On Location: Shoe repair shop makes a footprint in Hollywood
21.05.12
For a recent episode of the TV series “Modern Family,” Raul Ojeda crafted a pair of shoes covered in red sequins for actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson. His character, Mitchell, shows off the shoes for a "Wizard of Oz"-themed birthday party he throws for his partner, Cam.
A decade ago, Raul Ojeda was working as a shoe shiner. Now the 29-year-old is leaving his own footprint in Hollywood, supplying custom-made shoes to the stars, from Steve Carell to Sally Field.
Ojeda is the owner of Los Angeles-based Willie’s Shoe Service, a shoe repair shop that has been providing footwear to the entertainment industry since 1956, when Willebaldo “Willie” Rivera opened a small business across from Paramount Pictures on Melrose Avenue. The operation quickly became a staple for made-to-order shoes for the film and TV industry.
Willie created the sandals worn by Charlton Heston in Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956 classic film “The Ten Commandments” and the boots worn by the Starship Enterprise crew in the 1979 movie “Star Trek: the Motion Picture” (to this day, Trekkies place orders to purchase them), as well as several pairs of bright red clown shoes for Ronald McDonald.
Source: Los Angeles Times