Pasquale Di Fabrizio, Sole Provider to the Stars Part One

In reading some foot articles I recently came across another funny find. I was looking into famous foot molds. I came across a 1973 article in theHerald Journal:

Los Angeles (AP): Pasaquale Di Fabrizio, custom shoemaker to the stars, has replicas of the most famous feet in town.

The feet are in boxes, piled to the ceiling in a modest shop frequented by the stars of show business and sports.

Frank Sinatra’s feet are there, so are Dean Martin’s, professional basketball star Wilt Chamberlains, Flip Wilson’s, California Gov. Ronald Reagan’s, Barbra Streisand’s and Walter Pidgeon’s – to name a few.

Other notables in the collection are Cinderella, Mickey Mouse and Goofy.

The 46-year-old Italian immigrant plants feet by the hundreds in squares of foam, makes plastercasts of the imprints and uses them as models to sculpt wooden feet. The wooden lasts for custom shoes are placed insideshoe boxesand filed away for future reference, just like books in a library.

“That Wilt Chamberlain, he takes up half a cow,” said the cobbler. “He wears size 16 1/2. But that isn’t the biggest I’ve ever done. When the boxer Primo Carnera was alive, I made his shoes, and he was size 17.”

DiFabrizio says his best customer is Dean Martin, who buys 40 pairs a year.

But what about Cinderella?

“I used malleable plastic for the walking slippers and fiberglass for the lost slipper,” the shoe maker said, recalling his most difficult order-shoes for Lesley Ann Warren in the television version of “Cinderella”.

Mickey, Goofy and the gang were shod at Pasquale’s so that costumed characters could march in the “Disney on Parade” entertainment troupe.

For Movie spies, Di Fabrizio makes those gimmick shoes with hollow heels.

His prices range from $125 to $250 a pair.

At Houston Foot Specialists, we value foot care. If you ever need help with your feet or ankles, please contact Dr. Jeffrey N. Bowman at (713) 467-8886 or online at www.houstonfootspecialists.com.

Category: Footwear

Tags: Celebrities, Famous Feet, Footwear, Pasquale Di Fabrizio, shoes