Shoe repair/leather goods store to open in Annandale

A former shoe repair and alterations business in the Annandale Shopping Center will be replaced by another shoe repair business which will also focus on custom leather goods made in-house.  

Casmera, at 7048 Columbia Pike, will have a soft opening on Dec. 1, says owner Erin Dupree. He hopes to have a grand opening in early spring after the store is totally renovated.  

Dupree, an Army veteran now in IT, is a leatherwork hobbyist who makes belts, wallets, bags, and other personal accessories.

Casmera is a family business. Dupree’s father-in-law, Jesus Castillo, a shoemaker from Colombia, is in charge of shoe repairs. Dupree hopes the shop might eventually produce custom-made shoes.

The long-time proprietors of the previous shoe repair/alterations shop, Anna and Greg Koundakjian, put the business and equipment up for sale in 2022 so they could retire. They founded Express Shoe Repair in 1985.