Martinez Shoe Repair

Elite '08

55

289

Cathy H.

San Francisco, CA

With my daily walk and MUNI commute, my heels wear out quickly and play an annoying * click * ing and * clack * ing accompaniment to my strides. I just absolutely hate shopping for shoes every 3-6 months. So I resort to maintaining my shoes.

Martinez shoe repair by far has one of the least expensive heel repairs in the city. $6.50 per pair as opposed to $12+ per pair at Shoe Whiz. Although Martinez's M-Sa hours are 9AM-11AM and 12-5:30PM, he is not always there during those hours. Call ahead.

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0

18

Felicia H.

San Francisco, CA

I was hesitant to go inside this shoe repair store because it had such a sketchy exterior but then I reminded myself I was in the Mission, what was I expecting? Overall, I would reiterate what other yelpers have said: Martinez is cheap and fast: $13 to repair the heels of 2 pairs of shoes and a quick paint job on my scuffed boots. Dropped off shoes on Sunday afternoon, picked up on Monday after work. Not bad.

So why not five stars? The guy was such a weirdo! Poor communication skills. I had also brought in my new Uggs that I ripped and he immediately said: take that to my brother and started to scribble information down on a card. I proceeded to say that I would take all of my shoes to his brother so that I wouldn't have to go to multiple places. Martinez just ignored me. Took the other shoes from my bag and told me it would be $13, cash only. Seriously, there was no negotiating with him. Totally awkward and I didn't know what else to do but pay the man. AND his music was blasting so we had to talk really loud to hear each other. In such a small space, you would think he'd be courteous enough to turn the music down so he could hear what a customer was requesting.

But all in all, I would recommend him because cheap and fast are rarities in this city.

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Elite '08

141

194

Suzanne A.

San Francisco, CA

i was looking for a shoe repair in the hood, and Montano's was a bust two times over, so i yelped my area and found these guys.  

the place is tiny, messy, and as previous reviewers said "sketchy looking", but i was in bad need of new heels and i shine on my shoes and my goal was to stay mission-side.

well, they replaced the heels fine, but they didn't shine or polish them at all, so minus a star for that.  

and even tho they say their hours are Mon-Sat 9-5:30 w/ a break from 11-12, they weren't there when i stopped by, and later found out that they recommend you call them before coming by (WTF???).  minus one star for that.

prices, well, were cheap, so they do have something going for them, but again, i do believe you often "get what you pay for".

so it looks like i may be going back over to Upper Haight St in my old hood to get my shoes shined b/c nothing in my current hood seems to cut it.  so much for trying to stay local...

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23

5

Courtney S.

San Francisco, CA

I went to Martinez after seeing good reviews on Yelp, and maybe it is fine if you just need heels replaced, but I certainly won't go back there.

He quoted me a price for replacing heels and soles on some old boots, plus reconditioning the leather. When I went to pick them up, only the heels had been done. He told me the price was JUST for the heels (about $20) but that I should have him do the soles too; that reconditioning was not included, just a shine (which he hadn't done anyway). He didn't even do that great a job on the heels. A second pair had heel tips replaced just fine, but the third pair, a light-colored leather, had smears all over them from being worked on, and I had to stand there and make him clean them off before paying.

He asks for cash in full when you drop off; if you do go there, leave a deposit only so that you have some leverage when you go back. But I will be going elsewhere.

And I concur with the "sketchy" comments - when I walked in to pick up my shoes, he was sitting on the stool with his shirt rolled up and his big belly hanging out, and kind of slowly rolled it down after I was fully in the shop and waiting. Eww.

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Elite '08

249

348

Cyn W.

San Francisco, CA

You will not find cheaper or faster shoe repair in SF.

It's on 17th St and Hoff (between Mission and Valencia) -- right next to Maverick.  

Call ahead though as they keep odd hours...

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10

31

Elizabeth L.

San Francisco, CA

I just visited Martinez Shoe Repair this week to have the worn down heels on my favorite stilettos. They did a fantastic job, in less than a day, and only charged me $6.50!

I'm so relieved I check Yelp before doing so... or I might have stumbled into Sam's Shoe Repair. Their horror stories thankfully steered me in the right direction.

If you have been devestated by Sam's, please take your business to Martinez... they are just a few block away on 17th between Mission and Hoff streets.

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