Daniel Serdar
I've never written an online review about a business before, and I’m generally a person who prefers to avoid confrontation, but I’ve been unable to ignore what happened when I picked up my shoes at Adam’s Boor Repair a week or so ago. I dropped off a pair of dress shoes to have new heels put on. Upon picking them up, the man removed a rubber band (which held the numbered ticket) that had been wrapped around and putting pressure upon the vamp of my left shoe. The leather of this left shoe had lots of creasing on it on the spot where the rubber band was, which is evidently not on the right shoe. While I didn’t want to mention anything, I noticed how bad it was when I got outside and saw the shoes in better light. Firstly, anyone who knows anything about shoes knows that you should NEVER apply external weight or pressure against the vamp of a shoe for a period of time. So, the fact that a rubber band was wrapped around the vamp and putting pressure for on it for days means that the serviceman was either careless or ignorant, neither of which are qualities a tradesman should have. After going back in and mentioning it to the man, he told me “They’re old shoes” and that was the reason for the left shoe having creasing. Yes, they’re old and worn, but the right shoe does not have the creasing that the left one does. As one can tell from the picture, the left shoe has severe creasing across the vamp RIGHT WHERE THE RUBBER BAND HAD JUST BEEN and the right shoe does not. Unless something out of the ordinary happens, dress shoes DO NOT wear this unevenly. He then said that if you wear them for 5 minutes, the creases would come out. That’s ridiculous. Look up any video or source on removing creases from dress shoes, none say “walk in them more and your creased disappear”. After wear and use of proper shoes trees this last week or so, I TODAY still have these noticeable creases. Anyway, after this he continued, rather he used the words “I promise you”, that my shoe had already been in that creased condition when I first dropped them off and prior to his working on them. Firstly, I just watched him remove a rubber band over the exact part that was creased. Secondly, I find it hard to believe that he remembered the exact condition of each of those shoes that had been dropped off weeks prior, especially compared with someone that maintains them regularly and puts extra effort into maintaining certain more-worn parts of the leather. Thirdly, as mentioned before, how do you explain the vast difference between the vamps of each shoe? I even showed a friend of mine, without having told him the story yet, asking “notice anything different?” to which he made a face a replied, “Somebody jacked up your one shoe, man.” This experience at Adam’s Boot Repair was like when you watch a kid break something or do something they’re not supposed to, and then after they look you in the eye and tell you they didn’t do it. How stupid do you think I am? And I’ve had these shoes for years, I regularly maintain them and keep shoe trees in them, I know which parts have blemishes and which parts need extra polish. I SAW YOU take a rubber band off the left shoe that left it compressed and with creases that the other shoe DOES NOT HAVE! When he asked me what I wanted him to do about it, I asked, “well what can I do to fix it?” I didn’t ask for a refund or try to swindle anyone, I just want my shoes back in the shape that they were in before I dropped them off. And yet, he gave me the same excuses, rather lies, as before. When I drop something off for repair, NO PART of it should come back unnecessarily damaged. It doesn’t matter if they’re old or worn, or brand new, or expensive or cheap, IT’S PRINCIPLE: DON’T DAMAGE WHAT I PAY YOU TO FIX, AND THEN LOOK ME IN THE EYES AND LIE ABOUT IT. I will never spend my money at Adam’s Boot Repair again, and I will not recommend their services to anyone. I will not support any business with workers or owners that are dishonest, careless, and refuse to help a customer that asks for help to fix the business’ mistake.