Bao Shoemaker

The best shoemaker in the world!!!Not a single shoemaker wanted to take work to make it in two days — lazy Canadians.Bao Ly (Shoemaker) took our order and made it in TWO DAYS!!!It was very important to us to make the extra height for our daughter's right shoe and make it fast.And Bao helped us and did it quickly and very well.This is precisely the level of quality that we lack so much in Canada.

I was really satisfied with the service here. They were affordable, paid attention to detail and fixed my shoes very quickly. Great local shop to repair shoes instead of buying new ones.

Great service and phenomenal work. Got a high grip sole placed on my cowboy boots for only $65. Best cobbler on the island

First visit today. No problem to fix a job another cobbler said could not be done. Very nice man.Makes beautiful shoes to order.

Took in a pair of 6 year old boots that I wore almost everyday and on several trips through snow, rain and mud. After so much wear and tear, the original rubber soles had started to crack. Bao was my last resort as I had taken my boots to two other cobblers who turned me away and told me to just give up and buy a new pair. Bao was able to replace both soles for under $100 and my boots look like new! I've taken any shoes needing repairs to him since and couldn't be happier with his work. His prices are affordable and his craftsmanship is excellent.

Great spot to get shoes repaired! Absolutely 5-star service.UPDATE: see update to the owner’s reply below. This is awesome! I will feel more comfortable coming to Bao Shoemaker for any future repairs I need as I will be able to lock up my bike. For anyone else looking to request a bike rack from the city of Victoria, go to the “Bike Parking” page on their website, and scroll down to the “Request a Public Bike Rack” section to find the form. Review updated to 5 stars. The following paragraph is now outdated and irrelevant (except for the fact that those bike bags still look amazing!):Unfortunately, there is no bike parking. Especially unfortunate since they seem to make and sell amazing-looking bike bags. I would love to give 5 stars if there was a spot to lock up my bike. I ended up locking to a utility pole which I wouldn’t have been able to do if I had a U-lock or other small lock. I have requested a bike rack from the city of Victoria (and so can the owners) on the city of Victoria’s website.I have not gotten shoes repaired anywhere else in the city so I am unable to comment on competitiveness when it comes to pricing or turnaround.

Great service! They re-soled two pairs of birkenstocks at a reasonable price and with quick turn around (2 weeks). Will definitely visit again.

Best custom shoes at an excellent price. I have extremely wide feet which makes it hard for me to find shoes that fit. Bao made custom boots for me and went to great lengths to make sure they fit me perfectly. His workmanship is very good. He also built everything out of quality leather and used a Goodyear welt construction (they're built to last). I could not be happier.

10/10 highly recommend. Bao is an AMAZING shoemaker. As soon as you walk into the shop, you realize what a kind person he is. He truly cares about his customers and goes above and beyond for them. He is busy and for good reason. The quality of his shoes and boots is unbeatable, he makes absolutely gorgeous, functional, and comfortable shoes for a very good price. The value is amazing, he uses high quality products and its clear that he is an expert at his trade. I needed a pair of work boots with specific soles and specific leather type, and he said it was no problem. He let me customize every step of the way, and build my dream work boots. He measured me feet and made them completely custom to my foot shape, and they are the most comfortable boots I've ever worn and I haven't even broke them in yet. They are so much better than I could have ever imagined handmade boots to be, and I am sure they will last decades. His years at Viberg really shined through with these boots. If you value your feet, do yourself a favor and see Bao, you won't regret it. THANK YOU BAO!!!

Friendly service. Very small workshop, they had three cobblers working away and another staff servicing people that kept showing up to pickup or drop off their footwear. I wanted some scraps of leather for my dance shoes and they were able to sell me some scraps.