Great Find: Minas Shoe Repair

Finding a great shoe repair guy is like finding a great doctor...for your shoes. You trust the guy, believe he cares and hope he doesn't retire. I feel lucky to have one of these: Minas at Minas Shoe Repair at 67 Wall Street.

I love the old guy, who must have been trained by a real cobbler, because his work makes me want to weep. I never think twice when I hand over my beloved boots or heels or City Guy's favorite work shoes because I know they'll come back looking like new and in most cases, the replacement heel or sole will last longer and look better than the original.

His daughter works the front desk and is such a pleasure to deal with. Really sweet and patient. She always seems remember me even when I haven't been back for months. I tried a handful of other shoe repairs when I first moved to NYC, and I was always disappointed in the quality and craftsmanship of the product (and my uncle used to have a shoe repair store when I was a kid, so I know the difference). I couldn't believe what people charged for their shoddy work! Really made me feel I was getting taken for a ride.

Minas just takes you back to a time when people cared for their things--didn't just toss their shoes out and replace them with cheap shoes made of plastic. They invested in high quality leather shoes, and got them repaired. This place doesn't miss a beat. You and your buddy can get an old school shoe shine in minutes and you can drop off five pairs of shoes on a Friday (which I did today) and get them back by Monday.

So, there you have it. Minas Shoe Repair gets beaucoup Home Sweet NYC love. I just hope they don't get priced out of the neighborhood--in the last year, a Tumi and a Pink have opened next door and a Tiffany a block down.