La Jolla Cove Suites

Max Heimburge, the original owner and developer grew up in Stadtilm, Germany in the late 1800's. He worked two years as an army boot repairman in the German army after which he joined the German Shoemakers Union and worked in a small shoe shop in Munich.

Max entered the United States in 1910 at Ellis Island and continued his trade working for a New York shoe repair shop. He saved his earnings and worked his way to the west coast in 1912.

Once established in San Diego, California, Max gained employment in a very small shoe repair shop in downtown San Diego on Broadway. Not long after, he purchased the business, and added some shoes for sale. This led to the opening of another shoe store with shoe repair on 5th Avenue named Shoecraft. By 1941, the small business Max struggled to create had grown into 17 shoe stores throughout San Diego County, under the name Universal Boot Shop.