Shoe tips - Are these leather insoles ruined?

Hey Guys,

I've been wearing my leather brogues for the past year and have noticed that the insoles are pretty knackered (See picture).

I get pretty sweaty feet.. so I know that they look pretty manky!

What's the best way to fix this, can a cobbler replace them, or should I simply buy a new insole from the shops?




I have recently bought some new brown Hugo Boss shoes for £140, and have noticed that the insole has a slight lip inside (pictured), causing it to pull away from the stitching slightly. Every time I take my left foot out I can feel it pull, and I have a feeling it'll only get worse over time, resulting in the insole becoming a giant flap like in my black shoes (picture attached). Do you think this is a major problem?

I've had to return 1 pair for the same problem already... I'm not sure whether I'm overreacting or whether it's a reflection of Hugo Boss's quality (not very good!?)

What do you guys think, should I keep them or return for an exchange/refund?












Any advice is greatly appreciated, thank you!

woah.

1) Consider using a foot powder in your shoes to soak up moisture. And yes, replace that insole. C'mon, is that even really a question?

2) Given the sweatiness of your feet, the Hugo Boss shoes are holding up pretty well.

Also, @Cadnog123 , moving this to Menswear Advice.

Hi LA Guy,


The insoles need to be changed for sure, however how would you recommend doing this?

Is this something that a cobbler needs to do, or can I simply buy a new insole from a shop and use it? (Forgive my lack of knowledge... I'm only just entering the "formal" world...)


I haven't worn the Hugo Boss shoes yet, I've tried them on once or twice around the house and that is it. Do you think the small lip in the insole is going to be a big problem? I'm contemplating getting a refund, however I'm not sure yet.

Thanks for replying

Cadnog123 said:

Hi LA Guy,


The insoles need to be changed for sure, however how would you recommend doing this?

Is this something that a cobbler needs to do, or can I simply buy a new insole from a shop and use it? (Forgive my lack of knowledge... I'm only just entering the "formal" world...)


I haven't worn the Hugo Boss shoes yet, I've tried them on once or twice around the house and that is it. Do you think the small lip in the insole is going to be a big problem? I'm contemplating getting a refund, however I'm not sure yet.

Thanks for replying

Click to expand...

Frankly, that happens with the insoles of shoes often, regardless of the quality.

As for the insoles, that should be easily removable by yourself. If it's not, you'll need to speak with a cobbler.

I knew I should not have opened this threak whilst eating.
My therapist shall hear of this.

Hahahha, tell them I said hello!

In regards to the Hugo Boss shoes... is it common for the insole to come away in the centre? (Stitching has come away, forming a small lip). I really love the shoes, however if the problem only gets worse I don't want to keep them, especially when they were quite expensive.

I don't want to have to buy a new insole to go over the top (this one is stitched in I think) out of principle, as they cost £140.

Could somebody share their experience/knowledge of this please.

Good god, do you sweat acid? I would highly recommend using cedar shoe trees. They will soak up sweat and (thank goodness) keep your shoes smelling fresh. Also, forget Hugo Boss. Get a quality pair of shoes from Herring, Loake, or Meermin at a similar price.



Cadnog123 said:

is it common for the insole to come away in the centre? (Stitching has come away, forming a small lip).

Click to expand...

What the general public refers to as an insole and what a cordwainer or cobbler would refer to as an insole on welted shoes are different things. What is actually pulling back in your shoes is just a sock liner. Many shoes have a half sock liner as yours do and yes, sometimes this becomes unglued and will pull back when you remove your feet. It's not a big deal and any cobbler can glue it back down, or you can do it yourself.

Caustic Man said:

I would highly recommend using cedar shoe trees. They will soak up sweat and (thank goodness) keep your shoes smelling fresh. Also, forget Hugo Boss. Get a quality pair of shoes from Herring, Loake, or Meermin at a similar price.

Click to expand...

+1. You really need to keep trees in your shoes whenever your feet are not in them. You also need to be sure never to wear the shoes on consecutive days. By treeing them and giving a day off between wears, I suspect some of the wear issues you have won't be as pronounced. Also, regardless of price, Hugo Boss shoes aren't quality footwear and the brands Caustic Man mentioned will be a much better value for your money. Looking at the very first pic you posted, the sock liner appears to have pulled back to reveal the insole, which is likely made of fiberboard or paper. Especially with your sweat issues, you need to look for a better quality brand that will use a leather insole.

It's very opinionated and obviously not completely comprehensive, but here's a decent review of some better shoe brands, arranged from least expensive to most:
https://parisiangentleman.co.uk/2015/08/23/parisian-gentlemans-mens-shoe-review-2015-2016-part-12/

Hi Fred,

Wow, thanks for replying. I'm new into the "professional" world, so apologies for sounding like a nooby!

Ahhh a sock liner, now that will explain why I couldn't find any hits on Google for this sort of issue... thank you very much.


As for my black shoes... my problem is that I wore them every day for a year, which in hindsight I wish I hadn't done. I have always used a tree shoe, however it obviously hasn't worked. What I will also say is that the mouldy looking stuff is the glue/leather that is used to keep the insole inside of the shoe, not mould!


Having tried on the Hugo Boss shoes again, I must say the quality isn't the same as my black brogues. I'm going to take them back and get a refund and possibly look at some Loakes depending on if I can find a good pair! I also noticed that the Hugo Boss shoes were Bovine leather with rubber soles/heel....from your experience, is this something you would expect from a £140 pair of shoes?


I'll have a look at that link, thanks again for all of your help.



Cadnog123 said:

Wow, thanks for replying. I'm new into the "professional" world, so apologies for sounding like a nooby!

Click to expand...

No need to apologize, we all had to start somewhere! Welcome to SF!

Cadnog123 said:

As for my black shoes... my problem is that I wore them every day for a year, which in hindsight I wish I hadn't done.

Click to expand...

Not giving a day off between wears is very detrimental to the longevity of shoes. I would budget on purchasing at least two pairs of decent shoes so you can rotate them between wearing.

Cadnog123 said:

 I also noticed that the Hugo Boss shoes were Bovine leather with rubber soles/heel....from your experience, is this something you would expect from a £140 pair of shoes?

Click to expand...

Well, bovine of course is cow leather, which is what most shoes are made from. For better shoes you specifically want calf leather. Marking them as "Bovine" doesn't necessarily rule out calf obviously, but better shoes are often marked as calf. Here's a great thread on "Leather Quality and Properties:"
http://www.styleforum.net/t/354137/leather-quality-and-properties/0_30

Some of the info in the first few posts shows you what you should look for in quality leather for shoes.

Those are really nice shoes! My father has a pair