Working Shoe for Young Exec - Part 3

jonleelk

Master Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
4,053
Reaction score
50
Haha ok point taken

If anyone knows, will be interested to know how long a pair of topy or leather sole can last.

I have a pair of EB on vibram, wore it for ~110 days. The sole looks still good but there is a small split at the toe.

Last time when I only had 2 pairs of leather sole shoes,

Mon and Wed : pair A
Tue and Thur: pair B

They lasted about 3 years and I needed a recraft. Recrafted one pair (as the last is no longer in production and I love that last) and disposed the other one.

Both of them are Loake 1880.
 

urbanturban

Master Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2003
Messages
3,408
Reaction score
0
I have a pair of cheap Herring shoes which i like a lot. Used as rainy day shoes, i wear them a lot on other days too. 4 years and counting. I did not even replace the rubber portion of the heel.

Some of the wear also depends on how you walk and where you walk on. I do not baby my shoes also.
 

wiz

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2000
Messages
2,058
Reaction score
0
Last time when I only had 2 pairs of leather sole shoes,

Mon and Wed : pair A
Tue and Thur: pair B

They lasted about 3 years and I needed a recraft. Recrafted one pair (as the last is no longer in production and I love that last) and disposed the other one.

Both of them are Loake 1880.

~300 days of use, not bad. thanks
 

nedenow

Member
Joined
May 22, 2012
Messages
216
Reaction score
0
Any suggestions on where to buy heel lining inserts? the heel lining of my carmina shows wear and tear after some time.
 

wrinklednails

Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2017
Messages
121
Reaction score
0
I find slipping happens to both leather or topy soles when walking on wet tiles or oily floors.
I go for topy all the time because my toe spring wears the front tip fast. Topy at least resolves that problem for me.

I would agree that adding a front rubber half sole does not entirely eliminate slipping, I don't think any soles you use on any shoes can guarantee no slipping especially on wet/oily surfaces. Although adding a front rubber half sole won't eliminate slipping, they are definitely an improvement over the leather soles.

I do recommend adding a front rubber half sole onto leather sole for folks who commute on foot a fair bit and also agree with Wiz's point that it's not as essential if you wear the leather soles primarily indoors. It's really a personal judgement.

I myself use them primarily as protection against wet weather and for more grip. The most recent Topy's Finlux I put on my GYW shoes was about a year ago. I wear these 2 pairs in constant rotation through rain and shine. One pair has worn down a fair bit, I can barely make out the logo but the ribbings are still pretty clear. For the other pair, I can still quite clearly see the logo. These are 2mm rubber soles. Adding the front rubber half soles also helps to protect the front tip from wearing out. Pretty worth it for the $20-$25 cost I would say and they are easily replaceable when worn out.

As for the heel, it depends on your gait and how much you dig in as well as the hardness of the rubber compound the shoe maker has used. I have replaced the heel on one of my shoes after about 6-8 months of wear with Topy's Topane heel which is 7mm. It's holding up pretty well for now and I expect it to last about a year or so. I have also recently tried JR Rendenbach's 1/4 leather heel piece. I would recommend to have the heel replaced before you start eating into the wood layers, the $20 (for Topy)-$35 (for JR 1/4 leather) is well worth the money VS eating into the wood. These ready made heel replacements comes as a single convenient piece, just have to yank out the entire original heel base layer, cement the heel replacement on and hammer in some nails to make sure they stick on.

Guys commonly ask if I can Topy a pair of shoes after they've been worn and the answer is YES! Unless you've completely worn through your leather soles, adding a front rubber half sole is more often than not possible. I've helped to Topy cracked leather soles and soles that are mouldy and out of shape so that the users can extend the life of their shoes simply cause re-soling with chain stitch is rather costly (it costed me $120-$150 using full JR leather soles with chain stitching. Half sole options are available at lower price points) and re-welting is best done at the original maker with the exact shoe last.
 
Last edited:

wrinklednails

Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2017
Messages
121
Reaction score
0
Any suggestions on where to buy heel lining inserts? the heel lining of my carmina shows wear and tear after some time.

Recently saw Straits Establishment selling Dasco's suede heel grips on their webstore. $6 and free local shipping, worth a try in my opinion.
 

nomoreliaola

Arch-Supremacy Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2008
Messages
11,130
Reaction score
360
Guys saw this in IG. What's ur comment on the shoes? I beiong the monks.

https://earnestcollective.com/collections/minimalist


kSJAcvT.jpg
 

arcfire

Master Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2002
Messages
2,687
Reaction score
2
Just running a quick interest check on a MTO that i'm considering:

Maker: Enzo Bonafe (through Seamless)

Type: Chukka

Last: Tentatively 946 or similar (up for suggestions)

Welt: norvegese

Sole: single leather with vibram/topy, Beveled waist (not sure if this is possible)

Leather: Plum museum or claret museum

Others: Braided laces

Would anyone be keen in this?
 

All in a Day

Arch-Supremacy Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2014
Messages
14,875
Reaction score
1,584
Just running a quick interest check on a MTO that i'm considering:

Maker: Enzo Bonafe (through Seamless)

Type: Chukka

Last: Tentatively 946 or similar (up for suggestions)

Welt: norvegese

Sole: single leather with vibram/topy, Beveled waist (not sure if this is possible)

Leather: Plum museum or claret museum

Others: Braided laces

Would anyone be keen in this?

I wouldn't mind a "formal" chukka.. 2-3 eyelet sleek last.. This make up not quite..

Would the seamless team be able to help you gather interest from like-minded guys?

Anyway I personally think it is worth a business consideration for new age sartorial businesses, leveraging on social media, facilitating a community that ultimately helps to generate sales. Or perhaps they are already on SF!
 

All in a Day

Arch-Supremacy Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2014
Messages
14,875
Reaction score
1,584
Nobody knows any cobbler for toe tap work?

I assume you mean metal toe taps? I believe in local cobbling context these are still something relatively new (IMHO).

Your best bets are those more 'abreast' with the shoes scene. E.g. mason smith, EEA.
 

arcfire

Master Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2002
Messages
2,687
Reaction score
2
I wouldn't mind a "formal" chukka.. 2-3 eyelet sleek last.. This make up not quite..

Would the seamless team be able to help you gather interest from like-minded guys?

Anyway I personally think it is worth a business consideration for new age sartorial businesses, leveraging on social media, facilitating a community that ultimately helps to generate sales. Or perhaps they are already on SF!

Good point. I'll check with them the next time i'm there.

Thanks!
 

thundermarch

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2013
Messages
1,082
Reaction score
0
Just running a quick interest check on a MTO that i'm considering:

Maker: Enzo Bonafe (through Seamless)

Type: Chukka

Last: Tentatively 946 or similar (up for suggestions)

Welt: norvegese

Sole: single leather with vibram/topy, Beveled waist (not sure if this is possible)

Leather: Plum museum or claret museum

Others: Braided laces

Would anyone be keen in this?


Thanks for the support.
The makeup is certainly quite appealing. Lets see if we can get another 2 interests.
With regards to the beveled waist, it generally cannot be done if you desire a 270 deg or 360 deg norvegese.
However, there is an option to do a 180 deg norvegese (waist to waist norvegese) construction with a blake stitched waist. You will get the effect of a beveled waist in this case, but I am not sure if a blake stitched waist is something you would want?
 

arcfire

Master Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2002
Messages
2,687
Reaction score
2
Thanks for the support.
The makeup is certainly quite appealing. Lets see if we can get another 2 interests.
With regards to the beveled waist, it generally cannot be done if you desire a 270 deg or 360 deg norvegese.
However, there is an option to do a 180 deg norvegese (waist to waist norvegese) construction with a blake stitched waist. You will get the effect of a beveled waist in this case, but I am not sure if a blake stitched waist is something you would want?

Thanks for the advice TM. Would be awesome if we're able garner another 2 interests!

My plan was to have the norvegese welt so I'd go for 270 or even 360 if that is doable. Beveled waist was just something of a nice to have so I'm ok without it.
 

lucied

Senior Member
Joined
May 10, 2007
Messages
1,221
Reaction score
0
I assume you mean metal toe taps? I believe in local cobbling context these are still something relatively new (IMHO).

Your best bets are those more 'abreast' with the shoes scene. E.g. mason smith, EEA.

Yeah was looking to avoid those. Their prices are $100~. My shoes aren't expensive enough to justify that cost.
 

wiz

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2000
Messages
2,058
Reaction score
0
Anyone has Vass? What are your experiences? Vass seems to be in the same bracket as Enzo Bonafé
 

nkapped

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2018
Messages
48
Reaction score
0
Yeah I have a couple of Vass. I think they’re really well constructed, attractive shoes and there is a fantastic MTO programme (Ascot Shoes does a fantastic job with publicity). They are generally pricier than Enzos though, at least in my experience. The Vass lasts are also really beautiful, as many people will tell you. I’m more partial to Vass mainly because Enzos don’t fit my feet that well.

Anyone has Vass? What are your experiences? Vass seems to be in the same bracket as Enzo Bonafé
 
Important Forum Advisory Note
This forum is moderated by volunteer moderators who will react only to members' feedback on posts. Moderators are not employees or representatives of HWZ. Forum members and moderators are responsible for their own posts.

Please refer to our Community Guidelines and Standards, Terms of Service and Member T&Cs for more information.
Top