Thoughts on buying a well-made shoe in today's Washington Post:
Shoes have three basic elements: the sole, which touches the ground; the insole, which you step in; and the upper, which is the part that wraps around your foot. How these elements are held together has a big influence on how the shoe will perform. Glue is a cheaper and easier method than stitching, but it also comes apart more easily, especially when exposed to high heat...
Higher-quality men’s dress shoes are often stitched together with the Goodyear welt. This method allows a pair of shoes to be resoled multiple times without damaging the upper portion of the shoes...
Another method, the Blake stitch, uses a special machine to stitch the upper and lining straight through the sole. These may be a bit easier to break in, but they won’t be quite as water-resistant...
[T]aking good care of them will make them last much longer... Condition the leather to keep it supple, place cedar shoe trees in shoes to absorb moisture, and take shoes to a cobbler when you see signs of wear.
- <https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/09/08/how-to-buy-a-well-made-shoe/>
Just ordered "traditional style" shoes (Chukka Boots, to be precise) for my teenage son, we repeated the order after 1,5 year (size change). Natural rubber sole, insole and the upper part made out of natural leather, stitched, beautiful natural colours of leather, handmade. Takes 2 weeks and costs 100USD. Made in Poland. This time we will buy 3 pairs, including one with natural ship wool inside for colder but not icy or snowy days. And they look so well with a decent, woollen Peacoat or quilted Barbour, shirt and chinos or corduroy trousers. We waxed them with natural beeswax, they were excellent!
ReplyDeleteI neither paid 300USD for handmade traditional sandals, beautifully made in France (on spot, in Saint Tropez, famous Rondini)!
I think Mr. Potter speaks to a very special audience, hipsters perhaps or the prices in the US are so much higher...
All this is well & good. Do people know how to maintain them ? Saddle soap, conditioner, paste or cream selection, cleaning of sole threads with a toothbrush, sole edge dressing, horse hair brush, cotton or flannel for polishing, application of wax - hot water or softening of paste by heat.
ReplyDeleteYep, I look at people's shoes, reminds me of starched shirts & khakis to complete the look. They have to be perfect.
Anonymous 2:29, I agree with every word. I don't think too many people are using all those "tools" you mentioned above.
DeleteObservations: 1) ‘leather’ covers a very wide spectrum. Look for full grain leather uppers, oak or ‘bark’ tanned leather soles on mens’ shoes. Shell cordovan if you really want a shoe that wears well - worth the cost. Also, shoes with a partial or full shank are more sturdy and offer better support - but they weigh more. 2) when you buy shoes, ask the seller what they recommend for keeping leather treated and polished. Creams and polishes that work for some kinds of leather (chromexel-tanned leather, for example) don’t necessarily work for leather tanned via a different process. Get a basic set of shoe brushes and soft cloths to apply. 3) Rainy days are good days for shoes with glued-on rubber soles if not rain boots. Rain is not good for leather soles, and most people don’t take the time to pull on rubber overshoes or boots these days. 4) Made in USA isn’t the last word. Limmer Boots makes shelf model shoes and boots via Meindl in Bavaria - and the quality is excellent. Alden and Rancourt, among others, still make the shoes in the Northeast.
ReplyDeleteMeindl might be made in Bavaria but it doesn't make them good shoes yet. They were good in the past, true. Everything changed within last 10 years, perhaps a bit more. They make them this way (I guess intentionally), that it's impossible to repair. We were trying with my husbands pair. We buy shoes and leather products in general NON chromate-tanned, only vegetable.
DeleteTrue, most companies that make hiking boots and shoes have gone that route. However, Meindl manufactures boots and shoes under contract to Limmer's specifications, and they're old-school quality. The Limmer oxfords I purchased about two years ago are goodyear-welted, 2.8mm full grain chrome-tanned leather outer, lined with vegetable-tanned leather, composite midsole, half-length steel shank. Boots are comparable, though they're made with a Norwegian welt. (i have no affiliation with the company, but I have walked and hiked thousands of miles in their footwear).
DeleteWait: You mean it's not good to buy square-toed shoes, dispense with shoe trees so the shoes turn up at the toes, leave the edges unpolished, and top it all off by wearing my trousers much too long, like accordions perched on my insteps? Next you'll be telling me not to wear a man bun or a tattoo with Hebrew letters that I think spell out one of the names of God but that actually spell out "Employees must wash their hands."
ReplyDeleteThank you. Very, very, funny. Full Stop. Period. Etc..
DeleteMoccasin construction produces probably the most comfortable fit in a shoe. Over time the leather molds to your foot, as your foot is basically wrapped in leather. The soles are replaceable. Russell Moccasins, made in Wisconsin, have custom built moccasin shoes and boots for many years. You will pay a pretty penny. But you will never find more comfortable footwear. The moccasin look is not appealing to all. But this can be offset by use of “exotic” leathers such as German elk.
ReplyDeleteI'm picking up my husband's newly re-soled shoes from the cobbler tomorrow morning! This will be the third sole, and the craftspeople there make them like new each time.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Nothing quite like a pair of well-maintained leather dress shoes. The zen of fairly routine moisturizing, polishing, brushing them down after replacing the cedar shoe trees at day's end, and all that. Learned from my father and maternal grandfather. A hippie stock broker and former paratrooper respectively. I'm wearing a pair of oxblood captoe oxfords (with a glen plaid suit and my Phi Kappa Phi necktie) right now in fact.
ReplyDeleteKind Regards,
Heinz-Ulrich
How to buy a well-made shoe?
ReplyDeleteEasy. Just walk into John Lobb at 9 St. James Street, and say these words: "Hello, I'd like to purchase a pair of shoes."
John Lobb is of course a very good idea but there are plenty of other options. Think about younger generation, they don't want to go and ask for a bank loan for a pair of shoes;)...
DeleteHey, who doesn't have $1700 to spend on a (single) pair of shoes?
DeleteI'd recommend Crockett & Jones's stores in London, Paris and New York for RTW goodyear welted shoes and boots. As the article says, avoid Blake stitched soles which are often found on shoes that are made in Europe.
DeleteThe youngsters might be suggested to cut back a bit on the single batch single malts, the cherry “seltzer,” or the latest Thai Sardinian fusion taco cuisine. It wouldn’t take them long to save enough for a John Lobb pair of shoes. After all, our generation saved to buy at Barrie’s, even at a young age. For example, we saved by hitchhiking instead of using public public transportation. Thus doing so, we somewhat quickly amassed the cash for Barrie’s. We bought Barrie’s even if they did cost two times very good quality American made shoes. It’s all about priorities.
ReplyDeleteThe gent who worked at the Grand Central Terminal shoe repair on 45the St, across the street and down the stairs from the now “old” Roosevelt Hotel,
ReplyDeletewas a knowledgeable cobbler. He, with the naked eye, immediately could spot a shoe with, connecting the upper to the sole, what he called a “fantasy stitch.” Plastic.
For a cobbler extraordinaire, check out Steve the YouTube site of Bedo’s Leatherworks in Virginia. Quite the pleasant and relaxing channel to watch also. -JDV
ReplyDeleteQuality will out!
ReplyDeleteFor casual shoes, it is pretty hard to beat Rancourt. I have their camp mocs. For dressier shoes, I highly recommend Alden Factory Seconds at Shoemart. I have their LHS and their tassels in color No. 8. For hiking boots, Danner Mountain Lights are a throwback to hiking boots of old. Made in Portland, Oregon, they will last a very long time. On the trail, they are really solid. All these wonderful made in the USA shoes are in complete accord with the style most on this site revere as canonical.
ReplyDeleteYou might take a look at the online retailer Beckett and Simonon. There shoes are all handmade and I find them of much better quality than other shoes in the same price range. If you need shoes immediately, they are not for you. They do not begin the construction process until you place your order. However, they will update you regularly on the crafting process down to the point of introducing you to the Columbian leather craftsmen working on your shoes.
ReplyDeleteA good friend came back from Europe with a pair of Vass shoes made in Budapest. They look incredible. Most RTW begin around E400 and up to E700 for Horween leather. https://vass-shoes.com/?v=7516fd43adaa
ReplyDelete