In 2022, Rochester lost its final two shoe repair shops Boston Shoe Repair and Thee Only Shoe Repair. In southeastern Minnesota, the closest shoe repair shops are in Austin and Northfield.
After 50 years, Boston Shoe Repair is still busy at Med City mall
The 104-year-old Boston Shoe Repair shop recently celebrated the golden anniversary of its Apache Mall location, where Pete Chafos and Jerry Haas have replaced soles and heels for the past 50 years. Written By: Jeff Kiger | ×
Pete Chafos works on a customer s shoe in his shop at Boston Shoe and Boot Repair in the Apache Mall April 28, 2021. (Ken Klotzbach / kklotzbach@postbulletin.com)
When Pete Chafos approached the then-new Apache Mall in 1971 about opening a second location of his Boston Shoe Repair shop, he was surprised by how welcoming the management was.