B. Nelson NYC Shoe Repair

I'm very happy with recent major shoe repair from Nick Valenti's shop in NYC.

Several months ago I noticed some fuzzy white material between the upper and the sole on one of my Vass Norwegers in shell cordovan on the New Peter last. These are about five years old and well tended. Puzzled, I vigorously brushed the white material away, only to have it return several times over the course of many days. This happened with both shoes symmetrically, near the instep. It finally dawned on me that something might be seriously wrong; closer examination showed the absence of stitches that mate the upper with the sole. (I don't know the proper terminology for these details.) Knowing the Vass reputation for quality (I have three pairs), I never dreamed that these shoes could fail this way. Dismayed, I set them aside. They had been my favorites.

I finally decided to do something about this. A search on Styleforum suggested that B. Nelson would be the best choice. Nick was surprised that the shoes had failed this way. Not surprisingly, the entire shoe would have to be disassembled, a new welt constructed, and new soles added. I was actually relieved that they could be repaired, albeit at a somewhat higher price than the web page quotes for recrafting, but not seriously so. It seemed a good price to pay to have them back in good form. I also asked for flush metal toe taps and Redenbach soles and heels. He said they would be ready in a week.

They were ready on time, and I'm quite pleased. The first three photos below are "before" repair. The rest were taken after I wore them home, so you will see that the sole is no longer virgin.

Thank you, Nick.

BEFORE:





AFTER:

fritzl

how much did this re-construction cost?

I'll ask Nick if he minds my posting the price.

did he give you some special discount? or just standard pricing? if its the latter I dont see why Nick would mind

Special pricing to a styleforum member.

oh okay. looks great. incredible shoe btw. how do you like the #8. would you have preferred shell another color? im considering a pair

It's not color no. 8. Vass may not use Horween's as their shell source. It was a chocolate brown initially; the reddish tones are the result of occasional polish intended for color no. 8. I do really like no. 8. I have three pairs of Alden shell in that color.



bjh said:

It's not color no. 8. Vass may not use Horween's as their shell source.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

It was a chocolate brown initially; the reddish tones are the result of occasional polish intended for color no. 8. I do really like no. 8. I have three pairs of Aden shell in that color

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Click to expand...

they do. no worries. imo & tbh, they look so much better...

Thanks, fritzl. I agree.

what on earth happened here?

The inseam stitching just...dissolved? or was it never there in the first place? I would contact Vass about this. That's pretty poor work and shouldn't happen.

Dissolved? No. Apparently unstable, however. Nick suggested that I had grounds for contacting Vass and asking that they make it right. They may well have done so, but I chose to place my shoes in Nick's hands. A modest sum of money gave me back my shoes better than ever. I live in the city, so the proximity is convenient and I now know first hand that Nick is to be trusted with my high-end shoes. He's now doing some minor repair work on a pair of Alden shell.

It certainly looks like Nick did a great job there.

I'd be interested to know what the cause of failure here was. Is it that the thread wasn't waxed properly? Or is this a normal occurrence?

Good that it was repaired so well though. Nice to see.

My ignorant guess is just that: improperly waxed thread. We shall have to wait for an expert opinion.

How does one benefit from SF member special pricing?