Proper leather shoes

Oh my....

And after much anticipation it doesn’t include a black Grassmere……

Mine are super comfy, quite a firm sole, but the leather tongues are very supple (with wear).

One of the tongues on mine annoyingly sits off centre and slides a bit but thats probably my fault in the initial wear (6 years ago).

They have been worn in all sorts of conditions over the last 6 years and constant wear through autumn and winter. With a polish and conditioning, and new laces, they basically still look like new.

Pulled a pair of meermins out that I'd not worn for a while. Struck me how nice they look with a polish, the leather has a really nice lustre to it.

Hello

Does anyone have any experience of Solovair? They seem like a good, British shoemaker making good quality shoes, but that's only going by wot it sez on the internet... I really like these 8 hole derby boots, but there's nowhere near to me to try them on or check them out.
I'm after some reliable info and opinions. TIA

These:
https://uk.nps-solovair.com/collections/mens/products/s8-551-bur-g?variant=19778917957696

My GF has a pair. Seems to be decent quality but very stiff so either they take a good while to break in or they’re just plain uncomfortable

Coincidentally I watched this earlier today. According to the vid - stiffness is a good thing and they will break in after a while.

https://youtu.be/EXR2vxO2p7Y

That guy’s always a fun watch.

I’ve been wasting time watching too many of this guys vids.

https://youtu.be/eC9fAS82-Bc

Thanks I’ll check it out tonight.

Worth a watch. Check out some of the other episodes. I only picked the link above as an example.

I've got some dealer boots from them, they've worn really well and really comfy after some initial stiffness. Really tempted by some more or their boots.

Just received some solovair tassel loafers in navy - comfortable out of the box but have ordered the half size smaller as well just to be certain… didn’t consider them proper until I learned you can get them resoled 👌
Very happy with them! (Once I’m satisfied I’ve got the right size)

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Love it ! I’ve got a pair of the same but Loake on an air sole. I emailed Loake about swapping to regular soles but they thought I was winding them up 🤪

Wondering now if I could convert them to badass slippers

Oh yeah? Got a picture? Been looking at loafers for a bit as I wanted some slip on shoes (to make getting in/out of the door with the kids a bit easier) - I’d bought some Berwick but they were a bit too formal, I wasn’t necessarily after tassels but these fit the bill

I really enjoyed that, thanks for sharing.

I’d love some brogue boots but my feet are too awkward. The ones I had gave me a bone spur.

^^^^^ cutting all those boots in half is heartbreaking

Some of them deserve it.

Watched it, good fun!

There are a load of episodes. Worth watching a few of the others - especially the custom soles.

If I could wear shoes like that I’d have a stronger interest, but just seeing the craftsmanship is a real pleasure.

anyone used these guys for re-soling redwings?

https://sportandleisurerepairs.com/collections/redwing-boot-repairs

I have a tired pair of Blacksmiths needing a re-sole. They came with a 430 sole but I kinda like the uber chonky Montagna. Also think they look great with the white wedge. Will that wear badly tho? What do we reckon?

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I think there has been a few recommendations for redwing resoles on here - I know there’s a place on city road that specialises in vibram but maybe search back a few pages.

The white sole wears well in my experience and is comfy