Sal Sabbagh, C Ped (C)

My Previous Life

I grew up in Lebanon at a time when the smell of war shells was always in the air.

It was 1989. While I was studying Business at the American University of Beirut, I decided to open a small shoe repair shop.

I took this decision because I wanted to be my own boss.

Proudly, I had a lot of success running Bigfoot Shoe Repair. Being 21 years old, making a lot of money; or I thought I was!

I considered my future to be in shoe repair until one day at work, I received an old man walking in for his shoes resoling; they were custom fabricated to accommodate his foot problems. He was concerned because the specialist who made his shoes was not available anymore (Later I learned that this shoe maker was kidnapped and disappeared during the civil war).

The customer was a physician and, knowing that I was a university graduate, he said that I should not repair shoes but instead become “Bottier Orthopediste” (Orthopedic shoemaker). He said also that the same job I served him for $10, I could have charged $100 for, had a small paper been hanging on my wall; a diploma.

These words inspired me and I was so lucky to join a Prosthetic-Orthotic Program.

I graduated again in 1994 and re-founded Bigfoot Orthopedics.

I went later to France for additional studies in Pedorthics.

Pedorthic knowledge and shoe experience blended well at Bigfoot: The first to introduce Cad Cam Orthotics, moving later to a better location in Beirut, and eventually exporting therapeutic shoes to France.

Bigfoot had many successful stories!

In July 2006, another war period made me consider immigration.

When we have a family, we think children first! I therefore sold and moved to Canada in June 2008.