GRAVETTE -- A father-son team, Danny and Kaiser Falk, opened their new business, Soles Saved and Heels Too, Monday, April 12, at 102B Main St. N.E. in Gravette. Their shop, with its entrance off Highway 59 just north of Main Street, offers complete boot, shoe and leather repair. The pair say they've already become quite busy since they've been open.
Danny came to Arkansas from Byron, Ill., where he had several years of experience in the shoe repair business. His father owned a bakery and he operated a shoe shop next door. He attended the University of Iowa and earned a degree in music education, then operated a shop in Iowa City doing repair part-time before moving to the Natural State.
Once in Arkansas, Danny worked 10 years at Said Music Company in Fayetteville, selling musical instruments to schools and orchestra shops and six years at his brother-in-law's business, Towmate, which manufactures equipment for the towing industry. He told his wife that if he could acquire the equipment, he'd like to do shoe repair again. That opportunity presented itself when he attended an auction in Springdale and found the complete setup for a shoe repair shop and bought it at a bargain.
"They didn't know what they had," he says.
Kaiser grew up in Rogers and graduated from Rogers Heritage High School. He was working in property management and maintenance before moving to Gravette. His wife Sydney works at Armor Electric in Bentonville. Meanwhile, his dad had set up the equipment he'd purchased and was doing shoe repair in his garage. "I thought, after I retired, I'd just collect my Social Security and repair a few shoes on the side," he said.
Kaiser also became interested in doing shoe and boot repair. He began working alongside his dad and learning from him. It was his idea to start the joint venture. He moved to Gravette in September 2020, bought a house there and found a location for the shop. It seemed to be a good business opportunity as there was no shoe shop or leather repair shop in the area. Danny followed and moved to Gravette in November.
The Falks spent a few months remodeling and painting the shop in the back of what was formerly the home of Edward Jones Investments. Kaiser painted a colorful graphic on the back wall and he and his dad built shelves for supplies and merchandise and set up the shoe repair equipment, including a Singer stitching machine made in 1909 and a machine specially made for nailing heels on ladies' shoes.
Both father and son find shoe repair fascinating and show an obvious enjoyment in working together. Their plan now is to work in tandem until Danny decides to retire completely, then Kaiser will take over the shop. Danny says he has a grandson in Rogers, his daughter's son, who's beginning to show an interest in learning the work so they may even carry on the family business into a third generation.
The Falks do all sorts of shoe and boot repair, as well as leather patchwork. They have found their services are really in demand. When they announced their opening on Facebook, they got 800 hits the first day it was posted. Jobs are coming in on a regular basis. Danny says the opportunities in the orthopedics field are expanding and they've done some of that, such as putting added height in one heel of a boot.
In addition to doing leather repair, the Falks have a line of footwear for sale, featuring cowboy boots and work boots at very reasonable prices. Shoe polish and leather dye are also available. Danny and Kaiser offer a 15% discount to police officers, military personnel and first responders. They say they will occasionally offer free shoeshines.
Both father and son invite all in the area to come in and get acquainted. Business hours for the shop are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. The shop is easy to find. Customers can park on Main Street, walk around the corner and go north along Highway 59 to the door with the attractive turquoise trim. Look for the sign advertising Soles Saved and Heels Too.
"That's one phrase with two meanings," Kaiser says. The double meaning comes from the fact that his father is not only a shoe repairman but also an ordained minister. He has served 16 years as a youth pastor and minister of music and invites folks to come in and bring leather goods to be repaired, shop for a new pair of boots, or just to chat. He will be happy to repair your shoe sole or attempt to soothe your inner soul.
Contact the Falks by calling 479-802-0200, check out the Soles Saved and Heels Too Facebook page or email [email protected].
