After hearing great things about this place, I brought Armen all my fall boots in need of some love and he was incredibly thoughtful and took his time to review the issues with the shoes I brought in and how he was going to repair and restore them. When I picked them up yesterday, he was equally thorough and gave me great suggestions for upkeep. Money and time well spent! read more

Huge disappointment as usual. Shoe repairmen in Boston! The same smart asses! They think customers are stupid.Make a big deal about a simple repair request and start asking $30. I come from a country that makes fine beautiful shoes so he thinks he is talking to a novice. They are all obnoxious! I don't know how they stay in business! read more

This guy knows his stuff! Super knowledgeable and kind. Dropped off a pair of distressed heels and he had them in tip top shape in 24 hours and showed me how to care for them. Will definitely be returning for all my shoe repair needs! read more

I've been taking my shoes and boots to this shop for many years since I live just a few doors down. You should disregard reviews from years ago (say, before 2022) because there has been turnover. The man who runs the shop and does the repairs now is really nice and very talented. I don't have anything for comparison, but you might find $50 for heels pricey. However, I was happy to make this investment for more years of wear out of my beloved boots. I had bought the boots for a February trip to Montreal, where there was a lot of deep, slushy snow. I had no alternative to wearing my new boots in the slush, and they did not fare well. I cleaned them up as best I could and wore them a lot over the next several years. All I expected from the service was new heels, but the cobbler returned my boots in like-new condition. He seemed sad that I had exposed my beautiful boots to salt, which I had only done on that one weekend years ago. It's not easy to find such a dedicated and concerned repairman. I highly recommend Ares Shoe Repair--particularly if you have a difficult problem to tackle. By the way, I brought a pair of shoes in a couple of years ago that the cobbler declined to repair because they were not worth my money or his effort. He was really nice about it, and I appreciated his honest opinion. read more

Professional, honest and friendly! Two pairs of my loafers are fully resoled beautifully. He also fixes (luxury) bags. I don't know the price in other places, but it seems like the price here is reasonable. read more

When you walk into Ares' shop, you're like YES. This is EXACTLY what I want. The place seems like it's been there for decades: it's a cozy spot teeming with beautiful, old, high quality machines, and a weathered man who looks like he has personally repaired more shoes than your mere mortal mind can even imagine. I've taken my Frye boots, Stuart Weitzman booties, Madewell loafers, and a variety of other flats into be repaired. He always does a stellar job and charges a fair price. PRO TIP: one of my favorite Frye boots has distressed black leather. He offered to polish them black (eek!) but instead, I asked him to use clear polish. I think he was a bit confused on why I wanted old looking boots (fashion, Ares!) But was happy to oblige as long as they had *some* polish to protect the leather. So if you have shoes that you want to keep looking distressed, be very clear that it's a feature not a flaw. I really respect Ares for not playing games with his customers: if you bring him cheap shoes that you've absolutely run into the ground, he's not going to do a repair that will cost $100 only to have the shoes fall apart from some other issue two months later. The man is a pro. If he tells you they aren't worth repairing, thank him for being honest and start scanning the sale racks for a replacement. I have had him decline to repair shoes in the past, and now I understand why and I am grateful that he didn't let me waste money on shoes that were too far gone. He's also a craftsman who can handle a wide variety of oddball leather issues. Need another hole punched in your belt or purse strap? Ares got you covered and will do it on the spot. I even brought in a heavy canvas duffel bag that was starting to rip at the handle, and in minutes, Ares' magic sewing machine closed the gap. He's awesome and I'm so grateful for all the repairs he's done! read more

This guy knows his stuff. Every time i go he recommends the best solution. Sometimes it's not what i want to hear but like all repair men he tells you like it is. Reasonable prices and a decent turn around. read more

I took in a pair of boots that I have had for a few years, but needed a repair to the heel and sole. I was very happy with the work done, quick turnaround, and the owner was very friendly at pick up and drop off. My boots look good as new. I will definitely be back in the future. read more

Ok, perhaps I am just too lazy to look for another shoe man, but this guy is the bomb. Shoes are repaired quickly and inexpensively and well. He doesn't bullshit you, either -- if he can't do anything for you he'll tell you, you won't just pay 15$ to find out all he did was polish your shoes. Only drawback is slightly awkward hours. But this I can handle. read more

I have 5 year old black leather riding boots that I have not taken care of. The toes were white from all the wearing down of the leather, there was a hole in the toe, and the heels were completely broken to the point where the plastic was now what I was walking on. I brought the boots in on Monday and they were blown away by how poorly I have taken care of them. They have been through a lot. For $35 cash only, they said they could fix them. Picked the boots up on Thursday and they certainly did. They look great, re-heeled both boots and fixed the hole in the toe, as well as shined them up. Considering the shape they were in, I am extremely impressed and not ashamed to wear these very expensive boots. Cash only- and ask for payment up front, but will take a deposit if you dont have all the cash. Employees were very friendly and caring. Will definitely be bringing my other poorly taken care of shoes there to be fixed. read more

I went to have a pair of leather boots re-heeled and oiled for winter. I asked specifically that they be oiled, and not polished. He was very nice, and I paid up-front. It was reasonable (less than $30). But, when I came back a week later, I found that he had put a bunch of polish on my shoes. He re-heeled them very well, though. I didn't make a big fuss about the polish - I just asked that he take another week to remove it. He explained that that was a ridiculous request, that I should be glad that he polished them because it makes the shoes last longer, and that they would be back to the way they were in a few weeks anyway. That's pretty ridiculous - polish doesn't just totally come off in a few weeks, and he did specifically what I asked him not to do. I won't be going back - there are plenty of other cobblers in boston who have had no trouble not polishing my shoes. read more

Absolutely wonderful service and experience. I bring ALL shoes and boots to Ares Shoe Repair and will be doing so for years to come. He has the ability to completely transform a pair of shoes that have worn out in color, in their sole, or their heel and make them look brand new. Highly recommend! read more

Bizarre is right. Similar experience to others here. Came in with heals for routine repair (replace worn soles) and was immediately "welcomed" with aggression and scolding for not taking better care of the shoes. Stated he would not take them. I brought to another repair shop who fixed up nicely with no issue. Shop is unable to complete basic repairs, prices high, and extremely RUDE. Why would one choose to support this type of business when there are other talented and more friendly local business shoe repair shops around? Life is too short to pay someone to treat you like *gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe! read more

WOW this place looks ancient inside. Actually, when you see how old this place looks you know you have less to worry about since it is still in business! I had several high heels reheeled, and he did a great job. When I went it cost $15 per pair of stilettos, which is similar to other cobblers in Boston. It is cash only, and I believe you are asked to pay up front (most tailors/cobblers in Boston require this). read more

Two stars because it was cheap - I went in with three pairs of heels that needed to be resoled. One pair had been a little scuffed up, and he said that for $45 total, he'd re-heel and touch up the shoes. The repair work was really poor. The scuffed parts of the shoes hadn't been addressed at all - not smoothed, redyed, polished, nothing. The re-heeling was also poorly done - they were crooked and one pair had the wrong color. Maybe he would've cared more if they'd been more expensive shoes. After all, the customer in front of me spend a good 15 minutes talking about the $4000 pair of shoes he got off eBay, and my presence was pretty much seen as a nuisance. read more

Busted my heel at work, called Ares Shoe Repair and 20 min later I was skipping along the cobble stone street (Charles St) without any fear! And I had him resole a pair of boots for me a few years back. As other Yelpers have commented, he did it in half the time for a much better price than the other places I called. Glad to find a good shoe repair place here with friendly staff. Cash only. read more

Ares repaired my leather camera purse after the strap broke while I was traveling. He managed to do it in about 40 minutes and was straightforward in the price and service. A few minutes later and $15 lighter, I tucked my camera away and slung my purse over my shoulder like it was new! read more

Cobblers don't get any better than this! If your shoes/boots/bag can be repaired, this man will fix them, for a reasonable price, and they will be ready when promised. And if the item(s) isn't worth it or able to be fixed, he will explain why. He is the very best. read more

Bizarrely aggressive and mean. Brought a group of 10 scuffed boots to be shined / polished but otherwise in good shape. He took one look at them and yelled "What is wrong with you? You need to take care of them!" and refused to repair / clean them. What?!?!?/ read more

Great price--well under what the designers tried going to charge me to fix my boots--I am glad I checked around. Very quick; you can't beat same-day service. My shoes were clean and polished without an extra charge. The parts didn't cost extra or need to be ordered. I will be back to get my shoes refreshed each season. Warning: cash-only read more

Ares (I'm going to assume this is his name) does good work. Took my black boots in on a Friday to get re-heeled and cleaned and buffed to a nice shine (the snow and ice did a number on them) and he said they'd be done on Monday. True to his word, and comparatively priced. read more

Made my 10 year old boots and water logged suede booties like new!

His work is superlative and done extraordinarily quickly. I've had him repair my boots and shoes many times over the years. What I like about him, though, is that he'll go out of his way to save you money. I brought something to him and told him that it needed an entirely new zipper. He told me that I shouldn't waste my money because it only needed to have one tiny part of the zipper replaced. That's what I call character and integrity. He was actually arguing for me to spend less money in his shop. He's an old world craftsman with old-fashioned values of integrity and we won't see his like again. read more

Amazing service and by far best prices. I called every place I could to try and get new zippers in a pair of boots before leaving the country in 48 hrs and most charged me at least $100+ (more than the boots). He charged me almost half that and shined them like new. Found my new shoe guy!!! read more

I walk everywhere, and the city streets destroy my favorite shoes. Ares is the absolute best shoe repair. I trust him with my high end/ designer shoes. He only takes cash, and you have to pay up front, but it's worth it! Also, his rates are very reasonable. read more

This tiny basement shop is the best shoe repair outside of the original factory that made your shoes. "Mike" the cobbler is an old world artisan who can really soothe your soles (and heels what needs mending). read more