A shoe repair shop rooted in nearly a century of history continues to thrive under new ownership
Some businesses fade quietly when their original owner’s step away. Others find a new caretaker who understands the value of what came before and works to carry it forward. Federico’s Drive-In Shoe Service, a Monterey institution founded in 1939, found that caretaker in Jose D. Perez.
A Craft Learned Through Practice
Mr. Perez’s path into shoe repair began at age 20, when he took a job cleaning and shining shoes at a repair shop in Beverly Hills. He spent nine years there before moving through positions in Los Angeles and Salinas, eventually joining Federico’s dye department in 1999.
Mr. Perez purchased the company in 2020 from Henry Federico, the son of the original owner, and now oversees a business that handles work far beyond ordinary shoe repair. “It’s like handbags and shoes, like those red-sole shoes; they’re very popular these days,” he says while describing the high-end clientele the shop has come to serve, including Louis Vuitton bags, luggage and other designer goods that customers mail in from as far away as Oregon and New York.
Mr. Perez’s approach to the craft has always centered on continuous learning. “Every day I’m learning because every day I do new jobs,” he explains. He takes on projects he knows he can complete well and turns away work that falls outside his abilities. “If it’s something I’m not going to be able to do, I tell the people right there, ‘I don’t feel comfortable doing it,’” he says, though he admits that situation rarely comes up given the range of skills he has built over the decades.
Work That Extends Beyond the Shop
Among the projects Mr. Perez enjoys most is restoring the linings inside handbags, a repair that often involves replacing worn vinyl with leather. He also dyes shoes to match a customer’s exact specifications, a skill that has earned him a specialized role in the community each year. For two decades, he has made boots for contestants competing to become Miss Salinas Rodeo while ensuring each pair matches the jeans worn during the competition.
That reputation for quality has followed Mr. Perez since he first opened the shop’s doors under his own ownership in 2020. “I want this done right” is a phrase he hears often from new customers who test his work with a single pair of shoes before trusting him with more.
Federico’s has been named Best Shoe Repair Shop in the area for years running by The Carmel Pine Cone and other local publications, a distinction Mr. Perez credits largely to the people who work alongside him. “I really appreciate the people that I have working for me because I don’t do everything,” he says. “They’re like family. In fact, they become family.”
Building on Monterey’s Last Shop of Its Kind
Mr. Perez hopes to grow the shop further in the coming years and is actively looking to hire additional staff as demand increases. He recognizes that his industry has grown smaller over time, with many independent shops closing as their owners retire.
In Monterey, Federico’s now stands as the only shop of its kind, a distinction Mr. Perez does not take lightly. His advice to those entering the trade reflects the standard he holds for his own work. “No matter what you do,” he says, “be one of the best ones.”
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