Changing Tassel Loafer into String Tie Lace Loafer Mod/DIY -- Any advice or information?

[rdstour]

Hi All,

Figured I start this thread as a good resource for people who have/ are considering a cheaper way to buy some coveted string loafers (as currently, all I really see are a handful from Meermin and Santoni).

I was wondering if anyone has tried replacing the strapping/tassels on their loafer, and created a tie loafer instead?

The model I'm using (J&M Aristocraft Deerfield) has very thin strapping, so I'm unsure if l similar dimension strapping would hold up well in a tie.

Also does anyone know if most tassel loafers lace/straps are one single piece threaded around the shoe (a la Boat Shoes) or are they multiple pieces?

At this point I'm seriously considering buying some contrast Horween leather, stripping it down to the right thickness/thinness, and trying to re-thread/re-strap my loafers into a tie.

Has anyone done this before? Any pics of such a conversion? Any luck with cobblers--is this stuff hard to do?

Thanks and appreciate the input.

If there's a better place to post this, let me know...i haven't been on Classic Menswear too often..

Thanks.

 

[SoGent]

good idea but cannot be done correctly or in a way it would even look remotely decent

 

[rdstour]

Any reason in particular why it wouldn't be possible/ why it wouldn't look good?

 

[VanRitz]

Stumbled across this thread because I had the same idea.

good idea but cannot be done correctly or in a way it would even look remotely decent

Not sure what SoGent's logic is here but I'd love to hear an explanation for his reasons.

Check out these two Carmina examples below. They obviously vary in materials and stitching style on the toe, but otherwise their design is pretty much identical, save for the tassels vs. string lacing.

I don't see why you couldn't replace the lacing from a tassel loafer with a matching longer lacing that could be knotted.

 

[bengal-stripe]

Greatest problem will be getting hold of leather in the correct colour to cut the strings from: about 3 mm wide and maybe 60-70 cm long. The new ones will have to be longer than the old ones to make a nice bow.

Assuming you got that, you will have to devise a method to pull the string through. You could, for example, stitch the new laces to the old ones. As you pull out the old laces, they will pull the new ones through. Do not pull out the old strings "just like that": you won't be able to to put the new strings into place.