Go to Rainy Day Shoes

[New Shoes1]

God help those soles if you happen across any gravel b/c they are soft are melted butter by then. They will look like they were shot at close range by a shotgun. You could literally take a bite from them. It truly baffles me that people would insist upon trashing their nice shoes. Sure, you can wear shell in the rain. BUT WHY? It's stains them permanently and melts the soles. Just get a pair of rubber soled beaters for the rain. Listening to the advice here will just cost you money that didn't need to be thrown in the trash just to make one's self feel alive.

What do you do for a living? You've got to have stock in a rubber company or work for the manufacturer of shoes sold by Target. I've never seen such an over-the-top histrionic reaction to whether someone can wear leather soles in the rain. Do you stop people on the commute in to work to scold them for wearing leather soled shoes in the rain? Issue them citations?

And this is from someone who carried my leather shoes with a rubber sole in a bag today due to the rain.

 

[KObalto]



Do a search for the Horween interview.

Thanks, I read it but didn't recall the point you referenced. Guess I'll have to re-read it.

 

[Patek]



God help those soles if you happen across any gravel b/c they are soft are melted butter by then. They will look like they were shot at close range by a shotgun. You could literally take a bite from them. It truly baffles me that people would insist upon trashing their nice shoes. Sure, you can wear shell in the rain. BUT WHY? It's stains them permanently and melts the soles. Just get a pair of rubber soled beaters for the rain. Listening to the advice here will just cost you money that didn't need to be thrown in the trash just to make one's self feel alive.

I have a pair of crappy Ferragamos that I have been wearing in the rain for years including walking the dogs in the park and in the gravel lot behind my house.

Still waiting for that buttery melt but I do have some corn on standby.

Here is a picture that I took for a different thread, but three-year-old soles are in the foreground that have been worn in the rain, salt, and snow. Notice the rusty nails.

 

[Reevolving]

It can all be summarized with one word: ABUSE.
Sure, you can beat the **** out of a car, and it will still run. But why?
Actually, that makes more sense, b/c at least there is some utility in beating the **** out of a car.

If you can afford shell, you can afford a pair of beater rubber soled shoes for $100 that will last years.
My beater rubber soled J&M's are going on their 7th year, and are still kicking ass.
My shells would have looked like a shoe in the Holocaust museum by now, if subject to the same conditions.

 

[Fraiche]

My goto pairs are:

1. Rubber soled Ferragamos loafers.
2. Vibram soled Vass cordovan chukkas

Never seen a drop of stain on the Vass.

 

[Cold Iron]

My shell Dalton boots have buried under snow and been soaked with water. I have yet to wax them and when I do (will be awhile yet) it will be seldom and extremely thin. The water actually absorbs into the leather fairly quickly which surprised me. They have no water spots or welts and dry very quickly. I had half soles put on because my original intention was and is to use them as foul weather boots. Next summer I will ship them off to NYC and have Nick put commando soles on them. My shell Leeds however just have to think about getting water on them and develop water spots\welts that take up to a week to disappear. So obviously I protect them from moisture of any type.

Been a lot of discussion at different places about shell and water, seems like the general consensus is that it really is hit or miss. Many of the older shell shoes of 20 years ago and previous didn't have as much of a spotting issue as they do today though from what I have read.

 

[Reevolving]

FWIW, the photos of the water spotting are from a vintage pair of shell.

 

[otc]

What do you think people did before they invented rubber? Refused to go outside because it was raining?

Do you even know what the original purpose of broguing was?

 

[acridsheep]



What do you think people did before they invented rubber? Refused to go outside because it was raining?
Do you even know what the original purpose of broguing was?

Had lots of children.

 

[swiego]



When my shell cordovan Darlton wingtips were almost new, I got caught in a rainstorm and they spotted/welted pretty badly. I made the mistake of polishing over them the next day and the spots stayed for several months, but eventually disappeared. Now that I've polished them multiple times, they are impervious to a little rain. None of my shell cordovan shoes get water spots that don't disappear once the shoes dry for several days to a week (only one pair really shows spots at all). Shell works well in rain and snow.

My impression is that shell (the material itself) does not handle water well at all, but the preparation process (in which so much wax is infused into the hide) contributes a great deal to its remarkable hardiness.... and hides that aren't quite so well infused end up welting more. I have learned from other forums that people with shell cordovan shoes that welted poorly found that the problem went away after a good number of thorough paste wax coats. I've done this recently on one of my shells and am seeing good results.