Sammie's Shoe Repair

No frills, all craftsmanship. High-quality cobblers are a dying breed, and it’s a great to have this spot in central Austin. Cash only, and worth every cent. Got some boots reheeled and a pair of oxfords completely resoled for ~$140. 72-hr turnaround. Look no further if you want your shoes taken care of.

The original Sammy sold his shop to Santos many years ago and of course I love supporting local besides that they’re the only shoe repair within 3 miles. My only concern here is that they only take cash which is a real inconvenience because who carries cash these days what is cash? Besides that I needed new replacement Heels and they didn’t have the color so they’re kind of limited in that prospect. Otherwise they do a great job.

Took my Frye and Lucchese boots here for sewing and heel replacements, as well as some target high heels that the glue had separated. Austin shoe hospital refused to sew my boot clasp back down, however, Sammie went above and beyond by just saying what I needed. And great craftsman work too! TY very much Sammie!!!!

I've taken 3 designer boots/sandals to this shop and he NEVER disappoints. By ALL means go to Mr. Sammie not the other competitors. He will make it right! TRUST ME

I had a shoe emergency on the way to work and Santos at Sammie's fixed me right up! Both of my high heel tips had worn down to the metal, and I knew they weren't going to make it through the day. I called Santos and he said I could stop by. He fixed my shoes in ten minutes, and I was on my way. I will be coming to Santos for all of my shoe needs! Thank you!

My winter boots needed to be resoled and needed them done within 4 days. Everyone else said it would take 10 days. Santos did a great job and worked on it over the wkd. Props to a small biz!

Quality service! Santos is talented and gifted at what he does. He knows quality when he sees it he's a perfectionist. He always exceeds my expectations whenever he finishes my shoes. Everything I've requested he's done and even better. He is bilingual which I know in Austin is needed. He works with cowboy/vaquero boots and specializes with leather! He provides great service and I will continue to support. No other place like him. Gracias por siempre servir lo que tú prometes! -Billie

I am very please with the workman ship on my shoes 👞 I have high quality heel paid over 200.00 his work is awesom this is my shoe shop for life.

Five stars all the way, every time! Santos works absolute miracles. I brought in a very expensive pair of pale brown Mui Mui boots that I had very little hope of saving. Closet floor + overenthusiastic housecleaner + Mop'n'Glo squirt bottle = greasy spots all over both boots. I was sure they were goners, but he got most of that goo off and then re-dyed them, just a little darker. I like them better now than I did before. Beautiful work, and his prices are always more than reasonable.

Quality service! Santos is talented and gifted at what he does. He knows quality when he sees it he's a perfectionist. He always exceeds my expectations whenever he finishes my shoes. Everything I've requested he's done and even better. He is bilingual which I know in Austin is needed. He works with cowboy/vaquero boots and specializes with leather! He provides great service and I will continue to support. No other place like him. Gracias por siempre servir lo que tú prometes!

Great service, precise repairs, always done when he promised. I don't know if he accepts credit cards but plan ahead so you have cash, or call prior to picking up repairs

Sammie's is the best! I have been taking my riding boots to him for years for new heels and he does a wonderful job. The new heels last much longer than the original heels, and he has repalced heels that have been worn down past the rubber and into the wood. Not sure how he did that. He also has a great selection of second-hand western and English boots. I bought a pair of Ariat western boots for $75 several years ago, and I'm still using them every day. A great place. I hope he stays in business forever!

I've been going to his shop for years, and he's the best shoe repairman in town. He's always been fair with his prices and he's definitely a genius at his craft.

I asked for a very simple repair, but he screwed that up. I noticed it immediately but when I complained, he immediately became a drama queen, waving his arms and saying "Oh my god" over and over, acting like any issue I had was beyond unreasonable. But the truth is, he ruined my shoes. His workmanship was so bad, he even glued my insoles to the footbed in places. He tried to blame me over and over, denialing everything, claiming that because he's done this for years he cannot ever make a mistake, and offered no solution. The experience was truly shocking.

The absolute best experience! I had both of the bottoms of my heels broken with metal tip stick through. Gave Sammy a call and he had them fixed within 10 min and at an amazing price! So thankful for his business and highly recommend. Will be back!

It says much about this place if a local tannery recommended getting leather products fixed here. While this place is cash or check only, they do the personalized service well and keeping it local, as much of their business is by word of mouth. They're able to replace portioned leather in shoes or the whole works. Or simply fixing it with leather glue and polish to make it look as new as possible - depending on you. The shoes are only as good as you want it to be. The polishing itself was affordable, at $12.99 for leather boots. I would come back if I see my shoes needing further service.

Santos at Sammie's shoes has done a great job for me. He repaired a pair of heels that I destroyed dancing. He is also attaching the shoulder straps of a LV purse I Have. He is very knowledgeable and accountable. He advised me in what was best for my purse . I highly recommended this place. Prices are reasonable and he only takes cash to keep prices competitive.

Sammie is a master at leather working. He has repaired all of my shoes, always done an incredible job, he even repaired a leather purse of mine, creating a new strap to match the color, he is incredible I would recommend him all day.

I have to say this is now the third time I have tried to bring my shoes to the store and have been very disappointed and the lack of structure around the hours of operation. I understand when you have your own business you can be flexible with your personal time but if you expect to have patrons it should be some consistency. I've come twice before 5 and both times it was closed. I called on a Saturday to ask what their hours are and was told hours are from 9 to 2. I came up today 4/2 at noon and there's a sign that says sorry for the inconvenience we are closed and open up again during the week, how to say I'm not going to try again. I'm sure one or two patrons that are lost makes no difference to the business but I was planning on bringing four pair of shoes for repair and one pair of boots so if you multiply that by how many other potential customers they are losing out on that can add up. I came here because of the excellent ratings and it's unfortunate I won't be able to experience . I don't want to give a 1* rating because it's not fair to the business but I also don't want to give a good rating because this is a review that shows a very poor experience I've had not once but three times. And now I have to find someplace else to take my shoes or at least I can get the service.

Sorely disappointed. Took them over a week to "fix" the heels on two pairs of boots and they did a chop job. I'll let the photos speak for themselves. $55 for a half ass job. And didn't even shine the shoes up as they had in the past. Needless to say--I will not be returning. Though I'd prefer to go here because it's closer, I will be heading back to Texas custom boots on south side for future repairs.

They took this business over from the original owner whose name was guess wait for it, Sammy's. I only have one small complaint is that is that they only take cash

I had a the boot cap on a pair of heeled booties replaced last month at Sammie's. I was pleased with the job and have worn the boots 5-6 times since and haven't had any problems. The repair took exactly a week and cost $16, which I thought was reasonable. The only complaint/inconvenience I would note is that they are cash/check only, so be sure to remember cash when you pick up your shoes! I can't speak to any of the more complicated repairs on nice leather boots, but for a simple fix on a pair of inexpensive boots, Sammie's did a good job!

I had a small nail sticking up inside my boot and they took care of this in 2 minutes. They didn't even charge me for repairing it! I will definitely take any of my shoes here from now on. Excellent customer service, quality repairs and quick service!

The people were very pleasant to deal with and did what they said they would. Even finished my boots a day early! They removed wax that was spilled in my suade boots. When I was picking up my shoes I also found a really cool pair of old school boots that had been refurbished. Bought them for a nice value. Will definitely continue to go to Sammie's

I've been going to Sammie's since I moved into the neighborhood 8 years ago. I have consistently been happy with the quality of his work and the prices. HOWEVER, this is not Sammie's. I don't know when it happened, but the ownership has definitely changed sometime in the last year. I took a pair of boots in to be re soled and have zippers replaced. When I came back 2 weeks later, the work had still not been done, in fact the girl at the counter had a hard time finding my boots (despite me bringing in the original paper tag/receipt). 2 weeks later, work still hadn't been done. 2 weeks after that, 6 weeks after dropping the boots off, they were finally ready. I was out of town, so my boyfriend picked them up for me. He didn't notice that one of the zippers was misaligned and both boots were missing a leather strap that had been removed for the zipper repair. When I went back in to look for the leather strap, "They were here so long there is no way of knowing where that strap might be. Sorry" was all I could get. Please be aware, those of you who are coming here because of past glowing reviews... this IS NOT the Sammie's Shoe Service of the past. BEWARE!!

I've had several pairs of shoes repaired at the old original Sammie's and I was a fan. Besides the shoe hospital's which are inconveniently located from where I am, there are no real cobblers in town save for Sammie's. The place is a dump however let that not deter you. The people are super friendly and helpful and they do great work. The one sad fact is that Sammie, the original owner is no longer there. Their prices are not over the top meaning, not charging more than in LA or SF.

This place is so good, I'm not sure whether I want to have Sammie's children, or whether I want to *be* him. Comparing the service of, say, Austin Shoe Hospital to Sammie's is like showering with a loofah made out of virgin silk as opposed to an emery board. Sammie's: "You want heels on this?" Bam. Done in a day, $10. Austin Shoe Hospital: "Well, we have to send these away and you see this here where you've put some shoe polish on them that's gonna cost you extra and the sole is probably going to need doing too and that will be at least $65 with the stitching involved and it's gonna take a day extra because you came in at 4:15pm and we send all our shoes off to Mali at 4:14 and you have a red shirt on which incurs a red shirt tax oh and i'm sorry you had to come to our downtown store which is 'swamped' even though you're clearly today's only customer and how much did you pay for these shoes well that will be more than the repairs cost did you say you got these in Europe well that's probably going to be extra because we don't carry European sizes no they're not just numbered differently i beg to differ sir so that will be $110 with tax where are you going? do i take it you don't want us to do these?" Cheap, fast, accomplished. Nowhere else deserves your custom.

New owner is no good. Gave him a pair of python Noconas to patch based on pictures of prior work he showed me. Took longer than promised to do the work. The patch looks nothing like the surrounding material, and the scales on the skin used for the patch are oriented in the opposite direction of the original skin. How is anyone supposed to buff a boot with scales going in two different directions? Giving them the benefit of the doubt, when I brought them back I asked if there was a reason the patch needed to be installed with the scales backward. He said it didn't matter what direction you buff python scales. That is factually and inarguably incorrect. Don't have to take my word for it: Try rubbing a python boot--with even the lightest touch--from front to back. After discussing my concerns about the feasibility of cleaning the boots with the backward patch with me for a few minutes, he said he could guarantee the patch would be fine regardless of the direction in which it was cleaned or shined and walked out of the room. Mystified, I asked the clerk if I could have that in writing--nothing fancy, just a note on the back of a receipt or something. She said she'd go ask him and headed after him in the back of the shop. The first time she returned she relayed to me that this "guarantee" could not be written down. The second time, she said the work could only be written to be guaranteed for 15 days. At this point, I felt bad for her. The store's policies regarding the quality of their work are not up to her, and she shouldn't have to serve as a buffer between a dissatisfied customer and a proprietor that doesn't want to deal with them. I picked up my boots and left.

This place really is fantastic. I had a ripped shoe strap reattached to the sole and a heel fixed and the price was somehow like $4.00. I gave him $5 and wish I would have given more. He was really nice AND he was super honest about one of the repairs, saying that the shoes were really toast and he couldn't guarantee the repair for very long. I said, hey dude, that's ok! I just want them for a little bit longer! He did the repair and didn't charge me for it, which is why I gave him the extra dollar for doing it anyway.

Another five stars for Sammie's. I'd never had shoes repaired before, but my favorite boots were in bad shape and I missed them. After a very uncomfortable experience at Austin Shoe Hospital, I went to Sammie's on the recommendation of a friend. My boots came back looking amazing -- better than they'd ever looked, even. The soles are beautiful and the stitching is, if anything, better than the original. But the best part was the customer service, which was some of the best ever. The man (Sammie, perhaps?) explained what he could and couldn't do, and even recommended another place that could do a specialized repair on another pair of shoes inexpensively. Austin's reputation for friendly charm is sometimes more hype than reality, but Sammie's is the kind of place that makes you believe in it for sure.

I've been to Sammy's twice, today with an unusual request. I needed some holes punched in my Invisible Shoes. I explained what I needed and he carefully considered the best way to punch them. He even did a few test punches on a piece of cardboard, so we could evaluate the smaller versus larger size. While I was there, two customers came in who he ended up turning away. One wanted the heel reattached to her pump and the other wanted his suede boots cleaned. Sammy politely explained that he couldn't get them results they'd be happy with. Sammy is an honest, hard-working guy with a kind soul. I'm going back tomorrow to show him my newly laced-up Invisible Shoes!

Let me just say, before I moved to Texas I did not like cowboy boots one bit. I now have two pairs, one of which I wear *a lot.* I was warned at the boot store to make sure I replace the rubber on the heel before the wooden part gets chewed up, but did I listen? Of course not. So I took my sorry looking boots to Sammie's, where not only did the rubber part get replaced, but the wood was filled in and dyed to match. They look practically new, and all for $15. Highly recommend.

I brought 2 pairs of shoes here to get stretched out. They did an amazing job and the price was GREAT! They could stand to be a bit more friendly but other than that I am super satisfied.

Great place to go and get fix those old shoes you love and never want to get rid of!!

Another super happy customer! My heels also looked like they were shredded through and came back looking like brand new. I had two other pairs' heels fixed and came back wonderfully. Sammie is a one-man show, but boy, does he know how to run a business. He greets you with a smile, calls you right back when he says he will, and had the shoes done when he said they would. Aren't these simple concepts, yet big chain stores can't manage. Hooray for another local biz that's 5 stars! Cash or check only so don't forget your moola! Keep this guy busy! He's totally worth it! Thanks for an excellent job!!!

Sammie's was recommended to me by several different friends. So when my beloved boots were in need of some TLC, I decided to try out Sammie's Shoe Service and was very pleased! I had the heels redone and he did a great job! I pretty much destroyed the heel, so not only did the heel cap need to be replaced, but I had also gouged out layers of the heel itself. At first, he would only be able to replace the heel cap, but when I got the shoes back, it looked like he had added a layer of shoe putty or something to make the heel not look so sad and damaged!! :D Also, you can definitely tell he runs his business very efficiently. When I stopped by, he's very quick to come to the front and gives you all the information you need right away.

I too love the place, the family & their results. Feel so lucky they are willing to execute the "impossible fix" and One Time outta many sandals my elderly mom has me take in - for new strap Velcro or sole attachment etc. she just loves those turquoise sandals! Thanks, Sammie's! Y'all's patience, extra conscientious attention to detail and ... all. I appreciate all of y'all there.

Not as good as the original Sammie's. The lady out front speaks english and translates for the man doing the repairs. He said the repair would not last long, he was right, two wears and the sole on my work boots was loose & I wore them for a few hours. Certainly not as good as the original Sammie's. He was a professional !

After reading all these 5-star reviews, I thought this would be the place to go for my shoes, but what's up, Austin? Where can I take my purses and shoes for magic repairs like I did in Vegas? ): The service here is good, but heel tips on one pair of shoes cost me over $10, which is roughly double what I paid at my two favorite shops in Vegas (and what I assumed as the norm.) Not bad, but not blown away, either. Oh, and cash only. ):

I've gotten many a heel tap replaced over here. Sammy's very honest with what he can and can't do, and his prices are very reasonable. The service here is great, and I feel comfortable trusting Sammy with my preccciousssss... shoes. Ahem...sorry, had a Gollum moment. Anyhow, there are sometimes times where I wish he could do more, but I appreciate that Sammy only does work when he is confident that he can deliver. He's great at the basics, which ends up mostly being heel taps for me. Also, he doesn't take cards, so be sure to bring cash before you pick your shoes up!

I will be picking up my boots from reheeling on Wednesday (two days) after dropping them off on just now. I explained my situation on how quickly I needs them, and they were so understanding and said they could do it! AND for 75% less than everyone else quoted me. This place is completely the real deal as people say!!! Thank you guys, I am counting my lucky stars to find this place! Ill update Wednesday. Edit: just picked up my boot! Perfect I suspected! What a angel Sammy is! Thank you!!!!!!

I absolutely LOVE this shoe repair store! The owner is wonderful!! He is so nice and he has REALLY helped me out with some of my favorite shoes - shoes that I thought I would have to throw away, he brought them back to life! Thank you, Sammie!! He's VERY reasonably priced too. I won't take my shoes anywhere else!

I was recommended this small place by a friend who is a regular customer there. She put in a pair of my shoes that had become heat damaged (was left in a vehicle in the summer) and the glue had come apart between the soles and uppers. I went to pick them up and the guy behind the counter was very friendly and helpful. I have since then used them several other times to stretch a pair of Italian Oxfords and brown Oxfords as well.. And later work on a pair of Italian boots. All the work has been done efficiently and at a very reasonable price (unlike Austin show hospital). Plus they offer other small leather items for sale ( shoes that have not been claimed, purses, belts etc) plus a nice selection of leather/shoe care products. I have found my new favorite leather repair place for sure.

Haven't been to Sammie's in years because I don't live in that area anymore, but he always did a great job on my shoes and always remembered my name.

Excellent job on heels at good price points. Consistent repair. Good follow up services. My only shoe repair shop and I'm hard on heels!

Lemme preface this with saying that I have nothing to compare Sammie's to. I've not had shoes or boots repaired before so take my opinion of the work and pricing for what its worth - maybe not much. TL:DR: It's a decent place to get a pair of boots repaired though nothing seemed particularly remarkable. My BF is happy with the new soles and says the re-condition is alright but not spectacular. The full monte: I dropped three pairs of mens boots off on a Saturday, with instructions to re-sole and re-condition. I had also authorized the matching and repair of a small patch in the back with a material that wasn't exactly the same color. My BF decided to hold back on that -- and so I attempted to call Sammie's to make the change. In fact, I called them three times. Each time, I got an answering machine that "wasn't set up yet." There was literally no way to get a hold of them. I drove all the way back over to 38th, walked in and made the change. While in the store, I told the front desk ga; about the problem. She seemed completely unaware and doubtful of my claims. So I called them while i was in the store. It rang... and rang... and then their system hung up automatically. The reason I tell you this rambbbling story is: Know exactly what you want when you go in because there's no calling to change anything. Also, as a business who doesn't have a website or any other method of contact, maybe get your phone situation straight. The three pair repair was about $280. While it's certainly cheaper than buying a new pair of boots, it seems on the pricey side. (However, that might be because I'm still smarting from that annoying trip back.)

I have been going to Sammie's since 1997 when I moved to the neighborhood. I have always recommended Sammies. However, he retired and sold the place to some new folks about a year ago. The new owners are crazy expensive, the work is shoddy and the prices change depending on the day when you walk in. $20 to shine a pair of shoes? Really? Sammie would charge $5 for shoes and $8 for boots. I'm a loyalist when it comes to whom I frequent in town and I'm incredibly disappointed that Sammie is gone and I'll have to find a new place to bring my stuff.

Love this place! I recommend Sammie to all my friends as my "shoe guy". He is always extremely helpful, very honest, and prompt with repairs. Sammie has rescued several pairs of heels, and stretched a few pairs of boots. I have never paid more than $10 for a single repair, which is far cheaper than any of the other places in Austin. Furthermore, he will tell you if your shoe doesn't need work done yet and will give you an estimate of when you should bring them back in based on how often you wear them. Cash only, but worth it.

Okay, first off let me qualify this review. 1. I've never had shoes repaired so I have nothing to compare this experience to. 2. I think Sammie is a very personable person and 3. I really hate leaving a bad review. I only didn't put 2 stars because it says "I've had better" and since I've never repaired shoes before, I can't honestly say that. I brought a pair of leather boots (not cowboy) to be re-soled in October 2012. They were completely worn through on both sides where the balls of my feet are (ie. there was a hole on either side straight through the sole) By December 2012 they were again completely worn through in the same spots, and I can tell that he just put leather over the already existing soles. I don't know how to repair shoes, maybe that's standard practice. But I wear those shoes for everyday life, I don't run in them, I don't hike in them, I don't do anything in them that should warrant new soles wearing down in 3 months. This wouldn't upset me so much, except that I paid 40 dollars to have them resoled. I bought them used for about 15, and for years the soles were fine. So I know that somehow the quality of this service was NOT worth the price. When I called today, I was told that what I did with my shoes was what I did with my shoes and that he used the highest quality leather available. That may be so, but his actual "repair" looks more like patchwork from what I'm seeing. For anybody wanting to support this business, I highly recommend that you 1. ask for a detailed description of the process and 2. ask for an estimate of time that you can expect your new soles to last. If it's less than 3 months, you're better off buying another pair of shoes.

Wow. Just wow. Every time I take my shoes there, they come out looking great at a price I can't believe. I've used Sammie's many times, but this time, I took my boyfriend's favorite boots in to have the soles reattached. He's taken them to the Austin Shoe Hospital previously to have them reattached (glued) and it cost over $100 for ONE boot there! Sammie's only charged $10.80 to SEW both soles back on!!! I can't say enough good things about this place.

I took 5 pairs of heels in; 3 needed new caps , 1 had a broken sole and 1 had a broken zipper. I came back 2 weeks after dropping off my shoes to pick them up. My shoes that needed a zipper had been repaired with mis-matched zips and my shoes needing heel replacement had been damaged. I asked that the repairs be completed and left my shoes there. I went back yesterday, about 4 weeks later and the zippers had not been replaced or changed but I took my shoes any way because I didn't want to wait anymore. I wore the shoes today and the zippers on both shoes will not stay up, they are more damaged now, somehow.

New Owner, poor service and very poor workmanship! I picked up some sandles to be repaired and they literally broke in the same place 5 minutes after I put them on. I also had several paired of heels replaced the workmanship is poor, sloppy, and quality is lacking. New owner is not Sammie. I will not go back. I now know of no shoe repair place in Austin I can use. Disappointing!

I can't think of a way this place could get better. Great service, great prices, wonderfully nice man.

I brought a pair of suede ankle boots in for repair last Thursday and they were done exactly when he quoted me, this Monday. A seam had popped on the back, and first the gentleman told me he straight up couldn't do it--it had been sewn from the inside. What he could do, he said, was stitch it from the outside--a zigzag stitch in a comparable thread color. You can tell it's been repaired, but only if you look very closely. The thread color isn't an exact match, but he said it would darkened a little as it got dirty. I'm really pleased with the results; I'll be mostly wearing these boots with jeans, so I doubt the repaired section will even show. It cost $3.50, which is probably more than I spent in gas driving back and forth. I am super pleased with the service here. I called on the phone the day I picked up the shoes, and Sammie didn't even need to see my ticket when I showed up--he remembered my name and which pair was mine. It was definitely worth the traffic! EDIT: Just posted this review but had it done back in 2012. These shoes have almost worn out, but the repair is holding steady!

Sammie is the only guy in town I let work on my cowboy boots. Honest & fairly priced, I will keep going back. Also, Sammie is a great guy!

Boots looked better than when I bought them! This place is cash or check only so keep that in mind.

Sammie is such a genuine guy. Walking into his shop feels like going back in time. A bell rings on the door and you're surrounded by leather boots and belts, and a kind-looking guy with long hair and a bandana comes out from around back, clearly in the middle of something, but open to taking on a new project from you if he has the right machine. My mom recommended him after a strap on my favorite leather purse came apart. At first he hesitated because he doesn't do purses, but it was an easy enough fix so he took it in. I picked it up three days later and paid about $5. I'm really happy with the quality of the stitch and the overall personable service. Don't forget, it's cash only!

I have been to Sammie's several times and really love to support his business. Last time I took in a pair of Keen's that needed to be stretched. He kept them for a few days and charged me $8 or so, which I thought was a great price. He had me try them on to make sure they fit. Another time I took in some boots that needed some stitching done. His shop by Fiesta in Central Austin is one of the last independent shoe repair places around. Sammie has always done great work on my shoes and his pricing is extremely fair....much lower than Austin Shoe Hospital. Make sure you bring cash.