Proper leather shoes

Ah right, I had wondered about that. Thank you for saving me the embarrassment of being turned away by Church's!

When they need re-soling, I'll go to an independent.

BTW - quite like those brown suede R&Bs. If you can wait until next friday, I'll take them.

Happy to wait, had them sat in a (non-R&B) box long enough.

Some shoemaker brands might allow it, but the general rule is if you went to a third party you can stick that third party up your starfish. They don’t want to be fixing a bad cobbler’s work. They only want to rebuild what they have built.

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^went to this last year, plenty of bargains to be had. Best to go Thursday am..shoes were £120 and boots £160 iirc

Whoa, good shout. I’m free tomorrow and a quick google shows they’re only an hour from me.

Damn. Why didn’t I see that one? Just up the road from me. Damn.

This cordovan lark is proper good. Saphir Medaille d’Or Renovateur, Alden’s Color 8 wax, a micro fibre cloth, deer bone for the deep scratch and a horsehair brush were used.

Oops

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Amazing result, I would’ve been inconsolable about that scuff.

Wife and I picked up some nice bits in the Trickers sale, had to pretend I didn’t know her when she put her back out trying on a Chelsea boot.

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Very nice haul.

Lovely stuff. Love a commando sole on the right shoe and that's certainly one of them!

Been thinking about Tricker's boots a lot recently as my decade old Red Wing's have seen better days... Very easy to obtain sans VAT with free shipping to the US. The weak pound makes them an exceedingly good value proposition.

Regarding cordovan, yes, I was quite worried, but I've seen photos of some Color 8 stuff that literally looks like it is about to fall apart and somehow comes back looking as good as new. Very pleased. Seems like a total miracle material.

I've got a pair of Cheaney boots in a size 12 if anyone fancies them. I've not worn them much at all as they're probably a little too big for me. £100 sound reasonable?

@Ecobeard ?

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Nice, but I prefer them plainer

Decent boots though

I have a pair of those, great boots.

@gt sent me a pm about the hebtroco boots

They are stiff but not uncomfortable, i can wear them all day and don't suffer for it. It took a little bit of wearing in but nothing exceptional.

A wire suede brush brings the nap back, it tends to get smoothed over but restores easily. I am actually thinking of asking William Lennon to make me something similar, but in similar black leather, the changes i'd ask for would be a loop down the back to pull them on and their screw on soles, these changes would just be so they are not identical to the brown ones.

Yes they are heavy but I don't notice it now. But I tend to dress in a lot of heavy duty american workwear, my winter wax jacket weighs almost 3.5kg getting dressed in the morning is my exercise for the day.

Thanks for that. Did you get your normal shoe size when buying these?

Yep, they come up similar to cheaney veldtschoen or trickers brogue boots.

I’ve realised the Yuketen penny loafers I have just don’t fit me. Would anyone like some lovely very lightly worn Dark Mahogany cordovan loafers for not much cash? Relatively speaking, of course. They’re a US 9/UK 8. I’d be shipping them from the US but can mark them down I suspect. They’re pretty narrow in the toe box and I have wide feet, hence the fit issues. Thought I’d ask here before putting on eBay. Worn them a grand total of five times.

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Because I’ll be getting rid of them, I got some Color 8 Alden 975 Longwing’s instead to replace them. Beautiful, if overpriced, shoe 🤤

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I'd be tempted but I think my foot width would cause problems too. Out of interest, what size would you normally wear? I'm generally a UK7.5 in most things and the same in Clarks Weavers/Wallabees.

I dont know fashun, but white socks man.

Edit: The Guardian says it's cool, so I'm not sure if that makes it uncool or not. https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/aug/21/the-new-rules-of-socks-novelty-ones-are-out-but-yes-you-can-wear-them-with-sandals

If James Dean did it, whilst also popularising the penny loafer amongst American teens, I will do it also :-)

Well, to be honest, buying these was really a stretch because they were 'so' cheap (for what they are). My shoe sizes vary wildly but I should've guessed they were too small. They were tight when I got them - they have absolutely loosened up - probably at the stitches, rather than the cordovan. On a brannock I am between a US 10 and 10.5. But my Alden's are a 9.5 and 8.5 (different lasts). New Balance are a US 10.5. Yuketen Mocassins have been both 9.5 and 10, Tricker's are a US 10.5...... So I'm not really helping much here :-) They all fit me properly though. Super weird size range.

Oh, they are an E width by the way. Surprisingly.

I can measure them with a ruler if you're actually interested? Might give some better insight?

Cheaney boots in a size 12

If anyone wants a pair of 8.5, but more like a 9. Then there's one pair in the TKMax near the Lloyd's building - the small one by Itzu, not the big one on the corner of Bishopsgate.

Not entirely proper leather shoes but I have a pair of Crown sneakers, handmade in Northampton which I have hammered daily at work for over a year. I’m taking them to be re-soled at the factory tomorrow which fills me with glee; a non-disposable trainer. They’re like a pair of old slippers now and the patination is beautiful.

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