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Quick Cobbler
Category: Local Services Shoe Repair Shoe Repair [Edit]
430 West 2nd AvenueVancouver, BC V5Y 1E2
Neighbourhood: Mount Pleasant
(604) 682-6354
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8 am - 5 pm
Sat 9 am - 5 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
25 reviews for Quick Cobbler
25 reviews in English
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Review from Peter H.
Vancouver, BC
2/10/2012
Me, "I destroyed these leather boots while traveling. I had no idea Kenneth Cole boots were not designed for mountainous middle eastern countries. Please, help my boots."
Shoe-man, "These are pretty bad. What are your expectations?"
Me, "To make them look less gross. Do magic shoe-man stuff to them."
Shoe-man, "Well, I could polish them for about $20. Or for the same price, you could buy the brushes and I could show you how to do it yourself."
Me, "I love you shoe-man." -
Review from Dee B.
Updated - 1/2/2012
As a result of the owner of Quick Cobbler commenting on my original review of 3 stars (which I don't see as such a big deal - my review was honest and on average, the Quick Cobbler gets 3 stars which is very accurate), I am now downgrading to 1 star. This does not demonstrate the age old saying of the "customer is always right" and definitely tells the story as to why I initially indicated that the customer service wasn't great.
I would also like to mention that I have never worn my boots in salty conditions, in the mud or in the snow. Rain at times, yes - this is Vancouver, you can't avoid it. These boots have been waterproofed several times. Another thing I would like to mention is that I take care of EVERYTHING I own. If any of you know me personally, you can attest to the fact that nothing I own looks like it's been neglected.
When I got my boots back, they had polished them with the wrong colour shoe polish, so they ended up looking even more stained than when I initially brought them in. I asked them if they could reverse that, so they tried on one part of my right boot, it ended up looking worse, so I asked them to put the wrong colour polish back on rather than fighting with them over something that clearly couldn't be fixed without injuring my beloved vintage Frye boots even more.
Here is the owner comment posted to my original review (cut and paste, no editing):
"You know,
these boots are, as you admitted, 15+ years old. You also admitted to never have taken care of them. No polish, no conditioner, no waterproofer. They are a light tan leather. Since you have severely abused them (rain, salt, snow, mud what have you) for 15+ years, we both agreed they still look pretty good. Although severely stained. And eventhough you wanted a refresher, you had us reapply and then remove the polish we applied in a futile attempt to make them look better. Then, after all that work, you said, and also repeated above, you kinda like the severely worn look...
We, one of my employees and myself, spent nearly 25 minutes, AFTER HOURS, trying to satisfy your wishes with these boots. I don't think you knew what you wanted...
Eventhough I really like shoes and shoe repair, Quick Cobbler is a business, not a hobby of mine. In your case we did not make money on the repair, since we wasted a lot of time trying to please you and make your old boots look just the way you wanted: the way they looked when they came in...
So after all this effort, work, craftsmensjhip, time, talking, explaining and not making any money we only get 3 stars????
Would I go through all this trouble for you again? Maybe.
Do we serve you cappuchino, lick your boots clean and kiss your .... next time to get 5 stars?
Maybe not!
Ron.
Owner, Quick Cobbler Ltd."
Yikes.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/23/2011
You know, I had high hopes for this place after two of my fashionista friends told me to take my… Read more »
Comment from Ronald N. of Quick Cobbler 1/2/2012
You know, these boots are, as you admitted, 15+ years old.… More » -
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Review from Erin W.
Vancouver, BC
12/17/2011
Meh. Customer service was about 4/10, borderline unfriendly, cost a little over $20 to get pieces of rubber fashioned on my boot heels to keep me on my feet. I really wasn't wowed by anything about this, especially when the girl who helped when I dropped off my boots didn't believe a small/minor modification could be done when my friend (who has the exact same pair of boots as me) has had it done elsewhere.
Oh, and it was just about 2 weeks to have that done. It wasn't an awful experience but it certainly wasn't good enough for he to want to go back. The most frustrating part was that I told the girl they were slippery boots and felt the sole should be replaced, she insisted it was just the heel. I wore them once and wiped out before I made it home.
Boo.Comment from Ronald N. of Quick Cobbler 1/2/2012
Sorry you weren't impressed. When you wear your rubbler… More » -
Review from Robin M.
11/9/2011
Oh, I wish you were quick, cobbler. Oh, I wish you cobbled as well as your cute little hammer sign promised. Oh, you would have been a solid 5 stars in 2009. Oh, how you have worn over the years.
Oh dear.
Vintage shoe loving girls like me need a gentle sole (I know, I know) to handle our preciously perfect leather kicks. Busy high heel lovers like me require an expeditious return on our broken slippers, lovers of all things from an age that we never lived in crave a place where the human behind the counter will care as much about our cherished 1970s mule as (if not more than) we do.
But you don't. You will do your job. In a two-week time period. And the leather won't match. But it'll hold.
Oh dear.Listed in: The Essentials, Confessions of a…
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Review from DIana N.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 1/2/2012
In response to your comments to my review:
I was not rude to your employees. I had to raise my voice because they refused to listen to my concerns and would not attempt to rectify the situation. I think anyone would be upset that their $1000 pair of boots were ruined in the hands of a business that claims that they are the best. I should not be made to feel like a criminal in your store. Your son was being the one that's unreasonable. Teach them better customer service and perhaps you'll get nice customers in return instead of all the dissatisfied customers as shown here on all your yelp reviews
Louis Vuitton does not go on sale, Louis Vuitton does not sell fake leather. I bought the shoes because I liked them, they fit, but they were a little snug. Your employees should have looked at the shoes to make sure they were stretchable before committing to doing the job. If I had known the shoes could not be stretched, I would've returned the boots.
I prepay for TANGIBLE things. Things like lattes, bus passes, and parking passes are tangible things. Intangible things that I cannot touch and feel (A SERVICE - shoe stretching) is something that is generally paid for upon satisfactory completion of the service. Even if I paid for a starbucks latte and it wasn't done correctly, I know that they would offer to re-make it with a smile and without a condescending tone or voice.
I did take the boots home to try and they still do not fit properly. I took them to my old cobbler and they stretched them beautifully. I refuse to subject myself to go back to such a horrible environment and have people step all over me I deserve better than that. All other consumers deserve better than that!
My shoes were real leather. Even your staff commented on the buttery leather and what beautiful shoes they are. You and your son admitted that the tape had ruined the leather. You obviously don't know your product if the tape that you are using ruined the finish on the leather. Your comments about it being fake leather and that the box my shoes came in (they came in seperate dust bags by the way) are a complete lie. SHAME ON YOU for calling me a liar.
Good businesses attempt to HELP their customers. Based on your follow-up review, you absolutely do not attempt to correct the situation but continuously blame the customers. An apology or an invitation back to the store to correct the problem would have made for a satisfied customer.
I'll let your future customers make the decision as to the quality of service and repair in your shop. Yelp is for consumer voices and I'm just here to tell people about my experience with your business.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/17/2011
I brought in a pair of boots to get stretched out and to have a rubber sole put on the shoes.… Read more »
Comment from Ronald N. of Quick Cobbler 1/2/2012
Diana, I'm glad you elected to leave comments about our… More » -
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Review from Tim B.
Vancouver, BC
7/11/2011
The previous review stating the customer service is good when you drop off your shoes, but horrible if you're not happy is bang on.
It's the least professional business I've encountered. A pair of shoes were ruined, but everyone makes mistakes so it could have been forgiven. It's the response that I can only describe as "surreal". I asked for a refund, and was subjected to a tirade of abuse, told it was my fault because I brought the shoes to him when I should've gone somewhere else, and subsequently mocked for having a disability (I need one shoe built up because of an injury as a child).
It's unfortunate the filter has caught a couple of other one star reviews.
They're worth reading, both for the reviews, and the owner's response (which confirm the authenticity of the reviews). It gives a bit of a clue as to the type of person he is.Comment from Ronald N. of Quick Cobbler 7/11/2011
First: The 'incident' that Tim is referring to happened in… More » -
Review from Fred G.
Vancouver, BC
1/17/2012
Only one place to go is Pacific Center Moneys worth & best shoe repair, they are specialised in Christian Louboutin shoes. Quick Cobbler is very good also for big repairs.
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Review from Kristin H.
Vancouver, BC
10/27/2010
I first came here a year ago after I had ripped a zipper out of a shearling lined leather boot. I love these boots dearly, and was almost in tears after I had torn out the zipper, thinking these were destined for the trash bin. I had even ripped the leather itself. I took them to the Quick Cobbler, along with two pairs of pumps needing heel replacements, and braced for the worst. There was a little conference in the back of the shop while they were figuring out whether my boots could be fixed or not, but, yes, yes they thought they might be able to help me. Relieved, I went on my way.
I returned a week later, and my boots were completely fixed. They even reinforced the zipper on the other side and added another line of stitching to match the mending job on my other boot. They also managed to get two Ottawa winters' worth of salt stains out of the leather, for which I was equally grateful.
I have since brought in a few pairs of shoes since for minor repairs, and the service and repair quality has always exceeded my expectations. They do take awhile to do repairs, around a week, so don't come here if you need your shoes back tomorrow. They are a bit on the pricey side, but I spend good money on shoes, and a repair is much cheaper and easier than replacing a well-loved pair of shoes.
I bring my cheap $100 pumps elsewhere just to get the heel soles replaced, because that is a simple and easy job that can be done in a morning, but I only trust Quick Cobbler with complicated repairs or my "good" shoes. -
Review from Robespierre R.
Vancouver, BC
5/16/2010
I think these guys were a lot better when they were still on Denman...it seems that they hire a bunch of students to work on shoes between classes.
Toppy's peeled off within a couple weeks, heels were built too high and not level, and because they were late getting my shoes back to me, they rushed through the polish and gave them a few nasty scuffs with the buffer.
Not awesome. I'll never go back.Comment from Ronald N. of Quick Cobbler 10/5/2011
We moved from Denman street to our current location more… More » -
Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
12/5/2008
Sorry, no blackberry or raspberry cobblers here. This is a serious kick-ass shoe cobbler in the old European tradition.
I was sad when these guys left the West End to move to 2nd Avenue. But I stayed loyal and still use them whenever I need to repair or refresh shoes.
Most shoe repair shops are run by hacks that can't do squat when it comes to serious repairs. I hate when a shoe repair shop tells me to "just buy a new pair of shoes - these are shot" when it is a favourite comfortable pair that just need a little love.
This shop is run by Ronald Nijdam who is a third-generation Dutch cobbler. He learned the trade from his father, who learned it from HIS father. He is a true craftsman.
They take their trade very seriously and regularly take courses to learn the latest new techniques and methods and even enter into cobbler competitions! (Not the berry cobbler country fairs you just pictured.)
They promise to repair anything that fits on your foot. And they mean it. They can handle everything from rock climbing shoes (with all the special tools necessary to do a full technical correct repair), doc martens (which the majority of shoe repair shops would tell you to throw out when the soles wear out), and even Birkenstocks with a new corkbed! For those that need it, they are also certified to do orthopedic footwear modification.
I love these guys. And no, I don't have a foot fetish. -
Review from Jenn W.
7/9/2009
This was my first visit to a cobbler, and I was vaguely embarrassed bringing in the heels I'd been wearing to work for over a year (except for winter of course) as I had completely destroyed the lining and was concerned that it was kind of well . . . gross.
My embarrassment immediately faded when the girl who helped me seemed to have no issue at all poking at my shoes and I could see little leather bit remnants all over her apron and hands. Quick Cobbler is obviously a serious workshop, I counted three employees and all of them were working at reconditioning shoes.
I chose Quick Cobbler based on Yelp reviews and I knew that Yelpers had it right when the customer who was helped before me was obviously some sort of vintage store owner as she was both dropping off and picking up a ton of shoes to be reconditioned.
I let on that it was my first time when I asked what the cost was like ($33 total for fixing the absolutely mangled insoles . . . seriously, I had gone through the insoles and started wearing away at the structure of the shoe and $12 for a patch where my toe was breaking through the leather) as she was ringing me up and she took the opportunity to let me know that my heels needed to be replaced soon as well. When I chose not to add on the extra cost she educated me on how to tell when they absolutely need to be replaced (before the wear breaks through the tip of the heel).
My shoes were ready for pick up in 48 hours. Overall I'm very pleased, four stars instead of five only because I don't know how their prices compare to other cobblers and because patching the wear in the toe doesn't really make the shoe look perfect again and I wish that had been explained to me beforehand. Now I know to have it repaired preemptivly - which I tried to do, but I had to wait for my other heels to break in enough before I could send these to the shop! Lessons learned. Anyhow repairing irreplaceable expensive shoes is certainly better than a) paying for new expensive shoes and b) trying to find new shoes that I like in the first place! -
Review from Charlie C.
Vancouver, BC
4/11/2011
Brought in runner's and dress shoes and they came back looking half cleaned. Ignored my complaints and still paid $30 for the runners and $15 for dress shoes. Had to go home and clean myself which is what I should have done in the first place. Service is friendly when you drop off shoes but terrible if you're not happy. Good thing their other quotes for shoe cleaning and repairs were so expensive that I didn't bring my other shoes - at the prices they're charging it's cheaper to buy new than to clean.
Comment from Ronald N. of Quick Cobbler 4/14/2011
We run a vibrant and very successful shoe repair business,… More » -
Review from Ms. Kaddy M.
New Westminster, BC
11/29/2010
I took a pair of boots here. I purchased them for under $100. I was told to repair them it would be about $200 and about 2 weeks. So where does the name "quick cobbler" come into play, then....?
Comment from Ronald N. of Quick Cobbler 4/12/2011
Thanks to our large number of satisfied customers we have… More » -
Review from Derek G.
Vancouver, BC
1/5/2012
This place does amazing work. I brought them a completely destroyed favorite pair of shoes from S. America and they turned them into MAGIC Shoes!!!
Comment from Ronald N. of Quick Cobbler 1/6/2012
Thank you! Ron, owner, Quick Cobbler Ltd. More » -
Review from Katie F.
2/3/2009
I love these guys... I actually would take my shoes here when I lived elsewhere! I think the attention to detail is a bit less since they've hired on more staff (I am pretty anal about my shoes though, esp. at $600 a pop).
However, they're the only guys I trust in Vancouver to handle my Manolos, Christian Louboutins, etc... Prices are a few dollars higher than the others, but they do a great job and are friendly and efficient. they have done heel caps, zipsoles and snapped stiletto heel replacements for me.
I wish they had slightly better color matching of leather for heel replacements and that they're a bit more careful with the red zipsoles when it joins the original sole, but that's just my OCDness. These guys are great. -
Review from Terra S.
2/26/2010
I've taken several pairs of shoes here and always been more than pleased with the results, but last time was when I realized that this place is INCREDIBLE. Took a pair of 3 yr old boots that had suffered 2 salt-filled, east coast winters before 1 rainy Vancouver winter. They were gross, but I was broke and unable to buy a new pair. They completely rebuilt the sole and toe (inside & out) and I swear they look better than when I bought them. On one of the toes they had to do more repairs than initially anticipated, but refused to charge me for it as they had not included it in the initial price quoted to me. That is service. Did I mention they're ridiculously timely? And the cost is always low, especially when the shoes are beloved favourites.
Also, I once took earmuffs to be repaired here and although they are shoes only they advised me where I could take them.. and they were right.Listed in: service reviews
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Review from Natasha L.
11/6/2009
After unnecessarily palpating for a week, I finally got my suede booties back, clean and almost like new.
I thought my abused velvet booties (that have suffered everything from rain, snow, and 1" deep puddle) wedge was barely salvageable; but Quick Cobbler managed to do their magic.
The girl was honest in warning me that something MAY go wrong and the suede might be discolored due to the washing (thus the palpating), but thankfully they turned out fine.
Great place to restore abused shoes. -
Review from Dora t.
Vancouver, BC
1/20/2011
I was impressed with their organization and efficiency when I dropped off my shoes (5 pairs) and even more impressed when I got them back. Great repairs! My newly tipped toes looked brand new again!
Not cheap, but not a rip-off either.
Definitely recommend. -
Review from Luisa D.
12/12/2009
Once again another pair of boots restored beautifully. They are like magic elves here. The staff are very knowledgeable and will let you know if something is beyond repair (rarely) and how much it will be prior to doing the work. That way you can assess whether or not your shoes are worth the expense. They've always done good work here. They stopped repairing bags but will refer you to a place that does. Closed on Sundays.
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Review from Kyrsten J.
New Westminster, BC
7/26/2010
FINALLY! found a decent cobbler in Vancouver! Took in 5 pairs of heels, all needed new heels, two of which with leather soles needed Topy half soles. Great job done. Even trusted them with some lovely snakeskin Marc Fishers, and I was about ready to kiss them when I saw how good the job they did was!
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Review from David F.
Vancouver, BC
4/28/2009
Best shoe repair place around. More convenient location than when they were on Denman. Very knowledgeable, passionate about their work. Started going to them over 10 years ago and wouldn't consider going anywhere else.
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Review from L M.
Vancouver, BC
12/4/2009
Best quality in the city - craftsman meets artisan. No 'a bit of glue and some nails and we're done' here.
The only thing is 'quick' is no longer applicable - typically the soonest you can get your shoes back is a week and a half! But that's because they're so good and word's getting around and they've been bringing on more staff (13 now I think they might have said?) and can't keep up. So as long as you don't need your shoes/boots back quickly, and are willing to pay a bit more for superb work, this is the place.
The Quality Cobbler or The Craftsman Cobbler might be a good re-name! -
Review from Robert O.
Vancouver, BC
10/3/2011
I originally brought in a pair of shoes that needed the soles reattached. Quick Cobbler glued them on for $29.00. After several months the soles began to detach again around the top edges where they meet the leather uppers. These are shoes that I might only wear once every couple of weeks. Within a year the sole became completely detached on the heal of one shoe. Today I finally got around to bringing the shoes back for what I thought would be a warranty fix. I presented my receipt and was told that they would have to use a different glue and that I would have to pay again to have the soles re-glued, this time the price being more than the first time. Apparently I was 2 months past their warranty date. The person I spoke with then told me that she was surprised that the original glue held as long as it did given the type of shoes they are. When I pointed out that from her statement one could only conclude that they didn't use the correct glue to fix the shoes properly the first time and that I shouldn't have to pay again, I was told too bad since the work was out of warranty. Needless to say I was not impressed and think that their customer service stinks....perhaps one gets that way after working with so many smelly shoes over the years. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS COBBLER.
Comment from Ronald N. of Quick Cobbler 10/4/2011
Come on now. You come in 14 months after the initial repair… More » -
Review from Susanne J.
Hope, BC
7/10/2009 1 Check-in Here
I needed a quick fix to a busted heel and that's exactly what I got. Nice boot polish to boot.
Listed in: Give me more 604!
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Review from Victoria R.
BC
1/6/2009
One of the oldest shoe repair places in Vancouver and most well-known, the Quick Cobbler is the place to go to get your boot-straps fixed and your soles polished for those slippery days pounding the Vancouver pavement. They specialize in leather restoration, leather good repair and reconstruction. Their motto is, "If it fits on your foot, we can fix it." And they do. I brought a pair of shoes in Spain over 5 years ago and they were perfect, but the heel broke. So, I took it to them and although it was discontinued, they fixed it. Comfy and cozy.
