diff --git a/arrow/extensions/variant.go b/arrow/extensions/variant.go
index fbef4a63..fe97f247 100644
--- a/arrow/extensions/variant.go
+++ b/arrow/extensions/variant.go
@@ -62,6 +62,83 @@ func NewDefaultVariantType() *VariantType {
 	return vt
 }
 
+func createShreddedField(dt arrow.DataType) arrow.DataType {
+	switch t := dt.(type) {
+	case arrow.ListLikeType:
+		return arrow.ListOfNonNullable(arrow.StructOf(
+			arrow.Field{Name: "value", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary, Nullable: true},
+			arrow.Field{Name: "typed_value", Type: createShreddedField(t.Elem()), Nullable: true},
+		))
+	case *arrow.StructType:
+		fields := make([]arrow.Field, 0, t.NumFields())
+		for i := range t.NumFields() {
+			f := t.Field(i)
+			fields = append(fields, arrow.Field{
+				Name: f.Name,
+				Type: arrow.StructOf(arrow.Field{
+					Name:     "value",
+					Type:     arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary,
+					Nullable: true,
+				}, arrow.Field{
+					Name:     "typed_value",
+					Type:     createShreddedField(f.Type),
+					Nullable: true,
+				}),
+				Nullable: false,
+				Metadata: f.Metadata,
+			})
+		}
+		return arrow.StructOf(fields...)
+	default:
+		return dt
+	}
+}
+
+// NewShreddedVariantType creates a new VariantType extension type using the provided
+// type to define a shredded schema by setting the `typed_value` field accordingly and
+// properly constructing the shredded fields for structs, lists and so on.
+//
+// For example:
+//
+//	NewShreddedVariantType(arrow.StructOf(
+//	     arrow.Field{Name: "latitude", Type: arrow.PrimitiveTypes.Float64},
+//	     arrow.Field{Name: "longitude", Type: arrow.PrimitiveTypes.Float32}))
+//
+// Will create a variant type with the following structure:
+//
+//	arrow.StructOf(
+//	     arrow.Field{Name: "metadata", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary, Nullable: false},
+//	     arrow.Field{Name: "value", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary, Nullable: true},
+//	     arrow.Field{Name: "typed_value", Type: arrow.StructOf(
+//	       arrow.Field{Name: "latitude", Type: arrow.StructOf(
+//	         arrow.Field{Name: "value", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary, Nullable: true},
+//	         arrow.Field{Name: "typed_value", Type: arrow.PrimitiveTypes.Float64, Nullable: true}),
+//	         Nullable: false},
+//	     arrow.Field{Name: "longitude", Type: arrow.StructOf(
+//	         arrow.Field{Name: "value", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary, Nullable: true},
+//	         arrow.Field{Name: "typed_value", Type: arrow.PrimitiveTypes.Float32, Nullable: true}),
+//	         Nullable: false},
+//	 ), Nullable: true})
+//
+// This is intended to be a convenient way to create a shredded variant type from a definition
+// of the fields to shred. If the provided data type is nil, it will create a default
+// variant type.
+func NewShreddedVariantType(dt arrow.DataType) *VariantType {
+	if dt == nil {
+		return NewDefaultVariantType()
+	}
+
+	vt, _ := NewVariantType(arrow.StructOf(
+		arrow.Field{Name: "metadata", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary, Nullable: false},
+		arrow.Field{Name: "value", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary, Nullable: true},
+		arrow.Field{
+			Name:     "typed_value",
+			Type:     createShreddedField(dt),
+			Nullable: true,
+		}))
+	return vt
+}
+
 // NewVariantType creates a new variant type based on the provided storage type.
 //
 // The rules for a variant storage type are:
@@ -1480,8 +1557,9 @@ type shreddedObjBuilder struct {
 }
 
 func (b *shreddedObjBuilder) AppendMissing() {
-	b.structBldr.Append(true)
+	b.structBldr.AppendValues([]bool{false})
 	for _, fieldBldr := range b.fieldBuilders {
+		fieldBldr.structBldr.Append(true)
 		fieldBldr.valueBldr.AppendNull()
 		fieldBldr.typedBldr.AppendMissing()
 	}
@@ -1489,7 +1567,7 @@ func (b *shreddedObjBuilder) AppendMissing() {
 
 func (b *shreddedObjBuilder) tryTyped(v variant.Value) (residual []byte) {
 	if v.Type() != variant.Object {
-		b.structBldr.AppendNull()
+		b.AppendMissing()
 		return v.Bytes()
 	}
 
diff --git a/arrow/extensions/variant_test.go b/arrow/extensions/variant_test.go
index 9a1c05fc..6e539ee5 100644
--- a/arrow/extensions/variant_test.go
+++ b/arrow/extensions/variant_test.go
@@ -1574,3 +1574,84 @@ func TestVariantBuilderUnmarshalJSON(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Equal(t, int8(5), innerVal2.Value())
 	})
 }
+
+func TestNewSimpleShreddedVariantType(t *testing.T) {
+	assert.True(t, arrow.TypeEqual(extensions.NewDefaultVariantType(),
+		extensions.NewShreddedVariantType(nil)))
+
+	vt := extensions.NewShreddedVariantType(arrow.PrimitiveTypes.Float32)
+	s := arrow.StructOf(
+		arrow.Field{Name: "metadata", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary},
+		arrow.Field{Name: "value", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary, Nullable: true},
+		arrow.Field{Name: "typed_value", Type: arrow.PrimitiveTypes.Float32, Nullable: true})
+
+	assert.Truef(t, arrow.TypeEqual(vt.Storage, s), "expected %s, got %s", s, vt.Storage)
+}
+
+func TestNewShreddedVariantType(t *testing.T) {
+	vt := extensions.NewShreddedVariantType(arrow.StructOf(arrow.Field{
+		Name: "event_type",
+		Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.String,
+	}, arrow.Field{
+		Name: "event_ts",
+		Type: arrow.FixedWidthTypes.Timestamp_us,
+	}))
+
+	assert.NotNil(t, vt)
+	s := arrow.StructOf(
+		arrow.Field{Name: "metadata", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary},
+		arrow.Field{Name: "value", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary, Nullable: true},
+		arrow.Field{Name: "typed_value", Type: arrow.StructOf(
+			arrow.Field{Name: "event_type", Type: arrow.StructOf(
+				arrow.Field{Name: "value", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary, Nullable: true},
+				arrow.Field{Name: "typed_value", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.String, Nullable: true},
+			)},
+			arrow.Field{Name: "event_ts", Type: arrow.StructOf(
+				arrow.Field{Name: "value", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary, Nullable: true},
+				arrow.Field{Name: "typed_value", Type: arrow.FixedWidthTypes.Timestamp_us, Nullable: true},
+			)},
+		), Nullable: true})
+
+	assert.Truef(t, arrow.TypeEqual(vt.Storage, s), "expected %s, got %s", s, vt.Storage)
+}
+
+func TestShreddedVariantNested(t *testing.T) {
+	vt := extensions.NewShreddedVariantType(arrow.StructOf(
+		arrow.Field{Name: "strval", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.String},
+		arrow.Field{Name: "bool", Type: arrow.FixedWidthTypes.Boolean},
+		arrow.Field{Name: "location", Type: arrow.ListOf(arrow.StructOf(
+			arrow.Field{Name: "latitude", Type: arrow.PrimitiveTypes.Float64},
+			arrow.Field{Name: "longitude", Type: arrow.PrimitiveTypes.Float32},
+		))}))
+
+	s := arrow.StructOf(
+		arrow.Field{Name: "metadata", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary},
+		arrow.Field{Name: "value", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary, Nullable: true},
+		arrow.Field{Name: "typed_value", Type: arrow.StructOf(
+			arrow.Field{Name: "strval", Type: arrow.StructOf(
+				arrow.Field{Name: "value", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary, Nullable: true},
+				arrow.Field{Name: "typed_value", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.String, Nullable: true},
+			)},
+			arrow.Field{Name: "bool", Type: arrow.StructOf(
+				arrow.Field{Name: "value", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary, Nullable: true},
+				arrow.Field{Name: "typed_value", Type: arrow.FixedWidthTypes.Boolean, Nullable: true},
+			)},
+			arrow.Field{Name: "location", Type: arrow.StructOf(
+				arrow.Field{Name: "value", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary, Nullable: true},
+				arrow.Field{Name: "typed_value", Type: arrow.ListOfNonNullable(arrow.StructOf(
+					arrow.Field{Name: "value", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary, Nullable: true},
+					arrow.Field{Name: "typed_value", Type: arrow.StructOf(
+						arrow.Field{Name: "latitude", Type: arrow.StructOf(
+							arrow.Field{Name: "value", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary, Nullable: true},
+							arrow.Field{Name: "typed_value", Type: arrow.PrimitiveTypes.Float64, Nullable: true},
+						)},
+						arrow.Field{Name: "longitude", Type: arrow.StructOf(
+							arrow.Field{Name: "value", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary, Nullable: true},
+							arrow.Field{Name: "typed_value", Type: arrow.PrimitiveTypes.Float32, Nullable: true},
+						)},
+					), Nullable: true},
+				)), Nullable: true})},
+		), Nullable: true})
+
+	assert.Truef(t, arrow.TypeEqual(vt.Storage, s), "expected %s, got %s", s, vt.Storage)
+}
diff --git a/parquet/file/record_reader.go b/parquet/file/record_reader.go
index 81ec0afc..a21e0665 100644
--- a/parquet/file/record_reader.go
+++ b/parquet/file/record_reader.go
@@ -555,6 +555,7 @@ func (rr *recordReader) ReadRecordData(numRecords int64) (int64, error) {
 		// no repetition levels, skip delimiting logic. each level
 		// represents null or not null entry
 		recordsRead = utils.Min(rr.levelsWritten-rr.levelsPos, numRecords)
+		valuesToRead = recordsRead
 		// this is advanced by delimitRecords which we skipped
 		rr.levelsPos += recordsRead
 	} else {
diff --git a/parquet/pqarrow/encode_arrow_test.go b/parquet/pqarrow/encode_arrow_test.go
index 0a2edabb..61bc263f 100644
--- a/parquet/pqarrow/encode_arrow_test.go
+++ b/parquet/pqarrow/encode_arrow_test.go
@@ -2314,3 +2314,107 @@ func TestEmptyListDeltaBinaryPacked(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, schema.Equal(tbl.Schema()))
 	assert.EqualValues(t, 1, tbl.NumRows())
 }
+
+func TestReadWriteNonShreddedVariant(t *testing.T) {
+	mem := memory.NewCheckedAllocator(memory.DefaultAllocator)
+	defer mem.AssertSize(t, 0)
+
+	bldr := extensions.NewVariantBuilder(mem, extensions.NewDefaultVariantType())
+	defer bldr.Release()
+
+	jsonData := `[
+			42,
+			"text",
+			[1, 2, 3],
+			{"name": "Alice"},
+			[{"id": 1, "name": "Item 1"}, {"id": 2, "name": "Item 2"}],
+			{"items": [1, "two", true], "metadata": {"created": "2025-01-01"}},
+			null
+		]`
+
+	err := bldr.UnmarshalJSON([]byte(jsonData))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	arr := bldr.NewArray()
+	defer arr.Release()
+
+	rec := array.NewRecord(arrow.NewSchema([]arrow.Field{
+		{Name: "variant", Type: arr.DataType(), Nullable: true},
+	}, nil), []arrow.Array{arr}, -1)
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	wr, err := pqarrow.NewFileWriter(rec.Schema(), &buf, nil,
+		pqarrow.DefaultWriterProps())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	require.NoError(t, wr.Write(rec))
+	rec.Release()
+	wr.Close()
+
+	rdr, err := file.NewParquetReader(bytes.NewReader(buf.Bytes()))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	reader, err := pqarrow.NewFileReader(rdr, pqarrow.ArrowReadProperties{}, memory.DefaultAllocator)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer rdr.Close()
+
+	tbl, err := reader.ReadTable(context.Background())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer tbl.Release()
+
+	assert.True(t, array.Equal(arr, tbl.Column(0).Data().Chunk(0)))
+}
+
+func TestReadWriteShreddedVariant(t *testing.T) {
+	vt := extensions.NewShreddedVariantType(arrow.StructOf(
+		arrow.Field{Name: "event_type", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.String},
+		arrow.Field{Name: "event_ts", Type: arrow.FixedWidthTypes.Timestamp_us}))
+
+	mem := memory.NewCheckedAllocator(memory.DefaultAllocator)
+	defer mem.AssertSize(t, 0)
+
+	bldr := vt.NewBuilder(mem)
+	defer bldr.Release()
+
+	jsonData := `[
+			{"event_type": "noop", "event_ts": "1970-01-21 00:29:54.114937Z"},
+			42,
+			{"event_type": "text", "event_ts": "1970-01-21 00:29:54.954163Z"},
+			{"event_type": "list", "event_ts": "1970-01-21 00:29:54.240241Z"},
+			"text",
+			{"event_type": "object", "event_ts": "1970-01-21 00:29:54.146402Z"},			
+			null
+		]`
+
+	err := bldr.UnmarshalJSON([]byte(jsonData))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	arr := bldr.NewArray()
+	defer arr.Release()
+
+	rec := array.NewRecord(arrow.NewSchema([]arrow.Field{
+		{Name: "variant", Type: arr.DataType(), Nullable: true},
+	}, nil), []arrow.Array{arr}, -1)
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	wr, err := pqarrow.NewFileWriter(rec.Schema(), &buf,
+		parquet.NewWriterProperties(parquet.WithDictionaryDefault(false)),
+		pqarrow.DefaultWriterProps())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	require.NoError(t, wr.Write(rec))
+	rec.Release()
+	wr.Close()
+
+	rdr, err := file.NewParquetReader(bytes.NewReader(buf.Bytes()))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	reader, err := pqarrow.NewFileReader(rdr, pqarrow.ArrowReadProperties{}, memory.DefaultAllocator)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer rdr.Close()
+
+	tbl, err := reader.ReadTable(context.Background())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer tbl.Release()
+
+	assert.Truef(t, array.Equal(arr, tbl.Column(0).Data().Chunk(0)),
+		"expected: %s\ngot: %s", arr, tbl.Column(0).Data().Chunk(0))
+}
diff --git a/parquet/pqarrow/file_reader.go b/parquet/pqarrow/file_reader.go
index b0641071..8fb114c1 100644
--- a/parquet/pqarrow/file_reader.go
+++ b/parquet/pqarrow/file_reader.go
@@ -111,6 +111,37 @@ func (fr *FileReader) Schema() (*arrow.Schema, error) {
 	return FromParquet(fr.rdr.MetaData().Schema, &fr.Props, fr.rdr.MetaData().KeyValueMetadata())
 }
 
+type extensionReader struct {
+	colReaderImpl
+
+	fieldWithExt arrow.Field
+}
+
+func (er *extensionReader) Field() *arrow.Field {
+	return &er.fieldWithExt
+}
+
+func (er *extensionReader) BuildArray(boundedLen int64) (*arrow.Chunked, error) {
+	if er.colReaderImpl == nil {
+		return nil, errors.New("extension reader has no underlying column reader implementation")
+	}
+
+	chkd, err := er.colReaderImpl.BuildArray(boundedLen)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	defer chkd.Release()
+
+	extType := er.fieldWithExt.Type.(arrow.ExtensionType)
+
+	newChunks := make([]arrow.Array, len(chkd.Chunks()))
+	for i, c := range chkd.Chunks() {
+		newChunks[i] = array.NewExtensionArrayWithStorage(extType, c)
+	}
+
+	return arrow.NewChunked(extType, newChunks), nil
+}
+
 type colReaderImpl interface {
 	LoadBatch(nrecs int64) error
 	BuildArray(boundedLen int64) (*arrow.Chunked, error)
@@ -517,7 +548,14 @@ func (fr *FileReader) getReader(ctx context.Context, field *SchemaField, arrowFi
 
 	switch arrowField.Type.ID() {
 	case arrow.EXTENSION:
-		return nil, xerrors.New("extension type not implemented")
+		storageField := arrowField
+		storageField.Type = arrowField.Type.(arrow.ExtensionType).StorageType()
+		storageReader, err := fr.getReader(ctx, field, storageField)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		return &ColumnReader{&extensionReader{colReaderImpl: storageReader, fieldWithExt: arrowField}}, nil
 	case arrow.STRUCT:
 
 		childReaders := make([]*ColumnReader, len(field.Children))
diff --git a/parquet/pqarrow/schema.go b/parquet/pqarrow/schema.go
index 17603b97..2c0e70b5 100644
--- a/parquet/pqarrow/schema.go
+++ b/parquet/pqarrow/schema.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package pqarrow
 
 import (
 	"encoding/base64"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"math"
 	"strconv"
@@ -243,25 +242,25 @@ func repFromNullable(isnullable bool) parquet.Repetition {
 }
 
 func variantToNode(t *extensions.VariantType, field arrow.Field, props *parquet.WriterProperties, arrProps ArrowWriterProperties) (schema.Node, error) {
-	metadataNode, err := fieldToNode("metadata", t.Metadata(), props, arrProps)
+	fields := make(schema.FieldList, 2, 3)
+	var err error
+
+	fields[0], err = fieldToNode("metadata", t.Metadata(), props, arrProps)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	valueNode, err := fieldToNode("value", t.Value(), props, arrProps)
+	fields[1], err = fieldToNode("value", t.Value(), props, arrProps)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	fields := schema.FieldList{metadataNode, valueNode}
-
-	typedField := t.TypedValue()
-	if typedField.Type != nil {
-		typedNode, err := fieldToNode("typed_value", typedField, props, arrProps)
+	if typed := t.TypedValue(); typed.Type != nil {
+		typedValue, err := fieldToNode("typed_value", typed, props, arrProps)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		fields = append(fields, typedNode)
+		fields = append(fields, typedValue)
 	}
 
 	return schema.NewGroupNodeLogical(field.Name, repFromNullable(field.Nullable),
@@ -868,9 +867,34 @@ func variantToSchemaField(n *schema.GroupNode, currentLevels file.LevelInfo, ctx
 	switch n.NumFields() {
 	case 2, 3:
 	default:
-		return errors.New("VARIANT group must have exactly 2 or 3 children")
+		return fmt.Errorf("VARIANT group must have exactly 2 or 3 children, not %d", n.NumFields())
 	}
 
+	if n.RepetitionType() == parquet.Repetitions.Repeated {
+		// list of variants
+		out.Children = make([]SchemaField, 1)
+		repeatedAncestorDef := currentLevels.IncrementRepeated()
+		if err := groupToStructField(n, currentLevels, ctx, &out.Children[0]); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		storageType := out.Children[0].Field.Type
+		elemType, err := extensions.NewVariantType(storageType)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		out.Children[0].Field.Type = elemType
+		out.Field = &arrow.Field{Name: n.Name(), Type: arrow.ListOfField(*out.Children[0].Field), Nullable: true,
+			Metadata: createFieldMeta(int(n.FieldID()))}
+		ctx.LinkParent(&out.Children[0], out)
+		out.LevelInfo = currentLevels
+		out.LevelInfo.RepeatedAncestorDefLevel = repeatedAncestorDef
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	currentLevels.Increment(n)
+
 	var err error
 	if err = groupToStructField(n, currentLevels, ctx, out); err != nil {
 		return err