Frank Catalfumo: Making Shoes for Nearly 70 Years

Craft & Design
Frank Catalfumo: Making Shoes for Nearly 70 Years

dustin cohen shoemaker

New York-based filmmaker and photographer Dustin Cohen recently shared a beautifully made short video profile and photo essay about classic shoemaker Frank Catalfumo. Now 91 years old, Frank has been making and repairing shoes in his Brooklyn shop, F&C Shoes, since 1945. He still goes to work five days a week, working alongside his son Michael. He says, “I’m not the retiring person, I keep on going. You gotta keep moving in life.” In the four-minute video, Frank talks about how his neighborhood and shoemaking have changed over the years.

dustin cohen shoemaker2

dustin cohen shoemaker4

dustin cohen shoemaker7

dustin cohen shoemaker 3

dustin cohen shoemaker5

dustin cohen shoemaker6

+For more images of Frank’s shop, head to Dustin Cohen’s site.

Discuss this article with the rest of the community on our Discord server!
Tagged

I'm a word nerd who loves to geek out on how emerging technology affects the lexicon. I was an editor on the first 40 volumes of MAKE, and I love shining light on the incredible makers in our community. In particular, covering art is my passion — after all, art is the first thing most of us ever made. When not fawning over perfect word choices, I can be found on the nearest mountain, looking for untouched powder fields and ideal alpine lakes.

Contact me at snowgoli@gmail.com or via @snowgoli.

View more articles by Goli Mohammadi

ADVERTISEMENT

Escape to an island of imagination + innovation as Maker Faire Bay Area returns for its 16th iteration!

Prices Increase in....

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
FEEDBACK