So I have a shoe thing. Some people may call it an addiction, I call it good taste. I love all…read morekinds of shoes, and would invest my hard earned cash in them. Now HK with its dirty pavements, torrential rain and cobblestone walkways with pitfalls of death are not conducive to maintaining beautiful shoes. But what is the point of buying nice shoes if you don't wear them? So along comes my favourite cobbler. He's super efficient, takes great care with my often astronomically priced shoes and always does a good job. What I mean by good job is, when I get a pair of shoes soled, it doesn't lift and comes off within 6 months, it doesn't come back with any marks which weren't on there previously, he's reasonably priced and did I mention fast in his work? I dropped 3 pairs off to be soles before these babies hit the grounds of HK and they will be ready in a day. If you have urgent repairs, take a seat and he'll do it on the spot. What more can you ask for really.

OK, the old Central Market is probably the only building in the whole Central that doesn't "fit…read morein", and same goes the shops still operating in it, primarily on the first floor where they catch arguably the most number of people commuting every day connecting the Mid-Levels Escalator and IFC/MTR station. Anyway, while most of the shops seem shady and a waste of space, Perfect Shoe and Key is quite handy. We used to find shoe & key service at MTR stations, but seemingly not as many operating now as the old days. (By the way, never know the reason why shoe and key service are always put together.) When I walked in the shop, I usually got this only staff there. He usually said nothing, stared dead in your eyes, and his only face expression is ain't-no-time-for-espressione. Give him the shoes, and he'll take care of the shoes. Give him the keys, he will take care of the keys. No questions asked, no unnecessary chitchat. Like hiring a hitman, but this is much cheaper. (And I never ever hired a hitman, just for the record...) I paid maybe $20 for like a couple of spared keys, and I paid HKD$450 to replace the completely worn-off bottom of both my shoes which originally worth HKD$3,500. That $450 can now probably double my shoes lifespan. So here you go, very efficient, really reasonably priced, at a fairly convenient location, and get the job done. Couldn't ask for more (yes, I could actually.... Maybe a smile here and there?)

It's hard to find something to say about a small shoe repair and key cutting store - they cut keys…read moreand repair shoes. However, I always go to the same place 'cos I like the lovely old "uncle" dude who does the work there. He's understated, never fusses and just gets the job done without that often prevalent HK grumbling. Perfect is located in the dingy little "art" tunnel that joins the end of the esco with IFC mall. It is a simple shop, that repairs shoes and cuts keys, so what is the big deal. They are cheap! For a store (and note I say store and not back alley canopy in Wan Chai) that is right in the middle of Central, the cost of a key cut is pocket change. The last time I did and admittedly simple Yale style key, it was less than HKD20. It's so cheap in fact that my family in the UK send their keys over to me to get them cut and then I send them back. With the postage it's still cheaper than home! The key stocks are also plentiful. I have never been there and had cut refused due to a lack of the correct base key. Uncle key cutter also does shoes. Mrs L sends all her shoes there to be resoled and repaired, and given the state of many of her shoes, they do a great job. Just a few weeks ago we were out and about when Mrs L's sole fell off. Fortunately we were in IFC, so a quick run (or flappy shoed hobble) over to Perfect, and she had her shoe re-glued in about 5 minutes. Again it was only HKD20. On that last visit, I noticed a shoe stretching machine which I must use soon. I have a tight right which need to be addressed!

All I needed was a quick cheap heel repair. And I needed it quickly, because they were my favorite…read morepair of shoes! Quickly meant...maximum a couple of days. It had been on my to-do list for a few days and today was the day I was getting that done. So I left home earlier because I assumed most shops would be opened by 9 am, but all the small shops around the MRT in Wan Chai were closed...then I thought about The Groom, in United Centre, just by my office. Their tagline reads as 'Professional Quality - Express Workmanship' and they live up to it. My experience with them was great: not only they have very convenient opening hours (9 am to 9 pm), but they are extremely quick and affordable. I could pick up my pair of sandals a few hours later for as much as 50 HKD. And this is the standard: they would normally repair your shoes within the day. As I found out later, they also repair handbags, purses and belts and duplicate keys, and they sell all kinds of shoe care products and accessories. They have a few outlets all around Hong Kong (around nine) but I have only been to their Wan Chai outlet: they are extremely efficient and their staff is friendly. They even polished my shoes, without me asking for it. Just note that you need to pay before they repair your shoes.

They put 6 nails on my designer shoes and carved the inside of my wooden heels by good 2mm. Left…read morethem to show the wooden colors and kicked me out of the shop when I complained because they don't speak English. Asked me to complain to their customer service hotline instead. Worst experience ever. If you like your shoes and they cost more than $10, do not go here.

For shoe or leather maintenance, options are mainly limited to two extremes: there's the quick and…read moreghetto street stalls outside Central, or luxurious and pricey boutiques like the Armory in Landmark. The Groom offers a nice middle ground, at prices closer to the low range too. There's several stores in Hong Kong, with a few conveniently located in Mtr stations, so you can leave your stuff with them and pick it up after work. They stock a decent range of shoe/ leather care products, with some exclusive items for Red wing boots. Prices are reasonable, I got two pairs of cedar shoe trees for HKD 500, half of what I'd be paying at the Armory. If you spend HKD 500 you're eligible for a card that gives you 10% off future spending. Service and quality aren't the best, but this is made up for in reliability and convenience.

Shop owner is extremely polite and courteous even though he has been around for many years. He…read morecares about his work and will recommend suitable solutions for your shoes' needs. Not lowest price in town but fair.

I have been using this repair shop's service for many years, despite high price and sometimes poor…read morerepair result. I still gave business to this old man. Recently, I went again and while I was in the midst of our conversation, another customer appeared and asked him for quotations to which he entertained and forgot about me. So I gently reminded him of my presence and that he should settle my enquires before he dealt with the next client... To which he replied that if I was not happy, I could leave! So I did. I couldn't believe his attitude and why he would treat a loyal customer like he did. So just don't have high expectations of service standard. None.

From the owner: 立足中環金融中地30多年，修復超過50萬件皮具，皮革修復業界的領航者，帶領行業發揚光大，殊榮不斷，獲獎無數，譽滿全城，名震海外。read more

I haven't been working around the area long enough to confirm; but Uncle Lee(李伯), as most of his…read morecustomers fondly call him, has been polishing shoes in this corner for two decades now. At 80 years young, he marks the history and nostalgia of a generation. He has never relied on welfare or subsidies, insisting on spending only what his hard work earns him. He traveled from Malaysia to Hong Kong in the 1940s, and shifted through multiple jobs, from factory worker to barber to beggar. He later found his calling in shoe polishing, settling on the bridge connecting Murray Building Carpark, and has been practicing his trade there ever since. It was his 16th year in the trade, when in April 2009 he was arrested by Food and Environmental Hygiene Department's Hawker Control Team for obstruction in a public place as well as unlawful/illegal business operations. This led to a media outrage and attention and eventually in December 2009, Cap 132AG "Hawker (Permitted Places) Declaration" was announced, declaring the "Portion of the foot-bridge in front of the east entrance of the Murray Road Multi-storey Carpark Building" (L.N. 256 of 2009) legal for hawker activities. Uncle Lee, as well as a handful of other shoe polishers (mainly in Theatre Lane), were back in business. A round of applause to the unwavering dedication and commitment of Uncle Lee for throughout the years. Also, a big thanks for reminding us all the virtue of working hard and not giving up. Lastly, so that this review remains objective, he really does a mean shoe polish!