The best shoe repair shops in Chicago

When your local shoe repair shop has been open since 1942, you know it's doing something right. That's the case with Broadway Shoe Repair—just ask any East Lakeview resident. This place does things the old-school way, with honest service, quick turnaround and the kind of impeccable quality that's hard to find this day and age, all at a reasonable price.

Fast, transparent and quality service are some of the many reasons North Siders keep coming back to Mariny's Shoe Repair. Whether you need a quick fix on your heels or a total overhaul on your favorite pair of cowboy boots, you'll be presented with several easy to understand pricing and repair options. Plus, check the website for specials like $10 off with any purchase of $50.

A popular spot for the 9–5 Loop crowd, on any given weekday you can find this place "buzzing" with businessmen taking advantage of Beehive's cheap $4 on-the-spot shoe-shine, but the shop offers a plethora of other services, too—pretty much any shoe repair under the sun, luggage repair, shoe dying and tinting, hat blocking and cleaning, and even key cutting, so you can get all those pesky lunch-break errands accomplished in one place.

When the Chicago winter has put your favorite pair of shoes on its last legs, head to the Shoe Hospital. Located in the Loop, drop off your shoes or other leather goods at this repair shop for a fast fix, polishing, stretching, resoling and more. Pick them up shining and like new in a few hours, or make a quick pit stop at the shoe shine station before heading into the office.

The name says it all–leather recrafting is this family-run shop's bread and butter. From shoes and boots to jackets, handbags, luggage, even baseball mits, Oscar's is known for breathing life back into even the most beat-up leather goods. Shoe repair? They've got that covered, too. Choose one of the specialty recrafting packages if your shoes need a total overhaul post Chiberia winter.

A no-frills, no-fuss, hole in the wall (literally), Tony's is known in Oak Park for bringing even the saddest shoes back from the dead. The shop is old-school, so come prepared with cash, but the great quality is well worth the extra trip to the ATM. 

This Chicago-based company brings you the skill of your local cobbler with the convenience of, um, your iPhone? Simply download the app, find the nearest shoe drop location (be it at your local dry cleaner, office building or high-rise), your choice of services—shine, clean, or repair—and handle your payments with a few swipes. You'll even get text notifications updating you on the status of your shoes, which are taken to Shoe Drop’s 4,000-square-foot facility on the West Side for service. Easy peasy.