Leather cracking on EGs - please advise

Folks, I need your advice about how to tackle a problem I have with a pair of Edward Greens...
Here's the story- long post, but please bear with me.

I have a pair of EG Russels which I bought in June 2006 in their London store. Always been carefully maintained: no wear 2 days in a row, shoe trees, Saphir medaille d'or polish only. After 4 years, I decide to send them back last summer to the factory in Northampton for a complete refurbishment (soles + inners).

Two months ago, I realize that the leather is starting to crack where it has folding pleats. So I am a bit worried and take them immediately to my cobbler, who incidentally is the one the local EG stockist recommends. The cobbler tells me that this looks like a leather default, and that I should send them back to EG as it should not happen on shoes which are under 5 years old and have clearly been very well maintained.

So I'm writing to EG and they immediately answer in a helpful way. It happens that their sales manager will be visiting the local EG stockist a few weeks later, so they ask me to drop my shoes at the shop. The sales rep will then take them back to the UK and they will get back in touch once they have inspected the shoes.

Two weeks after the shoes have been collected by the sales manager, I enquire with EG about whether they have already been looking into the matter. They answer that the cracking is actually due to the fact that silicone products have been used, and that it's not the leather cracking but built up layers of polish. They add they have striped the polish back and repolished them with proper products, and will send them back to me.

I was a bit surprised that silicone products were the cause for the problem as I have never used them, but well ... What could I say? So they sent the shoes back to me. At first they look good and the cracking seems to have almost disappeared.

The day before yesterday, I wore them for the first time since I got them back, and 10 minutes after I realize the cracking is back. I took pictures which I attach here: I'm referring to the areas where the red arrow points to.





The same day, I sent an email to my contact at EG, explaining the issue and asking what I should do. Two days later (today), I receive an email which I found a bit over the top, telling me that this is actually creasing, that leather creasing is normal when you wear your shoes as your feet bend when you walk (sic!) and that there's nothing they can do.

Now I know (as 99% of people I assume, and probably 100% of EG owners) that shoes are supposed to fold and crease, and that's not what I'm talking about. I'm referring to the places where you see cracking (a "wound" in the leather as opposed to a "scar" which would be the pleats, if you like). Which is what I answered to him.

His answer was that damage had been caused by the silicone products (which I reiterate have never been used as I told him) and that it was not reversible (something he never told me in the first place to begin with). I have to say I don't find this a very satisfactory answer (I also found his previous mail almost insulting to be honest), and I'm wondering what I should do.

Am I exaggerating this? Or should I ask that they look into the problem once more? What do you think? Any advice welcome.

Come on, they're almost five years old.

Your picture below makes this comment moot

Originally Posted by Ich_Dien

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Come on, they're almost five years old.
I can't tell whether you're being serious, or ironic... These shoes are supposed to last around 20 years, don't you think? I'm not sure they will if they already look like this after 5 years.

Originally Posted by nmprisons

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I must know nothing about shoes because I can't, for the life of me, see anything that would warrant an email to the manufacturer, but I am subscribing to this thread with the hope of learning the error of my ways.
Guess I'll have to take more pictures of the "damage" to find out whether I am crazy, or if there's something wrong... But why would the cobbler tell me something's wrong?

I can't see the issue. To me it looks like a deep crease, which is normal with some buildup of probably neutral polish. Let me ask you do you use Meltonian? Kiwi? If so, then yes, you are using silicone products.

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

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I can't see the issue. To me it looks like a deep crease, which is normal with some buildup of probably neutral polish. Let me ask you do you use Meltonian? Kiwi? If so, then yes, you are using silicone products.
Only Saphir medaille d'or.

Originally Posted by Tibo

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I can't tell whether you're being serious, or ironic... These shoes are supposed to last around 20 years, don't you think? I'm not sure they will if they already look like this after 5 years.

Granted that shoes in that price range should last a long time, indeed. There appear to be quite a few nightmare stories surfacing about E. Green's customer service. I had an issue with them once, but they eventual came good despite questioning my side of events severely.

was/is conditioner part of your maintenance routine?

I'm not sure that's something I would bother with. I see your concern, but I don't see how this could have been avoided, on EGs end.

Originally Posted by Tibo

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Brah, it looks like you're not good at describing things. Besides it's a normal crease. The spot where you're pointing at usually has the sharpest crease.

whether its a crease or a crack is really hard to tell in your pictures. I mean, it just looks like normal creasing

but I suppose it could be cracked, I just cant tell

Originally Posted by entrero

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Brah, it looks like you're not good at describing things. Besides it's a normal crease. The spot where you're pointing at usually has the sharpest crease.
And how, pray tell, would you describe it better? (other than the long description of events, but that's to give context - you're entirely free to skip that part, or the entire post for that matter).

I don't see a crack in that picture.

holy hell those are effed. IF they are a size 10.5 or 11 US send em to me and ill dispose of them properly. I definitely would NOT wear those anymore.