A Short Shell Cordovan Sob Story, or Why Calfskin is About to Make a Comeback in My Closet!

[Mr. Moo]

I've sold more shell than you've browsed on Leffot and LeatherSoul, b.

'Shell' is your code word for your mother's ******?

"Thank you for making our community better."

 

[Jay Gatsby]



"Thank you for making our community better."

Believe it or not, I love you <3

 

[gsgleason]



Can you not just have the insole replaced? Would having them recrafted include that?

Allen Edmonds recrafting faq specifically says that if the insole is borked, you're SOL. I have no idea about whatever manufacturer this is, though. I just thought I'd throw that out there.

 

[JayJay]



Actually, we don't know whether or not the problems with the insole are due to the shell not breathing.

But it is a possibility.

And I suspect it would be exasperated by not wearing socks.

I've never heard of this, but I trust your judgment. Haven't seen this with the dozens of pairs I've had.

 

[malat]



Your insole is not made of cordovan. Wear socks.

it's good advice to ware socks...

This.

+* /thread

 

[DWFII]



I've never heard of this, but I trust your judgment. Haven't seen this with the dozens of pairs I've had.

Remember that feet are different, people are different. some people's skin is acidic, some neutral, some base.Some people sweat prodigiously even in moderate temperatures. If you're not wearing socks, perspiration will tend to follow gravity and accumulate or pool on the plantar surface of the foot--next to the insole, IOW.

Depending on the quality of the insole or even the part of the hide it was cut from, this could accelerate a drying out of the insole.

 

[VRaivio]

OP, do continue enjoying your other shell shoes. Most likely there is something wrong with those insoles you mentioned, but if this happens again with another pair, well, your feet are just not shell-friendly.

 

[greekgeek]

So I was thinking about the pair of failed shell shoes today, after having cooled down a bit from my initial frustration, and I think I know what the problem is. The only major difference between this insole failed pair vs. 16 others is its being the only pair in which my feet seemed to sweat profusely, is that these were unlined shell cordovan uppers.

I suspect that the lack of lining materials combined with shell's abhorrence of water led to more sweat being absorbed by the insole than on the other pairs. I wore the shoes hard, but always with socks (who started the sockless rumor? ). I probably should have let them rest more than a day between wearings in retrospect but indeed I never anticipated this type of problem. Perhaps it was a weak insole to begin with and the extra sweat exacerbated the underlying weakness, dunno for certain.

So has anyone else here noticed a difference in breathability between unlined shell shoes and those with linings?


Oh and to the illiterate lamers in this thread: I know that the new site is more difficult to navigate but Dumb Threads is in a completely different forum.