How much tension is right for a shoe tree?

[iroh]

I have a pair of shoe trees and they are the right size range for my pair of shoes (the trees don't come in specific sizes, so I purchased a size large for my shoes). So the trees fit correctly, however I always felt the spring tension was a bit high and this might stretch the shoe over the long term. So I took apart the shoe tree and cut off a small bit of the spring and put it back together. There is less tension now and the shoe trees still fit properly and hold thier shape in the shoe but now I wonder now if there is too little tension. What is the proper amount of tension for a shoe tree? I don't have specifically lasted shoe trees that fit exactly for my shoes so my only experience is with generic cedar trees. For those who have nice shoe trees, what is the right amount tension, if you can describe it.

 

[idfnl]

I look for enough tension so that is straightens the crease across the the front toe box. No more, no less. My objective is to make sure the shoe doesnt banana over time.

 

[NewYorkBuck]

3.8746 Newtons

 

[JamesX]

If your sole is straight, that is enough.

 

[Sanguis Mortuum]

I don't think it's possible for a shoe tree to create too much tension without also becoming a pain *********** to get in the shoes. If they go in without too much trouble, then they're unlikely to stretch anything.

 

[Klobber]

Not too off topic, but related to shoe trees:

I bought a pair of Bruno Magli shoes a while ago, and after just 2 hours of wear, the creases and folds are the worst I ever encountered. Insert a shoe tree, and the shoe still looks like one that is 5+ years old and experienced regular wear. I assume the shoes are junk (never buying this brand again

), but they should not be complete junk given their price was upper 300's. I am wondering: Shoe tree improper, or just shoes that require too much TLC?

 

[tgt465]

Creasing happens when you wear the shoes. If you are getting excessive creasing, the blame should be on the wearing of the shoe, not the tree.

Excessive creasing can be a sign of poor leather, but it can also signal a poor fit. I can't say anything about the quality of Bruno Magli shoes, but maybe you just need to adjust your sizing.

 

[Klobber]

Im pretty sure the shoes fit OK, I walk around in them without foot slippage or anything like that. I usually take 11.5 for a snug fit, but these Magli's on 11.5 resulted in my big toe hitting the end of the shoe, so had to go up one to 12.

I used another shoe tree on them, and it seems to be working better. I guess the tension was not right on the other tree I was using.

But still, I was told by Saks Sales Assistant that Bruno Magli were a top brand and he reckoned they were better than the Ferragamo's I was looking at. The shoe leather is soft, somewhat rubber like, but the sales assistant was aggressive and I just caved in and bought them. Now that I have worn them, sheesh, they crinkle far worse than a typical pair of AE's or Aldens.

 

[MyOtherLife]

Just sharing some of my own observations and conclusions on this...
OTR shoe trees are unlikely to completely remove wrinkles. Over-stretching the shoes may give the impression that the instep wrinkles have almost disappeared, but this is not the case as the shoes are being over-stretched. Over-stretching the instep will only lend to more instep wrinkling. If you are seeing 'pull' on the sides of the shoes, the trees are too large.
About half-way on the shoe tree tension should be sufficient.

 

[Sanguis Mortuum]

Originally Posted by Klobber

I assume the shoes are junk (never buying this brand again

), but they should not be complete junk given their price was upper 300's.

That's because they're not only junk, but over-priced junk...

 

[chobochobo]

Whilst Bruno Magli's may not be in the Vass/ EG/ Lobb etc class, they're not that bad. I wouldn't go so far as to say that they're junk, and some of the lines in the past have had quite decent construction. Overpriced? Possibly but it depends if you're used to paying full price for stuff or not. The more fashion forward lines are probably going to be less robust in construction but when you buy those, you're not going for longevity.

 

[Nicola]

Originally Posted by Ravi

In fact, shoes don't even need laces and actually look pretty stupid and low class.

Spoken like somebody with a long history of going barefoot in the trailer park. Those webs between your toes did you inherit them from your mother or your uncle/father?

 

[Gibonius]

Originally Posted by Ravi

Has nothing to do with whether you buy something on sale because I go by the retail price when comparing shoes. The problem is that these dweebs seem to think that some heavy clutzy wingtip that is uncomfortable (even when it's the right size which most of these dummies aren't even wearing) is somehow better than an Italian designed shoe made for comfort. It's all nonsense but these SF'er don't have a clue about how to dress and what to wear. Only a jackass would wear heavy shoes in the summer and some of these losers even wear boots and not even the elegant ones but the fugly looking lace up kind

In fact, shoes don't even need laces and actually look pretty stupid and low class.

So whose sock is this guy?