One of the few remaining shoe repair shops in Regina operates out of a garage
'It feels good carrying on an old, old trade,’ says owner, who took over Frank’s Shoe Repair from father
Made to Last is a series of profiles of Regina-area artisans who have a passion and talent for hands-on jobs creating or repairing unique, high-quality pieces that require time and personal care. These arts stand to be lost in the age of mass production and planned obsolescence.
This story was originally published Dec. 23, 2019.
Alf Zumpano gently brushes glue onto the heel of a well-worn cowboy boot as he laments the decline in shoe material quality over the years.
"We went through a phase where everything was good quality. Even the cheapest shoe in '55, today would be considered very good quality," Zumpano said.
"That fell away and then we got into injection moulding, cut corners by using plastics, paper. People would be shocked if they knew how much of their shoes were made of paper."
There were once nearly 50 places to get shoes repaired in Regina. Today there are just three, including Frank's Shoe Repair, located in Zumpano's home garage.
From repairing zippers to resoling shoes, fixing broken heels and resewing broken stitches, Zumpano does a wide assortment of work with shoes and leather goods in his jam-packed garage.
Zumpano was introduced to the shoe repair business as a small child. Some of his earliest memories are using his father's hand tools as toys, before eventually learning to put them to work for the job they were made to do.
His father, Frank Zumpano — the namesake for the business — was an Italian army veteran and shoe repair maker.
Frank immigrated to Canada from Italy in the early 1950s and started work in a Swift Current, Sask.-based shoe repair shop soon after. The family moved to Regina and Frank's Shoe Repair opened in 1955.
Alf took over the business in 1980 but closed down the storefront about 20 years later, before later reopening in his garage.
"It feels good carrying on an old, old trade like shoe repair," Zumpano said, adding it's also a way he stays connected to his father's legacy.
"I've trained several people over the years … I wish there was someone who would come along and say, 'Teach me how to fix shoes.' I'd be happy to."
Zumpano said part of what he does is educating people about what they wear on their feet. He said in today's throwaway society, people are forgetting or don't even know how different things can be repaired. It's even a way to help better the environment, too, said Zumpano.
"It's always better if you can avoid throwing things away and make them better," he said.
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