A Life-long Passion for Quality

Frank's Shoe Repair, named after my dad Frank Zumpano. Formerly known as Kennedy's Shoe Repair my dad fulfilled a dream of owning his own business when he bought Kennedy's in 1955.  Both my mother and father worked in the shoe shop and since I was just 3 or 4 years old I tagged along with my mom as she went about her day being a house-wife, a mother and an important part of Frank's Shoe Repair.  From those early days in my parents shoe shop I played with pliers, hammers and brushes, all the tools that would be my livelihood nearly 20 years later.  I grew up apprenticing from my mom and dad after school and during the summer months, learning more and more about the trade and developing skills while taking apart shoes for repair, learning to make hand stitching thread and hand sewing baseballs.  My dad would take in softballs and baseballs for the sole purpose of me learning to hand sew.  I cannot count how many yards of thread I spun and how many baseballs I hand stitched.

The photo above shows me as a 13 year-old proudly posing with my very first complete shoe rebuild done all by myself from beginning to end. Recognizing quality in leather goods and footwear is learned quickly when you dismantle an item right down to its components and then put it back together, by hand.  That's why when I walk into a shoe store I can spot quality from 20 feet away.  

I was taught to return an item to its original condition or better, removing old stitching, following the same stitch holes and using the same colour of thread.  Whether its a beautiful pair of wing tip brogues, a Dolce and Gabana designer purse or simple school backpack I strive to make it as good as new.  

Over the years people have grown to expect quality work and materials from Frank's Shoe Repair and that tradition continues to this day.  They have also come expect that they can bring in almost anything for repair from zippers in leather jackets to complete rebuilds of footwear.  I do not turn away repairs unless it is absolutely not cost effective to repair an item.

My customers have become addicted to quality and I'm happy to provide a complete, full service shoe and leather repair service.