Swanson’s history began with Swedish immigrant Bjorn “George” Swanson. The 19-year-old clog-maker became a boot repairer for the U.S. Army during WW1 and opened Progressive Shoe Repair in downtown Seattle in 1928. In 1947 the shop relocated to the Wallingford location under the name Swanson’s Shoe Repair, where it still stands today.
Three more generations of Swanson’s have trained and worked at the shop since its move to Wallingford, but it has grown into so much more than just a family business. From an era when George Swanson worked the shop alone to the shop’s current employment of 7 workers, Swanson’s Shoe Repair has developed into an important community service with a nod towards cobbler posterity.
The modern-day Swanson’s Shoe Repair is a product of both its rich narrative and working history combined with an openness to change thanks to a critically thinking and close-knit staff. We hope to practice and teach the trade of shoe repair for generations to come.
