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[Shoenut]

Good afternoon,
I have a dress moccasin shoe with a simple Blake stitch sole. One row of stitching that can be seen inside the shoe. For as thin as this sole is, it has worn quite well. To be honest the plug is lizard and I will only wear with no chance of rain. I was wondering if I could have a midsole added on my next resole. This shoe has quite a low profile but I think having more sole material would make this shoe a bit more comfortable overall. For a $495 shoe, I cannot get over the leather covered cup foam insole. Is there a way to make the same shape half insole with all leather components? I want to make these changes but just a little worried that adding a thicker sole would ruin the profile of the shoe. Does anyone have thoughts about this change. The shoe is also a Mezlan if that helps at all.

 

[Nick V.]

Good afternoon,
I have a dress moccasin shoe with a simple Blake stitch sole. One row of stitching that can be seen inside the shoe. For as thin as this sole is, it has worn quite well. To be honest the plug is lizard and I will only wear with no chance of rain. I was wondering if I could have a midsole added on my next resole. This shoe has quite a low profile but I think having more sole material would make this shoe a bit more comfortable overall. For a $495 shoe, I cannot get over the leather covered cup foam insole. Is there a way to make the same shape half insole with all leather components? I want to make these changes but just a little worried that adding a thicker sole would ruin the profile of the shoe. Does anyone have thoughts about this change. The shoe is also a Mezlan if that helps at all.

Hello Sir--

Yes, you can add a "slip-sole" which is slightly thinner than a mid-sole but that would essentially convert the construction to Blake/rapid. The slip-sole would be stitched using the same Blake method that the existing sole had been stitched. However, the out sole must then be stitched to the slip-sole using an out-sole stitcher. So, looking down at the shoe you will see a row of stitching around the outside perimeter of the shoe making it look similar to a GYW shoe. That will change the appearance of the shoe significantly.

Instead of doing that, a slightly thicker sole can be used. In this case a 7/8 iron thickness would probably be fine. That sole can be Blake stitched to the upper just the way the original sole was. The sole can be trimmed with a rounded edge. This way it won't appear as thick leaving the profile still looking sleek.

I'm unclear as to what you mean by "leather covered cup foam insole". If you can see the sole stitching inside the shoe under the vamp you probably have a 3/4 heel seat. That's how most Blake stitched shoes are made. Do you mean that there is a piece of foam under the 3/4 heel seat? That's common as well. If you post a picture I can be more definitive.

 

[Shoenut]

Hello Sir--

Yes, you can add a "slip-sole" which is slightly thinner than a mid-sole but that would essentially convert the construction to Blake/rapid. The slip-sole would be stitched using the same Blake method that the existing sole had been stitched. However, the out sole must then be stitched to the slip-sole using an out-sole stitcher. So, looking down at the shoe you will see a row of stitching around the outside perimeter of the shoe making it look similar to a GYW shoe. That will change the appearance of the shoe significantly.

Instead of doing that, a slightly thicker sole can be used. In this case a 7/8 iron thickness would probably be fine. That sole can be Blake stitched to the upper just the way the original sole was. The sole can be trimmed with a rounded edge. This way it won't appear as thick leaving the profile still looking sleek.

I'm unclear as to what you mean by "leather covered cup foam insole". If you can see the sole stitching inside the shoe under the vamp you probably have a 3/4 heel seat. That's how most Blake stitched shoes are made. Do you mean that there is a piece of foam under the 3/4 heel seat? That's common as well. If you post a picture I can be more definitive.

Here are some pictures so my lack of proper shoe terms does not get in the way.
Inside:

Here is a profile.

Finally the only part of the shoe that I do not like. This foam or rubber molded 3/4 heel cup. Part of it is thicker for a more padded feel but it feels like I am standing on a bump in the heel of the shoe. I really like the feel of a harder insole.

 

[Nick V.]

Here are some pictures so my lack of proper shoe terms does not get in the way.
Inside:
View attachment 1205109
View attachment 1205110
Here is a profile.
View attachment 1205111
Finally the only part of the shoe that I do not like. This foam or rubber molded 3/4 heel cup. Part of it is thicker for a more padded feel but it feels like I am standing on a bump in the heel of the shoe. I really like the feel of a harder insole.
View attachment 1205112

Just as I thought. Very common on Blake made shoes. The foam can be removed but you will lose the cushion "feel" in the heel. If that's okay with you I would suggest replacing the 3/4 leather heel seat using thicker leather. The foam is not only mean't for comfort but it helps to smooth out the feel of the nails used to attach the heel base.
BTW, your shoes have the rounded edge on the sole trimming that I mentioned....

 

[BlairW]

Thoughts on using black shoe cream to darken some burgundy oxfords? They are a bit too red for me. Or am I better to try and find a darker burgundy colour which I don't have...

 

[Shoenut]

Thoughts on using black shoe cream to darken some burgundy oxfords? They are a bit too red for me. Or am I better to try and find a darker burgundy colour which I don't have...

I am not a fan of using black to darken any color. I would use Red Mahogany or Merlot or even Navy Blue.

 

[BlairW]

I am not a fan of using black to darken any color. I would use Red Mahogany or Merlot or even Navy Blue.

Thats an interesting suggestion to use navy. Does the black not work well due to it having too much contrast??

 

[Shoenut]

Thats an interesting suggestion to use navy. Does the black not work well due to it having too much contrast??

I have just found that it will give black splotches that you can never reverse.

 

[joshuagb]

Quick question for Nick or other experts regarding resoling women's shoes. Looking at some of Carmina's offerings for women, I'm wondering if these can be resoled using traditional resoling methods for GYW. It looks like some of their loafers are pretty much simple GYW, but I wonder about some of the heels. They seem to stop the welt around the place where the ball of the foot rises off the floor. Am I looking at that right? Nick, do you work on these kinds of shoes?

 

[Nick V.]

Thoughts on using black shoe cream to darken some burgundy oxfords? They are a bit too red for me. Or am I better to try and find a darker burgundy colour which I don't have...

Using black is to much of a drastic color difference. It would likely result in leaving the finish blotchy and/or streaky. If that occurs the only way to get the color evened out (with the exception of trying to remove the black polish) would be to keep applying thin layers of black brushing vigorously in between coats. Problem is...once you get the color evened out the shoe may be darker than you wanted it to be.

The best results would be to use a darker color than the existing one. Go darker in increments. This way you have the control to get to the desired color (within reason). For example try using a darker burgundy if you can find it. After that, if you want to darken it further try some cordovan polish.

 

[BlairW]

@Nick V. is it possible to mix black cream with burgundy to darken it? Or is that likely to give the same result as above?

 

[EZB]

@Nick V. is it possible to mix black cream with burgundy to darken it? Or is that likely to give the same result as above?

I’ve darkened blue with black....

 

[Nick V.]

Quick question for Nick or other experts regarding resoling women's shoes. Looking at some of Carmina's offerings for women, I'm wondering if these can be resoled using traditional resoling methods for GYW. It looks like some of their loafers are pretty much simple GYW, but I wonder about some of the heels. They seem to stop the welt around the place where the ball of the foot rises off the floor. Am I looking at that right? Nick, do you work on these kinds of shoes?

Great question....
Most woman's loafers and boots that are GYW are the same as men's in terms of construction. The difference is the machine that's used for ladies is finer than the machine used for Men's. With woman's loafers or boots it's not that critical as it is for a high-heel GYW ladies shoe. With high heels it's crucial to have the correct machine.
When I started in the industry some 45+ years ago, we had a ladies GYW out-sole stitcher. It was old back then! Eventually the mechanics we used to service them either passed away or retired. Broke my heart to trash the machine but I had no use for it at that point.
If you compared the Men's machine to the Women's side by side, you can clearly see that the Women's machine was finer and more delicate. Aside from the fact that the needles were finer likewise the thread used to stitch also, the stitches are shorter and closer to the upper. I doubt such a machine is available in the U.S. these days. Since Ladies welted high heels use narrower and thinner welts as well as soles it's necessary to use the special machine in order to stitch a new sole on. If you used a Men's GYW machine it would tear up the welt and new sole.

You are correct on the high heels the welt stops before going up to the breasting (what would be the waist on a Men's shoe). It appears from the image you sent that the sole was "blind stitched". Here is a shoe that was stitched the same way with an open channel:

SHOEPASSION.com—Classic women’s shoes

The Goodyear-welted classic women’s shoes at SHOEPASSION.com are sophisticated, feminine, and stylish. Featuring the best leather soles in the world.

www.shoepassion.com

-So- to answer your question, re-soling most ladies GYW loafers and boots with a standard GYW machine is fine. However, on a shoe similar to what you pictured you would be better off sending them back to the factory when the soles need to be replaced.

 

[joshuagb]

Nick, that is a super helpful answer. I had been perusing these shoes online, and many of them are striking. It's hard to find women's shoes that match the quality of construction of men's. Carmina doesn't mention anything that I can find about a restoration program even if the GYW construction on their women's shoes makes it possible to have them re-soled. And aside from that, I would think if anyone else in the U.S. could do it, it would be you. Now the problem becomes -- if you were to buy a nice pair of those Carminas, would it even be feasible/possible to have them re-soled at some point down the road?

EDITED: I actually just found a note on Reddit where someone from the company said they did offer a re-soling service through their stores.

 

[Nick V.]

@Nick V. is it possible to mix black cream with burgundy to darken it? Or is that likely to give the same result as above?

As long as you mix it well you should be fine. A little black goes a long way. Use it sparingly until you get the desired shade. Also, you may want to mix enough for several applications in case you need to reapply the color in the event the streaking I mentioned occurs. You can use a small container like a baby food jar to store the extra polish.