Cobbler’ Bench Shoe Repair and Keys

I do not trust this shop.
— They don’t have any posted prices, so you have to accept whatever number they spit out when you walk in the door.
— They want to be paid in full before they even take your shoes, so you just have hope they do a good job. I might understand this for some tasks (e.g., heel taps), but they wanted to be paid in full for a task that the cobbler said could result in altering the color of the shoes.
— They refused to accept a valid Groupon that I had purchased for this specific location.
This shop may be capable of doing good work – I’m not even sure of that – but they’re not trustworthy. I’d rather do business somewhere that I don’t have to just hope I’m not getting ripped off.

Great customer service and a great one in the hotel. So thankful to have found them during this conference.

I took a pair of boots that were in dire need of new heels. The gentleman appears to own the shop did a great job on fixing the heel and even polished the scuffs up. He also added some more polish to hide some nicks that the boots have received over the years. The only things that was a bit of a surprise was the price, $ 42 for the heels and polish, but when I look at how much I paid for my boots and how long I’ve had them, it was worth it to get some more years out of them. Really good job!

Good service, one week turnaround for shoes that I took in to get cleaned up.
I wore my new red suede shoes out to a bar (huge mistake, but in my defense, I didn’t know we were going out to the Brixton), and they got completely ruined and spilled on. Wanting to salvage my $ 100 brand new Top Shop shoes, I took them to the Cobbler’ Bench. It is located inside 800 K complex down the escalator.
The only thing I didn’t like about this place is that they made me pay up front $ 40 for my shoes before I even dropped them off. I would prefer to pay a deposit and then pay the full price once I see how good the work is. Otherwise, they did a good job on my shoes — didn’t completely remove all the grit, but they look pretty darn good!

Being from New York, it’s been hard finding a cobbler in DC. So once I saw the great rating for this place I thought I would give it a try. So Took my burgundy patent leather shoes in to have reheeled. And they managed to peel off the leather right above the heel!!! Perhaps why they quickly put the shoes back in the bag when I picked up. Not to mention the holes I had added to my belt are crooked. Overpriced and poor workmanship.

I don’t like to give this low of a rating but this place is very bad. The first time I went there to have my boot repaired. When I went back to pick up my $ 350 boots they couldn’t find them!!! Yes. I was pissed to say the least. I was told to return a few days later. Then I got a call from the manager saying that they’d found it. Fine. I picked up the boots and they actually were repaired well. So, fast fwd I decide to go back and give them a second chance. I took a pair of sandals that I’d bought whilst vacationing in Italy. They were to very song glue the parts of the sandal where it was separating. From the sole. I go back a week later and upon inspection they’d done NOTHING. Oh they claimed that they had repaired them but the leather was lifting from the sole in several different places. Basically they were no different they how I’d left them. So now, they’ll have them a few more days. Bottom line– I’m NEVER going back there. Just a bunch of incompetents if you ask me. I don’t know, possibly a language barrier but nonetheless this is America and if you want to do business here you need to speak and comprehend ENGLISH.

I had a major malfunction of both shoes in the middle of an important conference. The Cobbler’s Bench fixed my shoes quickly and so far they’ve stayed fixed. The guy really knows about shoes!

Don’t overthink it. Go to Napoleon for your shoe repair needs. I went on the positive reviews and was delighted. Napoleon loves his job and it shows. The workmanship, price, and his friendly demeanor makes this place THE place to get your shoe repairs done. Thanks for the great service, Napoleon!

These guys are very over priced and arbitrarily pick a price based on what you are wearing. For example, I had a sole guard put on a pair of shows which I dropped off wearing a t-​shirt, then came back a few weeks later with a similar pair, but this time wearing a suit and they wanted $ 30 more. I’m never using them again. Shady business practices.

Napoleon is a master at his craft. I gave him some very very difficult fixes and my shoes looked brand-​new

I’m so happy that I have the easy access of getting to this place with working so closely. Napoleon is simply the best… He replaced the soles of my Ferragamo boots after last winters snow/​salt damaged them. I was confident in carrying my Christian Louboutins there to have the Italian red soles added for upkeep. I couldn’t be happier. Honestly, as costly as they were wasn’t even the factor, it was the amazing service and outcome that I am so pleased with. I cannot say it enough, I love my shoes and will be going back for more after all of these amazing jobs you continuously do! Thank you Napoleon for being a #1 cobbler for me and your amazing craft!

They fixed my shoes in a timely manner. I had my favorite pair of boots repaired with a new heel and they were buffed out. My Nine West designer boots look brand new and the cost was extremely reasonable being a new pair would cost me double the price. I also got my red bottoms fixed. I will be coming back with any other shoe repair issues I have. Very friendly people.

I thought my favorite pair of boots stood zero chance at being salvage — but Napoleon not only fixed the crack sole, but he rebuilt my heel and patched and blended the hole in the toes.
they seriously look brand new, great job!

I came in to the store on an emergency, the whole bottom of my shoe fell off. I ran in at the end of the day, and Napoleon was so nice! He took on my cause and fixed Em up right away! Got to work on a few other jobs and finished my shoes while I waited, and entertained with conversation and machata in the meantime! Best cobbler around!

This place is incredible. I took a badly beaten up pair of dress shoes that had been worn almost every day for two years after the sole developed a hole. It wasn’t cheap — but they came back looking — and feeling — better than new. It’s absolutely worth it — having bought the shoes in South America from a local establishment; the shoes were basically un-​replaceable — and the repairs were a fraction of what comparable shoes would have cost in the US.
I came back a second time, a few months later, had a similarly excellent experience, and I would/​will definitely come back again!

*MY 100^th REVIEW!*
I came here on a whim one day because I had a pair of cheap wedges that lost a small plastic piece on the bottom part of the heel, making the wedge not flat and awkward to walk in. I was not expecting to be blown away with customer service, price, and overall craftsmanship of their work!
Like I said, these were cheap shoes to begin with, so if the price was too high (like over $ 10) I wouldn’t have done it. When I showed the technician, he said it was an easy fix and charged me $ 5 a heal. Boom! I was shocked!
About 30 minutes later my shoes were brand new again! Couldn’t even tell the piece that he put on was a replacement. This was a couple years ago and I still wear the shoes, no problems!
Another awesome story about this place… my friend asked for a recommendation for shoe repair, but it was for a boot on a wakeboard, the laces seams were tearing. I recommended this place not knowing if they knew how to fix a wakeboard boot… but sure enough, they did it! And it still works to this day (one season later)! I don’t remember the price (I want to say it was like $ 25 – 30), but it was so cheap especially compared to buying new!
I definitely recommend this place! Totally worth asking them even if you think it’ll be too expensive or not possible!

Came here to get some new heels and half soles on my men’s dress shoes. They were replaced on time, and the work looks ok. However, it’s a bit pricier than most places. Also, they didn’t refinish/​touch up the shoes like some other places do… didn’t change or fix any part of the insole, didn’t repair damaged outside leather. All in all, I think the online places to mail in your shoes are better quality and a better deal (although they take longer).

After reading the great reviews on here, I tried this shop. Napoleon and I hit it off immediately. I practiced my Spanish to his amusement. He reduced the heels on some designer shoes I’d just bought and did a great job. The next week, I took 8 – 10 pairs of shoes that either needed stretching, heel reduction or cleaning/​sole protectant. His work was well done! It’s not cheap but worth it to me. Napoleon is my new best friend in DC!

I had a good pair of boots that can’t be found anymore, but after 8 years the soles and heels were falling apart.
At the time, I thought that the repairs seemed expensive, but after checking, the price seems comparable with others. As you can see, the repair was excellent, and they are like new.
It seems strange to go to a cobbler in 2013 — I wondered if a blacksmith’s shop would be nearby — but the excellent work is well worth it.
Napoleon runs the shop and does great work. What else do you need?

Difficult to find (down the escalator), but great service! I got two heals fixed on my high heals. Not the cheapest ($ 15 each) but well worth it to have them done in 5 minutes so I don’t have to come back! Will certainly return if I need another shoe fixed.
Switching from 5* to 4* because this place desperately needs to be open on Saturdays… and I can never use this place when I need it.