If your shoe repair is anything harder than a busted elastic, you're better off going someplace else. The man who does the repairs shies away from any projects that seem involved, for example, gluing the shoe back on a shoe. How hard is that, really? I took in a boot where the sole was coming off and he didn't even look at it before saying no. "Are you sure there's absolutely nothing you can do to fix it?" "NOPE." He may also have added that no one could possibly fix it but Eastside Shoe Repair was more than willing to give it a shot. (Eastside Shoe not only said they could fix it, but they also did it for free. Definitely skip this place and head over to Eastside for quality shoe repairs with friendly customer service.)
In summary: curmudgeonly old dude will refuse to fix your shoes, go to Eastside Shoe Repair.