Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Zak Freitas has been a sneakerhead ever since he was a kid.
"I would say about the 6th, 7th grade I started getting into shoes," Freitas recalled to WBZ NewsRadio. "[I would] save up money working as a kid and just would always save up for that next shoe that was coming out."
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Today, Freitas is living the laces-covered dream as co-owner of Clean N' Soles, a Bridgewater store that buys, sells, and cleans sneakers.
While his business partner does most of the buying, Freitas specializes in breathing new life into kicks that have seen better days.
"[I] started off in my mom’s bathroom with friends’ shoes, doing them for free, trying to get better at my craft," Freitas said. "[I] definitely did not think I would have a storefront, as well as owning my own business."
1 of 2 Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
2 of 2 Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
Freitas hopes his success can inspire others to follow their dreams, whether they involve fancy footwear or not.
"If you have a passion for something, just follow it no matter how small it is or what you think it is at one point," said Freitas. "You never know what it could turn into."
Clean N' Soles is located at 47 Broad St., Ste. 104, in Bridgewater.
WBZ’s Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.
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