing soles. He often seems stressed out in that old-​World sole-​proprietor sort of way, but he is honest and very good at what he does, so I just take deep breaths whenever I go into the store.
This store should be included on every tour of Harvard Square (along with Cardullo’s and Leavitt & Peirce). The window display of the tiny storefront is chock full: there are handmade leather sandals (made by Felix himself in his spare time, when he would be fixing all the shoes he has refused to fix for Unilocalers?); stuffed tigers (kids’ toys, not taxidermy) of various sizes with a sign requesting that people not touch them; and a wide assortment of pet leashes (not leather). I’d ask Felix to explain, but he’d probably just tell me why it isn’t worth his time to go into it.

Felix beautifully repaired both two pairs of boots for me, within 24 hours! Do not be put-​off by the overall low rating. Take your shoes here if you want a job well-​done.
The heel of my treasured leather ankle boots had been wearing away and Felix completely replaced it and it looks fantastic! He estimated that it would be $ 45, but since he couldn’t use the rubber sole with grip that he was intending to (the base of my shoes could not support it), he charged me only $ 37. He also beautifully repaired the destroyed heel of my sister’s knee-​high suede boots, for $ 30.
With the ornate wooden entry way, the smell of shoe polish and leather, and Felix’s (Eastern European?) accent, I enjoyed the atmosphere of 1930s corner shop.
He was blunt about the condition of the shoes, his concerns about how to fix them, timing, and pricing but this should not be mistaken for a «bad attitude». He’s not rude, he’s an old-​fashioned European man. Be polite and clear about what you want and he will do it for you.