LOAKE APPRECIATION THREAD

[ajc2162]

Quote:
Hi Casblanca, I think you'd be very happy with the Strands. I recently got both the burgundy and mahogany from Shoehealer - lovely shoes and great customer service also.

Just a comment on the fit - everybody has been very helpful in sharing their experiences with different lasts. All of my Loakes are on the 3625 or capital last - and like your experience with the Country last, they all fit me perfectly and I can wear them all day without any discomfort.

However, I'd be nervous moving to another last without being able to try them on first - unless I could be sure of returning them for refund if they didn't fit. I know that Shoehealer would be quite OK with that - but it's still a hassle. Hence, at the moment, I'm quite happy to stick with the 3625 / Capital lasts because there's a wide selection in the 1880 range - and frankly the Shoemaker Collection isn't too shabby either.

So if I were fortunate like you to have bricks and mortar stores not too far away, I'd be taking the opportunity to try on different lasts first to see how they feel. And if I liked them and the store came up with a competitive price, then I'd happily support that business and buy from them. In Oz, they're few and far between and the range is limited with a hefty price premium attached - hence the on-line approach works for us

 

[ajc2162]

Goat, if no one on here comes up with an answer to your query about rubber soles, it might be good to e-mail Loake's and ask them. They do a 'regular' refurbishment of leather soles and heels for around £65 - but I don't know about rubber ones. They are a very good company to deal with and I am sure they will e mail you back, very quickly.

Goat, do you mean you want to topy them? If so, I'd say go for it. I know there are two opposing camps - but I've tried them without and found them scarily slippery. Find a good cobbler and you won't even notice them - they should last a long time and then you just replace them. Price is reasonable too (my guy charges AUD25 (around GBP13).

Alternatively, Munky's suggestion of getting a Loake refurbishment is worth following up.

 

[Munky]

I have been wearing Loake Mojave, suede shoes, on and off. They are very comfortable and I think they look good, too. They ain't my most expensive shoes, at around £99, but ideal as casual ones. Having just looked at various shoe sites, I see that many companies are offering these at a very considerable discount. Presumably because they aren't selling so well. A bargain for the buyer.

These are also available in a desert boot style. Having read, somewhere, that suede (counter-intuitively) is good in the rain, I may well wear these through our winter, having given them a few layers of waterproofing spray and which does not change the colour at all. I don't think the cemented sole will be a particular problem. The 'welted' versus 'cemented' issue has been discussed on the internet, ad nauseam. The proof - either way - is probably in the wearing.

 

[Webbo]

Maybe a stupid question but does the same last run the same size in a shoe and a boot? I have the Pimlico chukka, capital last size 10.5 which are just a touch too big but width wise perfect. I'm looking to get the strand also on the capital last and wonder if I should size down to a 10 or to keep the width and stay at 10.5. I think a half size too big an be carried better by a boot than a shoe, might be wrong though. Any views please ?

 

[Odradek]



Maybe a stupid question but does the same last run the same size in a shoe and a boot? I have the Pimlico chukka, capital last size 10.5 which are just a touch too big but width wise perfect. I'm looking to get the strand also on the capital last and wonder if I should size down to a 10 or to keep the width and stay at 10.5. I think a half size too big an be carried better by a boot than a shoe, might be wrong though. Any views please ?

This is just my opinion, but I'd stick with 10.5 if I were you.
I have the Strand in a 7 and recently got the Hyde boots on the same Capital last in a 7. The boots are roomier and I ended up putting insoles in them.

 

[Webbo]

Many thanks, much appreciated.

 

[Munky]

I am probably going to buy another pair of Buckinghams, the tan ones. What are peoples' views on putting cream on new shoes and giving them an initial clean?

 

[Resonator]

Hi, could someone please give me the outsole length and width measurements in cm of the Loake Hyde boot in a UK 7 or 7.5.......
Thank you.

 

[Odradek]



Hi, could someone please give me the outsole length and width measurements in cm of the Loake Hyde boot in a UK 7 or 7.5.......
Thank you.

I can do that for you with a size 7 boot, but later this morning.
Watch this space.

 

[Resonator]

That would be great ....... cheers

 

[Odradek]



Hi, could someone please give me the outsole length and width measurements in cm of the Loake Hyde boot in a UK 7 or 7.5.......
Thank you.

Hyde boots.
Size 7 F.

Sole width at widest point - 11cm or 4 3/8".
Sole length - 30cm or 11 3/4".

 

[Resonator]

Thanks for that.......... so they appear to run a little large.

 

[Odradek]



Thanks for that.......... so they appear to run a little large.

Maybe slightly.
I also have Strands in a size 7 and think the Hyde boots are a bit larger. They fit better with insoles in them. This also helps with the thin sole though.

 

[Lord Mulberry]

Quote:
I find they dry with a whitish residue on them. Looking for a hard neutral polish myself. Currently wearing a pair of old pattern Loakes no longer available to buy. Must be 20 years old at least and still in good nick

 

[ajc2162]

Quote:
I agree. Unless you're sure the tan cream or polish is an exact match, it may affect the patina (eg: little dark marks that don't shift). So for mine, it's safer to use neutral.

As for new shoes generally - for the first ones I got, I did give them an initial clean. Couldn't tell the difference and have now mellowed where for the later ones, I just enjoy wearing them out of the box and give them a touch up every month or so. Works for me.