Cesar’s Shoe Repair

I just moved into the area, and was delighted to see a Shoe Repair store so close by since I wear my shoes hard here in NYC. For my first time to Cesar’s, I dropped off my booties on Saturday. The middle-​age man took the shoes, had me pay, and told me they would be ready Thursday at 5pm. I asked could we do Wednesday since I was leaving on a trip Thursday night in which I needed them for. He said we can try, but probably Thursday.
Fast forward to Thursday morning. I walked to Cesar’s at 8AM and spoke to a very nice older man (who I presume is Cesar?). He checked my ticket, looked for my shoes, and said no problem he can have them ready for me at noon today instead of 5pm. Great, I loved this place!
Fast forward to Thursday at 1:30pm. I leave work during my lunch hour (giving Cesar’s an extra 90 minutes because I know these places don’t usually run strict schedules) and arrive at Cesar’s. The same middle-​age man that took my shoes on Saturday was absolutely appalled that I even THOUGHT that the shoes could be ready at noon because that’s not what it said on the TICKET (the ticket said 5pm). He cut me off multiple times when I explained to him that I came in this morning at 8AM and was promised that the shoes would be ready by noon. He consistently said no it says 5pm, despite the owner himself telling me they would be ready for me by 12 (i.e. trust no one?). This would be fine, if he just apologized and did not escalate the matter. He told me it’d be done in 5 minutes. Then 2 minutes later, he said 15 minutes. Then he told me to «Sit down». In which I said, «I don’t want to sit down». He proceeded to tell me that a.) I had «a horrible attitude» and b.) that he does not know how my boyfriend deals with me. Mind you, this is all because I trusted that when the owner told me noon it meant noon (even though I came at 1:30PM)! What a surprise! I remained calm, stated my case, and yet, this man would not have it.
All in all, I can’t recommend a place in which the employees are rude, insulting the character of their customers, and cannot be trusted on timing (unless it comes from the horse’s mouth). I will be looking for another cobbler.

I was walking down the street in Manhattan, after a leisurely afternoon and saw this shoe repair shop. I was wearing my few months’ old Vince Camuto black booties which, due to a trip to wet Ireland, were still caked with dirt and mud and the back of the heel was torn up a bit (part of me thought that it gave the boots character). I walked into the shop and instantly felt regret, thinking I should have at least checked Unilocal first since there are so many bad or mediocre repair shops. (I guess I was in a gambling mood.)
I needn’t have worried. The man behind the counter was very friendly and told me it would take about 15 minutes to fix the heels, and clean and shine the boots. He brought me back what looked like a brand-​new pair of shoes, they looked so clean and shiny! He asked me about my Ireland trip while he rung me up and I showed him a cool photo of my time there.
I would definitely recommend this place and would go here again for future repairs.

El mejor shoe repair en Chelsea (y por lo que conozco, de todo NY). Siempre que vengo aprovecho para traer algún par de zapatos que están en las últimas y MAGIA, al salir de acá están como nuevos. Estos tipos hacen maravillas, y saben muchísimo, así que de paso te vas con unos consejos sobre cuidado en el bolsillo. Como extra, tienen la línea completa de paraguas Totes, mi marca favorita. Completa y totalmente recomendado.

I live in Chelsea and I have been going to Cesar’s for years. Edward and his staff are always courteous and knowledgeable. Heels/​Shoes in need of new soles/​taps always come back on time and polished up. I’ve had boots and shoes stretched here and they have a ladies mold that won’t ruin the shape. But what prompted me to finally write a review was my last visit — I had a pair of new leather knee-​high Chloe boots cut down and refitted for a smaller calf. Edward gave helpful suggestions (i.e. keep the shaft taller because the boot will slip since there isn’t a zipper) and a decent price given what was being done. They turned out perfect and I couldn’t be happier! A+.

Cesar is the man, and his shoe repairs are awesome.
My Allen Edmond’s had gotten pretty worn out after a mere 6 months of use, so I had taken them in to the Allen Edmond’s store to see if it fell under AE’s warranty-​thing. Nope. They wanted $ 140 and said it would be a month before I got my shoes back.
Well, turned out to be a good thing that happened! I found Cesar’s page through Google and went over. Cesar was super nice to clueless me and explained how he could repair my torn soles (though not my torn soul), shine my shoes, and put a new protective cover on the soles for more than 50% cheaper than AE. Even better, he could do it in like 72 hours.
Will be going back again next time I need any shoe repairs! Which, given how good my shoes now look, will probably not be a for while :)

This place is top notch! I’ve taken my beat up Gucci loafers for an overhaul, my Salvatore Ferragamo for a little TLC, and they did an outstanding job touching up a nasty scratch on my Brown Ballys.
Cesar’s it’s what the doctor ordered! They even do a great job on my everyday shoes like my Rockports.
The price is fair for what you’re getting back. It’s not cheap, but you gotta pay for great work! I’ve been taking my shoes to get work done for years to many places, so I know to not expect miracles, but this place is probably the closest thing short of miracles many times. This is why I’ve come back time and time again!
Ladies, my girlfriend’s gotten stuff done there too, and she’s always happy as well.
The manager, Edward is a nice guy. He always delivers! Highly recommended… pictures soon to come!

Ok! Me and my wife have been going to Cesar’s Shoe Repair for over ten years. I have yet to be disappointed. My shoes are always done in an excellent and timely fashion. I trust the opinions of the owner all the way down to the workers. They have worked on countless pairs of my families shoes (well over 100), and I will continue to be a loyal and lifetime customer. Stop by if your ever in the neighborhood, you will not regret it!!!

Edward’s service is amazing! Best in New York by far! Friendly, pro and utmost integrity.

This place is terribly overpriced and did not deliver good result. I read good review on Unilocal so I decided to get my sandals fixed but alas they were sanded down and did not fit properly. When I went back to the store to show them the manager wouldn’t even look at me and he wouldn’t even apologize. I can no longer wear these sandals for they do not fit my feet and are too small to wear. Had I known material needed to be removed for the sole to fixed then I would have just bought a new pair. It was an extremely upsetting experience. The staff was rude and did not treat me with respect.

Honestly, I cannot be more happy that I stumbled upon this place when doing a goolge search to repair my Christian louboutins.
The bottoms where in very bad shape and I was slipping all over the place. They convinced me to try to put red color grips on the very bottom instead of the color paint because the grips would last much longer and can help with the sliding and they were so right!
The shoes came out great, then fixed the leather that I happened to have ripped on the shoe. Above all the price was so reasonable! I will use them in the future for sure.

I’ve had my Louis Vuitton’s NeverFull MM bag for a good 8 years (a gift from my now husband when we first started dating) and I have been using it everyday. Like evarrree-​day. I throw all kinds of things in it and slowly but surely, the straps started to wear out and one day, my friend pointed out to me as I threw my bag down that my two leather straps were going to rip. I was distraught! I frantically went to the LV store in Soho and showed them what had happened and they told me (in a snobby way too!) that each strap would cost me $ 160 and the trim would also need work which would cost another $ 160. $ 160×3 = $ 480 (160×2 for straps and another 160 for the trim). They said since my bag was in such a «bad condition», they would need to assess if my bag was even «worthy enough to savage». Yup. That’s what the lady downstairs told me. Aaaannnd they told me it would be at LEAST 6 months wait IF they do decide to fix it. Like what?
So my bag sat right at home, cleared of all the stuff in it, and everyday, I stared at it hoping that it would somehow come back alive. That day came when I finally couldn’t handle my new bag (it had no structure and took me forever to find things) and I googled places that fix leather.
I stumbled upon Cesar’s Shoe Repair and read some reviews on how great they fix LV bags. I was skeptical and even called their competitor (The Leather Spa) to what their prices were. Since they were more uptown, I wanted something close to my work. I walked into Cesars, was greeted by a nice tall man (I think his name was Edward?) and showed him the straps. He immediately said they can fix it and proceeded to let me know what kind of leather they use. He brought out different color leather (natural, brown, dark brown) and said that the brown color would best fit for my already worn bag. I agreed and he set the price at $ 270 and told me it would probably take 2 weeks. TWO WEEKS?! Hell yah since LV said at least six months if «worthy enough to savage». I paid through the paypal system on their website and gave them my information and walked away crossing my fingers that it will not come back looking cheaply made.
Five days later, Edward called me and said it was ready. I was like «what!!!» I hurriedly ran over there during my lunch break and when Edward brought it out. I was so surprised! It looked completely new! My straps were like new, as if LV did them. The stitching was perfect with the yellow in the straps and the trim was done so well. I was impressed. (See before and after pictures) (There was a thread hanging out that I had to cut off later but if it falls apart, I will bring it back to Cesars for a fix up). They told me that I had 6 months to come back with anything so I was quite pleased.
I’m giving this place five stars because of their quality of the leather, their friendly service, and the quickness they did it in. Keep up the good work!

I love what they did to my 4 pairs of shoes, They fixed my Alden’s shoes make them form brown to black and they look like they always have been black, such a great job,
but my suede brown ones were the best ones, they replaced the sole and dyed them darker brown, the service is excellent and the work impecable. Highly recommended.

This family owned shop is one of my favorite go-​to service providers for both their expertise and personalized service. They have saved so many of my favorite pairs (shoes) and pieces (handbags). This kind of of business sets a high standard for delivering excellence in every job I have brought them. If you prefer to have quality things that last, Cesar’s is who to turn to for keeping them in good condition.

It was the first time getting my boots resoled and Edward, the son of Cesar, have me the best service I could ever ask for. He gave me options and suggestions on what sole I should use. I went with the commando style itshide sole and it is the best sole ever. My posture has gotten better because of a thin piece of leather that Edward put inbetween the upper and sole. Go here every time!!! I am a customer FOR LIFE.
Thanks Edward!
–Wolf

Top notch work.
I own various pairs of high quality shoes (Weston, Dior, Gerard Sene). Sent them to Caesar.
He brings high quality service and advice. Doesn’t try to push $$.
Good value for the money.
If you have valuable shoes to get fixed, go there. Zero regret.

John Varvatos makes stylish shoes that disintegrate because they’re made in China.
When the zipper of my left John Varvatos shoe broke after about a week, my wife said to go to Cesar’s. Since she owns 43,000 pairs of shoes her recommendation carried some weight.
Cesar’s replaced the zipper. You’d never know it wasn’t the original, shoddy, John Varvatos one.
Later, but not much later, the glue on my right sole gave way and my John Varvatos shoe looked like it had a mouth with staples for teeth. I limped back to Cesar’s. He fixed the sole. You’d never know my shoes were poorly assembled by someone whose heart really wasn’t into it.
When the zipper on my right John Varvatos shoe stopped zipping — because apparently it was made with weak tin or pretend metal — I shuffled back to Cesar’s. He replaced it and now I have two functioning zippers on my not-​inexpensive, poorly made but stylish John Varvatos shoes!
When the left sole of my John Varvatos shoe peeled apart and it looked like I was walking on a leather castanet, I hobbled my way back to Cesar’s. He immediately recognized me as the guy who paid too much for poorly made shoes that looked nice.
«They look nice,» he said, «but they’re poorly made.»
Nevertheless, for some dollars he made my John Varvatos shoes look like they’d just come off the Varvatos assembly line in a cinder-​block factory in Xiangxian, with its fluorescent lighting and dying dreams.
Thanks to Cesar’s I wear my John Varvatos shoes all the time, although I try and stay within a four block radius just in case something falls off or dissolves.

I rarely give 5 stars for anything. However not only do they get 5 stars for quality of work, but price is reasonable and service — true gentlemen and attention to detail.
I took in 6 pairs of shoes to get them fixed up or polished. Not only did they make them all as good as new, but they asked more time to spend on my leather boots to ensure the salt (from last winter) was fully out & polished them so I could see my smile!

In terms of customer service, It’s was more like visiting a five star hotel than a shoe repair store. The guy that I dealt with was very professional and very courteous. He made various recommendations for what I should do to resolve the problems I had with several pairs of shoes. They were ready when they were supposed to be. One of the pairs didn’t come out as well as they should have but I didn’t have to complain or push the point. He realized pretty quickly that the job wasn’t as good as it could have been and he offered to give them another do over free of charge and they came out absolutely perfect after that. Would definitely go back.

I was running a bunch of errands and needed my tall black boots shined after all the walking around in wet/​snowy weather. I went into Cesar’s because it’s right around the corner from my apartment and quite frankly I mistook it for Chelsea Cobbler — the nice store one block up.
$ 12 for a pair of boots seemed steep, but didn’t quibble. The shine was fine. Cesar gave me back my boots, but was in such a rush that he handed me the boots, without me having full grasp of the boots, and the heel of the boot dropped on my toe. OUCH! I said, «you know i didn’t fully have that in my hand and it dropped on my foot».
He then said that HE did hand them to me, and then he said that because I was wearing gloves I didn’t have a handle on my boots. (please note they were fingerless texting gloves!) A simply or even mumbled «sorry» would have been fine. At this point, when I went to pay he gave me all $ 1 back from my $ 20. AS IF I was going to tip.
I then said «A simple sorry would have been fine», at which point this extremely RUDE man then told me that because I was texting while waiting for my boots, I wasn’t paying attention.
Cesar was rude, a jerk, and his shoe shine was completely overpriced. Go one block north to the Chelsea Cobbler on 7^th Avenue between 21^st and 22^nd. They are super nice, do a great job, and first time I came in they even gave me a 10% discount because I brought in a bunch of shoes for repair.

If you have an eye for detail this place is not for you. Granted my shoes were in rough condition, but from reviews that I read I figured they could handle the job. The sole of the shoe is completely different. I specifically said to Edward that I want a dark, layered, leather sole. Now it’s very light leather, one piece (not layered), much thicker than it was before. Just an awful experience all around. Also, they over charge way too much. Quality is not in their vocabulary.

Fixed up our Vintage Louis Vuitton luggage handle like new!
Went above and beyond by checking out this same very piece and doing some excellent research to make it look perfect!
They took the old handle apart and reconstructed new one in the same exact way as the old one.
It came out great, thanks!