Strehl’s Family Shoes & Repair

They ruined a pair of vintage shoes I had. All they needed to do was glue to sole on right. The shoes are completely uneven now. I don’t recommend this place.

I needed to have the straps repaired on a rather expensive designer bag. Being in Humboldt with the closest Gucci store over 5 hours away, I thought I’d take my handbag to Strehl’s. This place has been around for years so I figured a quick fix like this would be a cinch for someone who has been in business this long. Wrong! When my boyfriend returned from picking up the bag he was reluctant to hand it over before telling me that he didn’t think they had done a very good job. When I saw the mess that had been made of the handbag I about died on the spot. Shoddy «craftsmanship» to say the least. Take a look at my photos to see for yourself. The repair cost was dirt cheap but the woman at the counter first made me go on a wild goose chase to find leather myself that would match the handles on my bag (isn’t that their job?) When I returned with the leather she took my bag & told me it should be ready in a week. It was, but I was less than pleased with the outcome. Now Gucci won’t touch the bag because I had it «repaired» by a non affiliate. This means I’m going to have to find someone competent enough to fix this mess or try & do it myself. Beware!

I was looking for a place to take my son’s shoes in for repair and decided on Strehl’s after having some not-​so positive experiences at Plaza Shoe Shop in Arcata. I am really glad I chose them! They were very helpful, describing all of the options for the type of repair needed (non-​slip soles and new heels), and they finished the job in less than a week (even with a holiday weekend in the middle), on the day they said they would have them done. The price was not bad and I will definitely choose them for any shoe repair work in the future. Thanks Strehl’s!

I have been having a lot of discomfort with my feet for quite a while. My daughter suggested I visit Strehl’s for help. They have a woman who really knows feet, shoes, what works, why your feet are bothering you. She spent a lot of time with me and I came home with 3 pairs of wonderful shoes and I feel like I am walking on clouds.
A beautiful store, all the employees are helpful and know their footwear. I couldn’t be happier.

I HIGHLY recommend NOT going to this shoe repair store. I brought a pair of shoes in to have the sole just GLUED back on, a simple fix, right?
No! they ruined the shoes, then tried to tell me it was because they are old… WHO GETS NEW SHOES REPAIRED?! Then they tried to blame it on the sole type, but that doesn’t effect how the glue is put on. The glue was all over the suede, wouldn’t come off, it was crooked (which he admitted), and put on so it is now tighter on one shoe and not on the other.
I don’t care whether or not they are a family business and have been doing this for 30 years, gluing a sole back on isn’t rocket science and I’m sorry I ever went here.
When I politely tried talking about it to them, they acted as if it was my fault, wouldn’t look me in the eyes, nor would they offer a solution. The shoes are unwearable, which is very unfortunate since they have sentimental value as well. I don’t trust these people, for when they make a mistake… THEY REFUSE TO OWN UP TO IT. I will never bring shoes here AGAIN!!!
And yes, I could have glued the sole myself, but I thought a shoe repair place of 30 years would do a better job. Wrong. Thanks a lot Strehl’s.

Great store. Really helpful. They size you everytime you go. Loyalty card. They put the shoes on for you and remind you of important fitting points to think about.
In short, they know their stuff.
The only thing that gave them 4 stars is I wish they had a bigger style selection in men’s dress shoes.