It has been said before... Let experts do what experts do best. The owner Anton started this small business in 1949 and has provided good customer service for over 75 years. When you visit the shop you will step back in time. Breathe in the unique aroma of this shoe repair store and see the time-tested, specialized equipment. I had some old boots that needed serious repair. Anton brought them back to life again. He did a good job and was very reasonable about the cost. It's worth the drive to Thornhill. Open Monday to Friday 7:30 AM - 5 PM. read more

Anton's Shoe Repair - Shoe Repair Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

Absolutely fantastic shop. Anton is a true gem and a master of his craft. I recommend him to all my clients

I've taken many pairs of shoes to Anton for re-soling, half soles and/or new heal pads, and all have had crescent shaped heal protectors installed, to keep the actual heels from wearing (just replace the heel protector). He's added rubber sole protectors too, which have lasted for a lonnnnng time. All of the shoes have come back in great shape. He recently repaired a pair of Sperry Deck Shoes for me and did them so well, that I think they were better than new. There are patches inside to reinforce them. They're already 20 years old and will last another 20 I'm sure, He's repaired a few pairs of my girlfriend's riding boots too. They get a lot of wear and tear where she rides, but he was able to bring them back to life with some patches and extra heavy hand and machine stitching. His work has extended the life of our foot wear for years longer than they would normally have gone and much more affordable than buying new. He's repaired a leather coat, a few wallets, and other leather things. Some not quite like new but perfectly usable and in much better shape than when I brought them in. Happy to keep going back to him for repairs but I'm running out of things for him to do. It's a very nostalgic visit to his "time capsule", an old shoemaker's shop as it's been for a long long time. Nowadays, people are just throwing their shoes away now instead of getting them refurbished, which is sad. There aren't many like him or many shops like his still in existence. It's sad to see business dwindle down for this type of craftsman and sad to see so many pairs of cheap poorly made shoes sold for expensive prices, just to end up in the garbage. Take your leather things to him for repairs and refurbishment and keep him and others like him in business, before they're all gone. He's at 7719 Yonge Street, Thornhill, Ontario read more

If I could give less than one star I would. I've trusted Anton with my shoes for years so I decided to bring in two purses that meant so much to me. One was my grandmothers that she brought back from Rome, Italy that was very expensive to her back in the day. The second was the first purse I bought with my own working money when I went to London, England. My grandmother was a seamstress and my great grandfather a cobbler so I grew up learning how to stitch and sew while developing an eye for quality. When my mom brought home my purses that she picked up I was almost in tears. The thread did not match, the stitching was uneven and out of line, the stitching of the trim started together and slowly got farther and farther apart. Anton did not have cream so he decided to use yellow without discussing it to us prior when we dropped it off that he did not have the matching thread. I would have respected him if he left it alone and advised me he could not match the purse rather than butcher it that any admirer of the purse would assume a child stitched it. Then my London, England purse he refused to look at telling me I'm too much and will never be happy. Instead of replacing the zipper and slider with a colour that matched the inside pocket or purse he went with bright white. Then on top of that he cut the purse on the inside and stitched it together in a way that matches the Italian purse yet he denies touching anything but the slider. I've been in the store for almost two hours trying to get him to look at the purse and provide a refund but he simply berates and yells at me as he is unwilling to accept the concept of an unsatisfied customer. He said he will give me a refund if I give him back the slider which I am happy to do but he refuses to give me the tool to remove it while also refusing to touch the purse anymore leaving us at a standstill. I was in tears at the appearance of my sentimental and priceless purses but despite his wealth as he owns the entire plaza he refuses to refund the second purse. When he began yelling at me I started recording but I cannot leave knowing that the cobbler who butchered my purses still has the money for one purse especially when I called around and know how much the repair will cost me. He is not accredited so I cannot make a complaint with the Better Business Bureau so I am left with writing a review and hoping for the best. I have attached photos of the before and after and anyone who knows Italian bags and stitching can understand my emotional state at seeing the front of my grandmothers bag like this. Update: Anton broke his slider off my purse in order to provide the refund. My purse is still damaged but at least I can now use the money to have it repaired by a less abusive and damaging cobbler. read more

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The place shows its age, as does the owner/operator, Anton. It appears to be a genuine cobbler shop, with certificates and newspaper articles proudly displayed on the wall. However, the shop appears to be past its prime and unkempt. I'm not sure what are the typical repair jobs that Anton does to keep the shop alive, but I know he does great work adding new rubber soles to leather shoes. (I've inspected his handiwork that he completed for another customer) I inquired about leather shoe care products, specifically polishes, creams and waxes. His greatly diminished product shelf offered nothing that I was looking for, but rather the quick and easy one step instant shine stuff that I was trying to avoid. I had wanted to use horse hair brush to properly polish and buff my shoes. He didn't carry any of these items (anymore) and opts to save time and energy by using the instant stuff. In the end, this shop is not for me. Perhaps 30 years ago when it was full of vitality, but today it appears the energy and passion is gone, at least in the store front portion of the shop. I have not had my shoes repaired here so I cannot comment on that. read more

Anton is a skilled craftsman and he can do any repairs to shoes or boots, not to mention other leather goods. He's repaired holes in leather linings of shoes , replaced heels and soles, replaced buckles with velcro on shoe straps, stretched shoes. He will always be my 'go to guy' for shoe repair . read more

If you've been doing something since 1949, then you probably know what you're talking about. I always wanted an excuse to check out one of those mom and pop shops in the heritage part of Thornhill. So I took my boots in for a pre-winter restoration. I felt all high and mighty, thinking my boots will keep this guy in business. It turned out he was doing quite well without me. He said they didn't need any work but suggested a special waterproofing oil, which I bought (probably could have found something substantially cheaper at Walmart but what the hey). He could have easily taken them in and returned them back unchanged for some quick cash. I appreciated the decency. I guess you don't stay in business for as long as he has by ripping off the townsfolk. The experience was quite neat. The old smells and the charming craftsmanship took me back to the bazaars of the old country. I couldn't help but get a bit nostalgic. read more

I was confused by the ratings while reading the previous reviews about the store- everyone states that he does an excellent job, is legitimate and displays integrity. He was given a bad rating due to the age of the establishment and one customer hadn't even used his service. That was super frustrating since my family has him repair a lot of our shoes. The store is located i na historical district, Yes the building is old and No you are not going to get chain-store marketing-brainwashing interior decorations within this place, so dont expect that. I agree that he does an excellent job and in my opinion, the service he provides should be the priority of this review. If you are coming to him to get your shoes repaired, probably ones you really care about - Anton's shoe repair is the place to go. read more