**The Official Shoe Care Thread: Tutorials, Photos, etc.**



BostonHedonist said:

+1 for cutting up old undershirts. Sometimes that's the only way I'll ever get rid of the old things!

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Old undershirts, plain white shirts which have been well worn, old eqyptian cotton bed sheets - they are all great. Alternatively nylon or preferably silk stockings provide a wonderful final finish.



Northampton Novice said:

Old undershirts, plain white shirts which have been well worn, old eqyptian cotton bed sheets - they are all great. Alternatively nylon or preferably silk stockings provide a wonderful final finish.

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How about a silk pocketsquare?

patrickBOOTH said:

How about a silk pocketsquare?

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Great for buffing a shine. Sucks as applicator.



chogall said:

Great for buffing a shine.  Sucks as applicator.

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Northampton Novice said:

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never used unwanted pocketsquares or ties to buff your mirror/spit shine shoes?

What are the pros and cons of installing toe/heel taps? I just got my first pair of Lobbs and sometimes see pics of pricey shoes with them but not sure why? Thanks.



Ivon said:

What are the pros and cons of installing toe/heel taps? I just got my first pair of Lobbs and sometimes see pics of pricey shoes with them but not sure why? Thanks.

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I have two pairs of shoes with toe and heel taps.
Pro:
They seem of of extended the length of the shoe. The heel is not very worn for how much they are worn.
Con:
They are loud on hard floors(at least mine are). My one pair of dexter shoes with toe/heel taps sound like a horse trotting in my mind. Although I do not mind too much.

Yes, old silk ties (if smooth finish satin) scarves, etc. etc. make great polishing cloths for teh mirror toez.

If I find I'm running short on them I can always remove those on my bedpost!

iroh said:

this thread has shown me that even lower priced shoes when polished properly can look as good as a pair of the most expensive gaziano & girling shoes.
there is no need to spend $1000 for a pair of shoes now, if i had told people i was considering paying $1000 for a pair of shoes they would have thought i was mad. goes to show a high quality $200 pair of allen edmonds will look better than a $2000 pair of bespoke shoes when polished up.
save your money folks, and the embarrassment, spending more money doesn't always mean more better in the end. sometimes we can all get caught up in the marketing hype and forget that a shoe is really just some pieces of leather stitched and dyed with color and we are giving thousands of dollars to these shoe companies and not asking if it makes sense. the next time you drop a thousand dollars for a pair of shoes ask yourself do you want to put a couple hundred dollars of pure profit into the pockets of the man who they named the shoe after?

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Any shoe can look good if given the time and effort, for me it's more about how that pair of shoes feels on your feet that is most important. I suspect most would notice the difference between a $200 pair of AE's against a $2000 pair of bespoke or for that matter a $1000 pair of G&G.

Wet season is here and I need to get half soles for my new 1000 mile boots. Just wondering, is there any trick to picking the right size half sole, or are they a one-size-fits-all sort of item?



Ivon said:

What are the pros and cons of installing toe/heel taps? I just got my first pair of Lobbs and sometimes see pics of pricey shoes with them but not sure why? Thanks.

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Toe taps in my opinion are a must. The toe area of the shoe generally wears down pretty fast with walking and depending on your gait and wear down to the welt and thin out the welt. This leads to much more expensive and complicated repair job. I think it is worth getting the flush metal taps on the toes if your cobbler offers them. As for heels, I used to swear by them, however I have noticed that with better shoes (read $1,000+) the heels are made much better and don't wear down nearly as fast. Generally, by the time they wear down significantly it is time to replace the whole sole anyway. I have really noticed that JR heels, or Bakers heels, even the rubber inserts are of much better quality that what comes on a lot of stock RTW shoes.

iroh said:

this thread has shown me that even lower priced shoes when polished properly can look as good as a pair of the most expensive gaziano & girling shoes.
there is no need to spend $1000 for a pair of shoes now, if i had told people i was considering paying $1000 for a pair of shoes they would have thought i was mad. goes to show a high quality $200 pair of allen edmonds will look better than a $2000 pair of bespoke shoes when polished up.
save your money folks, and the embarrassment, spending more money doesn't always mean more better in the end. sometimes we can all get caught up in the marketing hype and forget that a shoe is really just some pieces of leather stitched and dyed with color and we are giving thousands of dollars to these shoe companies and not asking if it makes sense. the next time you drop a thousand dollars for a pair of shoes ask yourself do you want to put a couple hundred dollars of pure profit into the pockets of the man who they named the shoe after?

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Well, kind of. With some good know-how you can improve the look of the finish of your lower priced shoes, however you are not going to trick any style conscious shoe guy. There are other things you simply cannot polish away such as an ugly last and ugly welts and such.

BostonHedonist said:

Wet season is here and I need to get half soles for my new 1000 mile boots. Just wondering, is there any trick to picking the right size half sole, or are they a one-size-fits-all sort of item?

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I would say it is something that should be discussed with your cobbler, they should be able to recommend and help you make the proper decision.



patrickBOOTH said:

Toe taps in my opinion are a must. The toe area of the shoe generally wears down pretty fast with walking and depending on your gait and wear down to the welt and thin out the welt. This leads to much more expensive and complicated repair job. I think it is worth getting the flush metal taps on the toes if your cobbler offers them.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

]As for heels, I used to swear by them, however I have noticed that with better shoes (read $1,000+) the heels are made much better and don't wear down nearly as fast. Generally, by the time they wear down significantly it is time to replace the whole sole anyway. I have really noticed that JR heels, or Bakers heels, even the rubber inserts are of much better quality that what comes on a lot of stock RTW shoes.
Well, kind of. With some good know-how you can improve the look of the finish of your lower priced shoes, however you are not going to trick any style conscious shoe guy. There are other things you simply cannot polish away such as an ugly last and ugly welts and such.
I would say it is something that should be discussed with your cobbler, they should be able to recommend and help you make the proper decision

.

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ya i m thinking just what you are saying, taking my marlow's to the cobbler when i go down to NYC next week to get a metal taps on the toes and some plastic on the heels. hope they won't cost me too much. i plan on going to b.nelson for that.



tv2177 said:

ya i m thinking just what you are saying, taking my marlow's to the cobbler when i go down to NYC next week to get a metal taps on the toes and some plastic on the heels. hope they won't cost me too much. i plan on going to b.nelson for that.

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I don't remember exactly but Topy's and flush metal toe taps cost me somewhere in the range of $75 - $90 at b. nelson when I got them done 3 months ago.



Winston S. said:

I don't remember exactly but Topy's and flush metal toe taps cost me somewhere in the range of $75 - $90 at b. nelson when I got them done 3 months ago.

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Don't get topy's.



patrickBOOTH said:

Don't get topy's.

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$75 to $90 for a pair. dang!

I googled and found this topic about Topys on AAAC

Link