The Big Shoe Repair

I visited the big shoe repair for the first time ever recently. I brought my brand new never been worn rockin tiki shoes for Felipe to trim the heel just a bit. I'm sooo glad I did, they feel great, they look just as before and his prices are more than fair for today's inflation era. Aside from that he swapped out some heel ends on two other pairs, repaired sandal straps on a fourth pair. He did his magic and I'm sincerely grateful. Thank you!

Brought my nephews boots here and then all of a sudden it was closed for over a month! I called and called and there was never answer! We needed the boots for a wedding and we had to choose some other outfit! Truly annoying! Finally got the boots back, i gave the 3 starts because he did a good job but lacked communication.

AN ABSOLUTELY MUST DO ! 5 HUGE STARS! It's Time to jump into The TimeMobile & scour the Earth & take you to places from a different time that you won't believe still exist. We have set the dial to 1947 in the town of Bakersfield CA. Now Everybody has heard of the old nursery rhyme: There was an old woman who lived in a shoe. She had so many children, she didn't know what to do. Well I've updated that classic for our visit here to Bakersfield. There was a repair man who worked in a shoe who had so many pairs he didn't know what to do. We've arrived at a Building that's in the shape of a HUMONGOUS SHOE - The Big Shoe Repair on Chester & 10th St. This place puts a Big Smile on every person's face who sees it. This is an off white colored 1 Story Gigantic Lace up Shoe that is 380 square feet. It has a black sole & heel & sits on a eraser red colored foundation. It has 50 foot long black shoelaces that are made out of 3 inch black rope. The shop is 25 feet tall at its tallest point & 32 foot long. If you wanted to compare this to a human foot it would be a Size 768. WOW! Now, that's the Real Bigfoot! LOL! This building holds an old fashioned Shoe repair business inside with a real cobbler. The building is a prime example of Programatic Architecture. This type of architecture is characterized by oversized objects created to make people stop in their tracks & venture inside & buy.The History: The plaster & wood structure was built by Chester Deschwanden in 1947. He worked as a cobbler for 3 years then passed away. His son Donald & his mother then operated the business for over 40 years. When Don passed away in 1992, the structure became vacant for a number of years. Salomon Olivera ended up buying the building from Margaret Deschwanden the original owner's widow. Mr. Olivera totally understood the history & what the building represented to the community of Bakersfield. He wanted to keep the tradition going even though he got offers to turn it into different businesses. Mr. Olivera ended up finding the perfect fit for the property. He found Felipe Torres a shoe repairman for more than 20 years. It's now called The Big Shoe Repair. I can't comment on the shoe repair service because I didn't bring anything to be fixed. Next time I come here I'll bring some some shoes or leather goods to be shined up or fixed. Besides shoes, Torres repairs anything with leather or stitching including jackets, pocketbooks, wallets, suitcases & animal collars etc. This is an Incredible Building that really needs to be landmarked as an Historic Place to preserve it for future generations. Places like this simply don't exist anymore. In 2022 the Building celebrated its 75th Annuversary. In 1989 DuPont used it in its carpet campaign. It's been featured over the years in magazines like Time, Newsweek, People, World Report, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest & USA Today. It's been on TV & in books about unusual buildings. Yet most of America & the world has never heard of it or ever been here. It's really a Secret Hidden Gem. A sad note, a motorist just recently crashed into the building. no one was hurt & Everyone is hoping the building can be repaired & restored. This is the second time in its history a vehicle has crashed into it. Hey you Drivers Please Watch out for The Big Shoe! Stop on by to see it in person, take a photo & get your stuff fixed. Get ready to put a Big Smile on your face! I LOVE THE BIG SHOE! To make it worth your trip, there's also a lot of cool things to do around here including The Woolworth Diner, Antique Shops, The Big Bite Dunkin Donuts & The Fox Theater which is on the Register of Historic Places. It used to be, you had to have Mega Bucks & be really Rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

Such great service! My shoes look as good as new.He was able to accommodate a special request and the price was very reasonable.

i have been coming here for years to repair my shoes, no complains.the owner is friendly and wont fix a shoe if its not worth it.

Took my mom's heels and he said they would be ready in a week . A week passed by and we went and he said come back in another week so we did and he was like actually I'll call u once it's ready we waited almost 3 months and when we went he was like sorry I actually lost the original sole which were coach material so of course we wanted the original. He never even called us to let us know to come in person to let us know he lost it. And when we did go he seemed really annoyed that we were there. He added a completely different cheap sole and didn't even offer a refund . Very bad customer service and very bad experience

Felipe is great and my shoes were repaired quickly and professionally! So hard to find shoe repair places and I am happy to have found Big Shoe Repair

Felipe had my boots repaired on time, did a top quality job for a very reasonable price.

fixed my suitcase handle that Dallas airport (I think) broke!He previously repaired my shoes!

I left my boots there a month ago and still no call or nothing I've been going to that shop almost every day and it's always a close sign. at this point i just want my boots back.