Talking with …

Henry Prommer was born in Slovakia but ended up in Germany during the turmoil of the World War II. It was there that he would train to become a shoemaker and pedorthist. In 1960, he immigrated to Canada. After many stops and trips, he finally found his professional and private home in Chicago. This is his life story, told by Henry himself.

I grew up in a small village in Germany and my apprenticeship as an orthopaedic shoemaker took place twenty minutes away from my parents’ place. When I finished, I received an award for second place in the 1999 state graduation competition. Upon completion of my apprenticeship, I changed companies. In 2006, I passed the supplementary exam to achieve the status of the German state-recognised Podologe (Podiatrist).

What I like about my job is:
To make my customers happy and satisfied. To solve their problems on their feet with our shoes. To make nice shoes in cooperation with my wonderful team, and to give our best to get there. To more and more understand this “world of shoes” but also understand what I can do and what I cannot do. To be able to provide my customers with something they cannot get anywhere else. This, at least in my work, is the highest level of happiness.