Mr T’s Shoe Service

Absolutely horrible service! I try my hardest to support local businesses, but this place is not worth it. I went to pick up my shoes after a week, and was told that they were never repaired because the tag was marked incorrectly by the owners wife. The owner did not offer compensation, and when I asked he rudely told me no. I came back the next week to get my shoes (bad decision I should have left with my shoes not repaired). They still did not repair one shoe, and the wife refused to adjust the price. The workmanship on the other shoes was horrible! They placed a poor adhesive on the shoe and did not reattach the sole. They also tried to charge me extra to use a debit card for payment, which they did not inform me of before hand. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR YOUR MONEY FOR POOR SERVICE AND POOR WORK.
Mariny’s shop in lakeview is much better!
Please do not waste your time.

I brought my boots in to be repaired and Mr. T made them look like new. He’s professional and friendly, takes the time to explain what he did. I would absolutely come back again. Highly recommended.

Words can’t say how great this place is, but I’ll try. The owner and wife are pleasant and courteous. I’ve so far brought three shoes here and they have exceeded my expectations. I have a Merrell boots I’ve had for years. I wear them for quick errands and they have brought them back to life. From now on I’ll be using them instead of my downtown shoe cobbler. I would recommend calling to make sure the are open. Great service!

As you can see, there are not many businesses that would inspire me to write reviews but Mr. T’s Shoe Repair is among that select group. The business started at least 35 years ago in another storefront down the street. Now, Mr. T’s son-​in-​law is there during the week joined by Mr. T’s daughter on Saturdays. I actually look forward to dropping off and picking up my shoes and bags. I sometimes even find myself convincing myself that this or that needs a shine, heal tap, or stitch just so I can have an excuse to stop by. I have never before had a shoe repair shop evaluate my shoes and help me decide that they may not be worth fixing or point out an issue I might want to have repaired the next time I bring them in. And, I have stopped shining my own shoes: why bother? They do such a beautiful job. It is a joy to frequent an old fashioned business where the people take pride in their work and enjoy what they do. One caveat (besides the limited hours) is that they take such care and do such a good job that they don’t always get the shoes done by the time they say they will. So, especially if you’re coming a distance (and it would be worth it to travel to bring your shoes here), call first! And, while you’re there, stop by the Valley of Jordan Grocery next door and get a falafel sandwich, stuffed grape leaves, and baba ghanoush.

Completely disappointed. I found them on Unilocal and saw some of the iffy reviews but everyone seemed to be happy with the results. I took a pair of boots in and was quoted $ 65. That seemed a bit outrageous but the boots were expensive leather so I said ok. They took 2 weeks longer than they said they would. When I picked them up they only gave me a $ 5 discount for the wait. The shoes didn’t look good at all. The soles just don’t look nicely put together. I am so disappointed. Not even a month later and they’re already falling apart!

I went to Mr. T’s to get my daughters shoes stretched and while they did a good job and were pleasant, they were not open during their stated business hours (1pm-​6pm Fridays) when I came back to pick up the shoes. They specifically told me to come back the following Friday and no one was there even though the hours indicated that they should be open. Several other customers came by as well. After waiting outside for over an hour I finally left. I called later and they said they were there now and I could come back. I told him I wasn’t driving back over there today and I would be by in the morning. When I came by the next day, the woman apologized and said he had stopped at an office store before coming in.
Opening your business two or more hours late because you stopped at another store is unprofessional, and this is why I gave them ³⁄₅ stars.

I am so sad I found this place just before moving away from Chicago. It is one of those local businesses that you feel great supporting.
I needed a pair of heels replaced and heel protectors added, and I needed them done quickly as I am literally leaving town next week.
He did a great job and was able to do them with a turnaround of just a few days, and the price was very reasonable.
If I was staying in Chicago, I’m sure I would be back.

DO NOT TAKE YOUR SHOES TO THIS PLACE!!! I took two pair to this «repair» shop and he completely did a BOTCHED job on a pair of my favorite heels and lied and said that’s what they looked like when I brought them to him. The taps needed to be replaced, and he scrapped off extra fabric on BOTH heels then put black paint where the fabric was missing. The second pair was just okay. His craftsmanship is horrible. He was nasty (literally and figuratively) and unapologetic about the sloppy job he did. I disregarded the previous reviews because they were mixed and also outdated, but save yourself the trouble and go some place else. I wish I could give NO stars!

I stopped into Mr. T’s today to see if they could fix the heels on my Frye boots before I leave town tomorrow. They inspected the boots, looked to see if they had the pieces they needed, explained exactly what the process would be, and quoted me a price. Then, they had everything ready for me (including cleaning up my boots, which were looking a little sad and dirty) in under an hour. Yes, the store is cluttered, and the price was a little more than I was expecting, but the service was amazing and the quality of the repair seems very good. Assuming they hold up as well as I’m expecting, I’ll certainly be back.

If you can look past the state of the shop — which is, to be quite frank, a complete and utter mess — you’ll find here high quality workmanship for very reasonable prices. The owners of the shop are very personable, and they’ll take the time to explain to you exactly what they did to repair your shoe.
If you are worried about the apparent lack of organization — I know that I was certainly a little hesitant to leave my favorite pair of boots in the shop — bring a book as you will likely be able to get same day service. I brought in two pairs of boots in need of new soles, waited an hour, and was able to bring them straight home. It cost me about $ 25 for the two pairs and I was very happy with the new soles and the shine job.
Bottom line: I don’t know that I’d cross town to come here, but if you’re in Hyde Park it’s a great place.

Mr. T was not able to fix my shoes. So why am I giving this place four stars?
Instead of giving me false hope that my shoes could ever be fixed, he pointed out all of the problems with the lining that had rendered my favorite pair of rain boots useless. While it’s disappointing that they couldn’t be repaired, I appreciated that he took the time to teach me about what was wrong with the boots. I would go back again with different (hopefully reparable) pairs of shoes.

Yes. It’s cluttered and messy. Get over it!
Got my pumps reheeled (and the scratches repainted black) for only $ 7.75, same day service! Can’t beat that. AND way to support small businesses. It’s a few elderly people doing it all on their own. And they’re super nice. I appreciate that.
Definitely recommend.

Mr T’s is a funny place.
No, it’s not particularly organized. No, they don’t accept credit cards. No, they didn’t know how to give me a receipt. No, they’re not open on Mondays or Tuesdays.
BUT they fixed my favorite boots for a reasonable price, and they look great now! Plus the people who work there are really friendly (if a little confusing). My shoes were done on time and done well, so no complaints.

I got home from college over thanksgiving break with my favorite pair of black leather boots (wear them EVERY DAY) in desperate need of resoling. I needed them fixed before I went beck to school in central Ohio, because you REALLY NEED good boots in Ohio, but I had only 2 days to get it done. Not a problem, my boots were fixed by the next day, they looked great, and it was only something like $ 17. For the speed and quality, I would have been willing to pay $ 30. This place was really great and I will definitely go back whenever I need anything done to my shoes.

This is the worst shoe repair place I have ever seen. It is terribly disorganized, and they just throw shoes on the floor (including nice suede. I had to come back three different times in order to get my shoes. Why? They couldn’t find them. It was very stressful. Do not ever take your shoes to this place, ever. I would give them negative stars if I could.

I’ve written about Mr. T’s shoes before and have to write about them again. This is an old-​fashioned cobbler who does HIGH quality work. I just took 4 pair of my favorite winter boots to be repaired and they all came back looking brand-​new, all for a mere $ 75.
If you don’t get all crazed out by the bags of shoes spilling all over the place in the interior and have confidence that the messy system works, you will not be disappointed going to this place. I now live on the north side and make special trips down south just to have Mr. T repair my shoes. I will never go anywhere else in Chicagoland. Neither should you.

For the skimmer:
Pros — super helpful and clear service, good work, low prices.
Cons — the lady at the front is kind of cranky sometimes, they are disorganized (I was lucky enough to spot my own bag), they only take cash.
I was especially impressed by how personable and friendly they were, and just ready and willing and even eager to help they were. They seemed like just down-​to-​earth nice people and I was really glad to be able to support them. Plus, they did a great job fixing my leather bag!

I broke my sandals the first time I wore them.
Really lame — I know.
It was a door accident though.
So not entirely my fault.
Lucky for me I live just across the street from Mr T — not the big dude with all the golden chains and the mean mohawk but a sweet old gentlemen whose passion is to save a woman’s best friends. I took my ailing footwear for a much needed consultation and was transported in a timeless universe. From the look of things and the accumulation of shoes, dust and faded newspaper clippings that ornate the walls Mr T has been around for a while.
He welcomed me with a shoe in his hand, a worn-​out cap on his head and a big smile and started his diagnosis. He took a while to figure out how to operate but then all of a sudden his eyes sparkled and he said «Hmm…I have it».
Victory!
Three days and $ 6.50 later I could wear my bejeweled shoes again.
Love you Mr T!

So, after reading the previous reviews about Mr. T’s, I thought I’d give them a try. But unlike a previous Unilocal reviewer, when I walked in, I wasn’t necessarily comforted by the bags of shoes «spilling off the shelves.» What I thought was, «How in the heck will they find my shoes when I come back?», which actually manifested itself a week later. So anyway, I took a pair of beloved sandals that I’ve had since college b/​c the strap broke off. Now, I have to say, the owner was extremely personal and talking to him reminded me of the older men at my home church back in Mississippi. It was like I was talking to my grandfather. But that’s pretty much where the pleasantries began and ended: I had to come back twice b/​c my shoes weren’t repaired correctly, it took 20 minutes to find them once they were completed, and the clutter just put me in an OCD attack. I really hated that my experience wasn’t stellar b/​c as an African American, I really try to support black-​owned businesses but, Mr. T’s just kind of makes me pity the fool.

My experiences with Mr. T’s Shoe Service have never been anything less than stellar!
His store is very old fashioned — decorated with row upon row and pile upon pile of cool shoes. (People in HP seem to have great taste in shoes, if not food) He has all of the old fashioned equipment to fix shoes, and he personally repairs each pair. Not to mention he is coolest, kindest, most interesting man you will ever meet. He is kind of like your grandfather from some great movie — the awesome older, black gentleman dispensing life advice between jokes. His nephew is apprenticing in the store and is equally charming, if slightly more shy.
My shoes are still fixed and going strong — 1 ½ years later. It usually does take a little while to find your shoes, but that is just another wonderful excuse to talk to either Mr. T or his nephew.