The All-Inclusive Shoe & Boot Thread

@ Truth those shoos are thoroughly foul.

Having a strip of rubber put onto the bottom of the leather soled shoes does not cause the foot to become heated in my experience, however one thing l can say is that grain corrected shoes are noticeably warmer to wear and will make my feet reasonably hot on some days.

Generally I only sport grain corrected shoes from the Autumn through to Spring.
 
Thanks for turning me on to Dayton’s Thruth Thruth

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Those are sexy. How's the fit?

Thanks mate. I’m very happy with the way they turned out.

Fit is perfect. All the sizing-down advice is confusing- size exactly the same as Wolverine 1k mile.
 
so you got a EEE width?

what was the final price all-in?

Yes,9EEE.

List price is about $600. Mention Thruth and it dropped to $460. My White’s boot should arrive soon for comparison, too!
 
Yes,9EEE.

List price is about $600. Mention Thruth and it dropped to $460. My White’s boot should arrive soon for comparison, too!
excellent. looking forward to the info. its so rare that i can find someone with my same width.
 
I took a few shoes for repair including my Tim Little's a few posts above for a re-sole today. I trust these cobblers and so I decided I won't send them back to Tim Little in London for a revamp. The cobbler did not want to do I wanted which was a leather resole and then rubber on top for all the usual reasons i.e. lack of rubber being able to wick away sweat, etc. But he didn't really have any answer to the position that leather soles are limited season wise in the Netherlands and also a health risk when you work in offices with marble floors. In any event, if you have an adequate shoe pyramid then excessive sweat is not really going to be a problem with a rubber sole shoe is it?

I've never felt sweat to be a problem in any shoe, ever.
Did he explain the science of leather wicking away sweat through the thick leather sole more efficiently than through the thin leather tops or through the the hole where you put your foot? And the science behind how the leather sole can wick sweat away but not wick (suck) water up into the shoe?
 
And the science behind how the leather sole can wick sweat away but not wick (suck) water up into the shoe?

There's no science, other than oiled leather that can save a leather sole in rainy weather. And then there's the curse of marble floors.
 
They are going back to Canada for repair. A1 customer service. Frustrating but freak accidental, maybe?

True story: the bloke I spoke to on the phone knows the priest at my church back in Oz. Apparently he did a stint in the North years ago.
 
There's no science, other than oiled leather that can save a leather sole in rainy weather. And then there's the curse of marble floors.
I sometimes put Dubbin on those leather soles I haven’t had Topy on. Seems to be a good thing.
 
are you in France?
Yes Toulouse, was in Barcelona last week and week before in Porto and Lisbon . Off to Paris on Thursday. I found a little shop here on Sunday that only sells shoe accessories , not shoes, just laces, nugget, brushes etc etc. It was closed on Sunday and I couldn’t get a picture through the grill. I might go there tomorrow and get a pic for you shooey.
 
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There seemed to be some affordable priced Goodyear shoes in Spain and Portugal. Mainly Spanish made from memory. One brand had what seemed to me to be an English sounding name. I’m always interested in good affordable shoes for the average bloke more than high end stuff.

From what I could find out salaries & wages are pretty low in Portugal and Spain and it’s hard for people to rent, eat etc.
 
what he said ...
Walker , when I was on the farm we used to put Dubbin all over work boots on sole as well. I’ve found it good to protect soles from water, and to revive old vintage dry soles. I heat up soles a bit with hairdryer and heat up Dubbin too.

You approve?
 
Walker , when I was on the farm we used to put Dubbin all over work boots on sole as well. I’ve found it good to protect soles from water, and to revive old vintage dry soles. I heat up soles a bit with hairdryer and heat up Dubbin too.

You approve?

more than ...

understood, when I was a kid my mother thought she gives me a chore, when she said: take care of your shoes and clean them yourself ..., the rest is history. in other words, I'm literally dealing with shoe care for more than forty years. names like woly, collonil, kiwi, erdal etc. were familiar to me like my favorite chocolate bar, sweets, etc.

ffwd, little did I know that the number of my shoes were increasing and I had the opportunity to try out any kind of product, method, regime, you name it ..., btw, same goes for repair jobs.

dubbin is my all time favorit of all products, easy to use, gives a shine without effort and protects your shoes in an incredible way. it is my personal starting point for every kind of leather. never dissapointed me till today.

while we're talking: I changed my mind a little about topying. it is and will always be a half-assed measure. when done correctly, it can help to prolong the life of your favorite "beaters". imo, it is suited for older pairs of shoes, which cannot stand a full refurbish without suffering.

... always keep in mind, rubber is slippery, particularly on marble floors. good and well maintained leather soles are not. it is physics and not rocket science. been there, done that ...
 
I was never asked to clean my shoos, l always did it because l wanted to from a very young age. I'd wax my dad's and mine and buff them etc. I've been cleaning shoos for over 40 years too. Actually, l think l used to clean them after each wear. I also used to put topy's (thin strip of leather) on as a kid, i'd get the last' out, put the shoos on and glue it on. I'd also put metal tips on my shoes at the heel. I did all the shoo stuff as a kid.

My grandfather was amazing. He'd hand stitch the shoos to repair them. He was never taught, but he knew how to fix anything.
 
The situation is alittle different with goodyear welted shoes. Limited resoles, so using a topy is a good idea imo. With machine sewn resoles that welt can get mashed down pretty quick. With hand welted the sky is the limit, NONE of the problems associated with goodyear welted because the integrity of the construction and ease of rebuilds is unrivaled.

factory mentality + goodyear welted = very limited under various conditions
workshop mentality + hand welted = sky is the limit under all construction conditions
 
I sometimes put Dubbin on those leather soles I haven’t had Topy on. Seems to be a good thing.

here is a conversion on a pair of respoke. it is connected to a nice story, imo.

a friend of mine gave me six pairs after his father passed away. I never met his father, but my mate thought they will be in good hands, when I take care of them. they are my size and are locally made. pieces of shoemaking history on top.

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the base is a wood pegged leather sole(visible in the first pic). now the season starts to wear them and get my own impressions of the usability. probably, I have my cobbler do more of this. we'll see.

fwiw, I'v never done topy myself, but I got a few vintage pairs, which came this way.
 
There seemed to be some affordable priced Goodyear shoes in Spain and Portugal. Mainly Spanish made from memory. One brand had what seemed to me to be an English sounding name. I’m always interested in good affordable shoes for the average bloke more than high end stuff.

From what I could find out salaries & wages are pretty low in Portugal and Spain and it’s hard for people to rent, eat etc.

Wages are low and youth unemployment are extremely high in both countries. One of our clients is in Madrid and their salaries are shockingly low, same in Portugal. Spanish shoes have always been a good option if you're on a budget and looking for a smart Oxford. Carlos Santos from Portugal produce some excellent shoes and their whole cuts are tremendous value compared to English bench made alternatives.
 
Just arrived at work to find these bad boys on my desk.
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I only stuck my feet in for a sec to do a quick fit test - but I think I'm going to like that arch support!
 
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fxh fxh , how did you find Lisbon? Keen on your insight/ places visited etc
We had a shitfull time in Lisbon but there were many factors.

Both of my sisters, and my mate who is here in Toulouse at the moment, all claim it’s great. Nearly everybody I know claims Porto has the edge. We loved Porto , but these things depend a lot on what sort of person you are and what you value in any trip.

I can say more if you want but not right now
 
here is a conversion on a pair of respoke. it is connected to a nice story, imo.

a friend of mine gave me six pairs after his father passed away. I never met his father, but my mate thought they will be in good hands, when I take care of them. they are my size and are locally made. pieces of shoemaking history on top.

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the base is a wood pegged leather sole(visible in the first pic). now the season starts to wear them and get my own impressions of the usability. probably, I have my cobbler do more of this. we'll see.

fwiw, I'v never done topy myself, but I got a few vintage pairs, which came this way.
That’s not Topy as I refer to it. I’m talking about a much much thinner piece of rubber (probably a compound) that with the right colour is barely perceptible.
 
The Shooman The Shooman i found this little shop that only sells shoe accessories. No shoes, but everything for shoes, polishes, brushes, kits, shoelaces, all brands of polish and cream. And , you can even buy your own shoe polishing machine for $198 euros

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of course it is not topy. I'm not doing topy on my own shoes anymore, only did it once or twice, but never worked up for me. for my customers, I only do it on demand(through a cobbler). right now, I have a few conversions back to leather going on. topy has it's space, but not much, imo.

the pair above is a valuable solution for the conditions I live in - countryside. my cobbler just did a great job on a redwing from wedge-sole to low profile lug sole for a customer. will consider more and glad to have a great craftsman to do it.

That’s not Topy as I refer to it. I’m talking about a much much thinner piece of rubber (probably a compound) that with the right colour is barely perceptible.
 
There seemed to be some affordable priced Goodyear shoes in Spain and Portugal. Mainly Spanish made from memory. One brand had what seemed to me to be an English sounding name. I’m always interested in good affordable shoes for the average bloke more than high end stuff.

From what I could find out salaries & wages are pretty low in Portugal and Spain and it’s hard for people to rent, eat etc.
Bexley? Used to offer good options in Goodyear welted shoes especially if you are OK with black. Big store network in Paris. Recently seem to be less Goodyear welt stuff. Cost cutting? Lots of inexpensive Spanish shoes are sound also.
 
Dropbear Dropbear did you order your whites boots from bakers? If so did you do the foot tracing?

This model, the Bounty Hunter is only available through Bakers. It’s a Smoke Jumper upper on the Semi-Dress last.

I sent foot tracings to both Bakers and Whites and was happy when they came back with the same recommendation: 9EEE (same as W1k mile, fwiw). The Semi-Dress last has a pretty generous toebox, so no concerns about squish there.

They are heavy boots with increadibly thick leather, but I wore them all day today and had no soreness - only thing I’m aware of is the sole being new and stiff. The arch ease is strange at first but I really like it - I have fairly small arches these days.

I’ll take some better pics of the color in natural light - it really is beautiful. I based a lot of my selection on this one year old pair of Semi Dress boots:

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This model, the Bounty Hunter is only available through Bakers. It’s a Smoke Jumper upper on the Semi-Dress last.

I sent foot tracings to both Bakers and Whites and was hat when they came back with the same recommendation: 9EEE (same as W1k mile, fwiw). The Semi-Dress last has a pretty generous toebox, so no concerns about squish there.

They are heavy boots with increadibly thick leather, but I wore them all day today and had no soreness only thing I’m aware of is the sole being new and stiff. The arch ease is strange at first but I really like it - I have fairly small arches these days.

I’ll take some better pics of the color in natural light / it really is beautiful. I based a lot of my selection on this one year old pair of Semi Dress boots:

View attachment 30915
Excellent info. Thanks
 
This model, the Bounty Hunter is only available through Bakers. It’s a Smoke Jumper upper on the Semi-Dress last.

I sent foot tracings to both Bakers and Whites and was happy when they came back with the same recommendation: 9EEE (same as W1k mile, fwiw). The Semi-Dress last has a pretty generous toebox, so no concerns about squish there.

They are heavy boots with increadibly thick leather, but I wore them all day today and had no soreness - only thing I’m aware of is the sole being new and stiff. The arch ease is strange at first but I really like it - I have fairly small arches these days.

I’ll take some better pics of the color in natural light - it really is beautiful. I based a lot of my selection on this one year old pair of Semi Dress boots:

View attachment 30915

Nice boots, and wow such an interesting construction. One stitch attaching the welt to the slip sole and another stitch attaching the welt to the slip sole to the rubber sole. Makes sense considering the thick sole. Vass goiser shoes use a similar construction method except it is done by hand and also employs a third stitch for a reverse inseam. Nice thick cow leather too.
 

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