Pantelis took over the shop when his poetic father, Starvos Melissinos, retired in 2004. The shop, near the Monastiraki market area, was started in 1920 by Pantelis’ grandfather Georgios Melissinos.

There are 28 different sandal styles to choose from and if the desired pair isn’t in your size, Pantelis will make it on the spot. My friends and I watched him create a pair of “Jackie O” sandals for one of us.

When we were first trying on sandals, he came from behind the counter to make sure they fit correctly. Pantelis said that Americans often buy sandals too big.

"You don’t want it to look like you are wearing a skateboard,” he said.

Pantelis also said that many European females wear shoes too small because they think their feet will look more delicate.

We responded to his curiosity about Americans by informing him that when we were growing up, our mothers always made us buy shoes that were too big. That way, our parents didn’t frequently need to buy us a new pair when our feet grew. As a result, we became accustomed to wearing shoes slightly too large.

Framed newspaper-clippings from previous decades commemorating the shop hung on the wall with Pantelis’ artwork. Pantelis graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York with a bachelor’s degree in illustration and a master’s in painting.

As we left the shop, Pantelis proudly handed us brochures about his musical comedy, “Bacchus,” which was staged in Greece from 2001 through 2002. He said that the play is written in the ancient Greek style of Aristophanes.

Whether it’s writing plays or making sandals, Pantelis knows how to keep Greek tradition alive.

Above: Pantelis making a pair of the "Jackie O" sandals.