A little more than four decades ago, the Wisniewski family opened their shoe repair shop in South Florida. But, the family business dates way back to the 1950s when Joseph Raya had eleven stores in New York City. The patriarch’s skill and love for what he does has made Shoe Repair Plus the preferred source no matter where his business is located.
In 1977 he moved his business to the Sunshine State. He first opened in North Miami, but then in 1993, he moved to Aventura where the location has remained ever since. The shoe repair shop, specializing in high-end designer goods, prides itself on being a staple in the community. Their outstanding customer service, exceptional quality work, and fast turnaround time have customers always coming back.
Store Manager and Master Cobbler Nick Wisniewski took some time to answer some questions about the unique family business.
Q: What distinguishes your business from competitors?
A: Although we specialize in high-end designer goods, we take care of all types of shoe repairs. We care for all delicate materials and leather goods. We clean, refinish, modify, and repair designer handbags and shoes. But we also repair golf bags, boat canvases, holsters, fixed stationary gun covers, and knife sheaths. Surprisingly, we do a lot of workboots, ski boots, cowboy boots and all types of designer boots. We even take care of roller skates and ice skates. Our willingness to learn new techniques and skills as the fashion industry evolves always keeps us evolving just the same.
Q: What other types of work does Shoe Repair Plus handle?
A: We do much work for high-end designers and large quality retailers. This includes leather repair, rebuilding liners, repairing or replacing zippers, shortening belts, replacing strapping on handbags, and mixing colors. Believe it or not, we also do orthopedic work. We made a leather bodysuit for a friend’s shoulder for his rehabilitation. We get prescriptions from orthopedic physicians all the time. We can adjust shoes for discrepancies in legs, and we have artificially modified designer shoes to compensate for differences in leg length.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
A: We have shoe stretchers, inner soles, suede care products, shoe polish, and more. We also sharpen knives and scissors and cut keys on-site too.
- Shoe Repair Plus is located at 20335 Biscayne Blvd., Aventura, 33180. For more information, please call 305-937-1730. Hours of operation are Tuesday-Friday 8:00 am-6:00 pm and Saturday
8:00 am- 4:00 pm.