Top tradesman

In the corner of Harvard Place sits a small workshop where time seems to stand still. Inside, 86-year-old James Chon hunches over a vintage Singer machine, his weathered hands breathing new life into a pair of Italian loafers – the same hands that once crafted Wonder Woman’s iconic red-and-white boots.

Mu Nam “James” Chon’s journey began far from Hollywood or Irvine. After losing both parents by age 12, he left school after sixth grade in Korea to start working. In 1972, he arrived in Los Angeles with $5 in his pocket. Speaking no English, he wandered downtown until he found a shoe repair shop, knowing only how to say, “I’m hungry. I need a job.”

That humble beginning led to an unexpected chapter at a prestigious Hollywood custom shoe company. There, Chon designed platform boots that added height to Sonny Bono and crafted specialty footwear for Lucille Ball. Ask him about these celebrity connections today, and he dismisses them with a shrug.

“They don’t impact me now,” he says through his daughter Cindy Kiefer. “Why would it matter? I did a good job for these people who happened to be famous.”

What mattered more was finding his life partner – through an unconventional path. James and Tok Son “Linda” Chon’s marriage was arranged by her family. “Their second meeting was on their wedding day,” Kiefer explains. More than 50 years later, the arranged union has blossomed into an enduring partnership in both life and business.

A feel for the right way

In 1989, the couple opened a shop in Harvard Place – just the second store in what would become a bustling center. Since then, they’ve maintained a reputation for uncompromising quality. Customers drive from as far as Las Vegas and San Diego, dropping off dozens of shoes at once.

“He doesn’t cut corners,” Kiefer says. “He’s about doing the right thing at whatever personal cost.”

His approach to repair is entirely intuitive, like his cooking – no measuring, just feeling. His work has become so second nature after 50 years that he couldn’t teach it if he tried. “It’s all just what feels right,” Kiefer says with a laugh.

For the Chons, Irvine represents the American dream realized. “When my parents travel and return, they always say, ‘Isn’t it so good to be in Irvine?’ ” Kiefer shares. “To them, it represents the good life – no toil, no struggle. It’s everything they wanted when coming to America.”

Many customers wonder what they’ll do when Chon eventually hangs up his apron. There’s no successor waiting in the wings – his intuitive craftsmanship might retire with him, a master of a dying art from a different era.

Until then, Chon remains at his bench five days a week, transforming worn soles while embodying his life’s simple philosophy: “Live an honest life. Be proud of your work. Your reputation follows you for years.”