Frank's Shoe Service

The quality of their work has gone down hill and so has their one friendly attitude. Rude staff. They make u feel like they are doing u a favor. Services that they could once could do in the past, they no longer even want to bother with. Frank is obnoxious and the staff is unfriendly. Go to Tiger Shoe Repair right down the street on Maple. His quality of work is much better and he is extremely nice and charges way less. more

If you ask anyone in Oakland County to name a shoe repair place, they will undoubtedly mention Frank's. And what's not to love, they're in downtown B'ham, and have been in business forever. The problem is, they are the cobbler's equivalent of a fast food restaurant. This place may be fine for women (and perhaps men) to take their low quality but high priced designer shoes in for cheap glue repairs, but if you wear REALLY good shoes (English, Goodyear-welted, channeled-sole type of stuff), then don't consider this place, they're not up to the task, I assure you. Pros: Location, quick turnaround Cons: Workmanship, lack of knowledge more

Franks was recommended to us for a repair we needed. I read the reviews here but decided to give them a try anyway. Called and was told they do the replacement work we needed. Made the drive and was told by the counter women they don't do that type of replacement but they could attempt to repair it. When we told the women we had a place that would do the replacement she threw the back at us and walked away. We'll go to Cobbler's Corner in Northville, forget Frank's. Pros: None Cons: Dishonest more

Maybe the service standards in Michigan are so poor that this place is rated so highly by 2 people here. Then again, on other reviews, Frank's gets beat up. This place is not what it is made out to be. Maybe 20 years ago, Frank did a decent job, now he is just a money grubbing, say what it takes, non customer service oriented OLD man. Time to graze out in the Pasteur buddy and let the new blood in. This place took 2 of my shoes in and completely wrecked one of them to the point that I can't even wear them. When I asked him what went wrong, he asked me to leave the store - no apology, no explanation, no refund. I was close to flinging the shoes at his ugly face, then I realized that Tiger shoes is a block away and maybe they can fix what Frank ruined. Will let you know what happened. more

If you want a shoe repair that walks all over you, go to Frank's. I WAS a loyal customer for years -- and challenge the reviewer below who said "no longer quality work" is the product of a single bad experience. Wrong. I 100% agree with mbromwell. Again, I was a fan for years. But, recently, I took a pair of shoes in to get stretched. Since they were made of satin, I first asked if it was even possible to stretch them ... the woman at the desk said yes. After paying, I tried them on in my car and realized they hadn't stretched AT ALL. I went back in and asked if there was anything else they could do. I did not ask for my money back, rather, just politely explained they didn't stretch. The woman at the desk informed me that, because they were made of fabric, they wouldn't stretch. Hm. I inquired as to why they didn't tell me that initially. No answer. She just went back and got the beast: Frank. Frank stormed out, told the woman to give me my money back and became extremely confrontational. He pointed to the sign that says something along the lines of "shoes repaired at own risk" (red flag) and asked me if I had read it (wish I had), continued to try and bully me ... I could go on and on. Over $8! I couldn't believe it. I didn't even ASK for the money back. After Frank's unnecessary tirade, however, I was happy to take it ... and my business ... elsewhere. You should too. Pros: Decent selection of DIY repair products. Cons: Dishonest, rude, overpriced, highly overrated. more

"No longer quality work" is wrong. It sounds like a single negative experience in a mostly terrific shop. As a friend of mine sometimes reminds me: Only the mediocre are at their best every day. Frank's work is consistently of the highest quality, done on time, and they stand behind their work. If you think a major repair is needed but they see an easier/less expensive way, they will recommend the lower priced work. If you are looking for a repair they can't do well, or results they can't deliver, they will tell you so rather than just taking your money and leaving you unsatisfied. If a repair they've done isn't right, they fix it without hesitation. The staff is friendly, though if you go at their busiest hours they won't have time to chit-chat. I highly recommend them for shoes and other leather repairs. This is based on many years of patronizing Frank's, and many repairs of consistently high quality. I have absolutely not seen any decline. Pros: Excellent worksmanship, reliable service, good value for your dollar. Cons: Frank is not a smarmy salesman, so you might be disappointed if you are looking for jokes or salesman charm ("Hi, I'm Frank, how can I help you guys?"), but you'll still get a great shoe repair. more

Frank's use to be the one of the best places in Metro Detroit to get your shoes repaired. Unfortunately, times have changed and so has the service at Frank's. If you are simply looking to have the sole of your shoes protected with the hard vibram plastic sole, then they are fine. However, I have taken a pair of shoes to simply have the buckle replaced and have recieved them back twice with the repair not completed. When I went back in to let them know, they questioned me as though I was lying about it and trying to receive free work - a lot of trouble for simply a $10 buckle. Additionally, they do not do heel repairs any longer and finally their once-friendly, small town, attitude has disappeared. They tend to be curt, dismissive and rude - kind of like their workmanship. While I thought this might have been simply my experience, I have learned most of my colleagues have stopped going there for the same reason. Pros: Location Cons: Attitude, workmanship more

This is one of those recommendation-driven businesses. Where do I take my shoes when they break/need resoleing, etc etc. This is a great place to go. They give you a great service for a really good price. Even though they are in downtown Birmingham, they are a little further south on Old Woodward, so parking isn't usually a problem. You can find a meter with little to no problem. more

When your heel breaks or your shoes need resoled, you never know where to go. I got a recommendation once for Franks, and I got to try them out when a strap broke on my favorite strappy sandals. Great service, good prices, and the work they did was wonderful. Not only did he fix the strap, but he also put new inserts in the shoes. Highly recommend. more