Lasted shoe trees vs generic ones

[kolecho]

I recently acquired some good fitting shoes, and they prompted me to think about preserving them as I wear them often.

I currently use Woodlore shoetrees, but was wondering if it is worth the extra dollars to spend on lasted trees.

In your experience, do lasted trees do a much better job at maintaining the shape of shoes compared to generic ones like Woodlore?

 

[luk-cha]

if you can get lasted get lasted if not i think any will be ok!

 

[RJman]

Lasted hinged trees are much better.

Good luck finding them, though.

 

[dah328]

I would have said that lasted spring-loaded trees are the best. Why do you prefer lasted hinged trees? I sold the hinged RLPL trees I had in favor of Woodlore trees because I found that the hinged trees did not fit tightly enough into the shoes or provide any tension to remove the creases across the upper of the shoe.

 

[mendel]

What is a lasted shoe tree?

 

[j]

Originally Posted by mendel

What is a lasted shoe tree?

I'm sure someone is beating me to the reply, but basically it's a tree made to the exact shape of the inside of the shoe. A "last" is the piece of wood over which a shoe is built, that gives it its shape.

 

[texas_jack]

Originally Posted by mendel

What is a lasted shoe tree?

When you're looking for shoe trees you find them "last".

 

[gdl203]

Originally Posted by dah328

I would have said that lasted spring-loaded trees are the best. Why do you prefer lasted hinged trees? I sold the hinged RLPL trees I had in favor of Woodlore trees because I found that the hinged trees did not fit tightly enough into the shoes or provide any tension to remove the creases across the upper of the shoe.

Some people are of the opinion that spring-loaded trees don't last as long because the spring eventually get jammed, stuck or break, while the hinged trees use a simpler mechanical construction and therefore more durable

 

[RJman]

There's a danger with a hinged tree that the fit may be imprecise. However, a good bespoke shoe tree or a good EG hinged lasted tree will fit inside with enough snugness to keep the leather taut. I find that some sprung trees stretch the leather, which in a shoe like a loafer is particularly bad for the fit. Church's sold me trees that were very tautly sprung -- stretched loafers out badly. Bad Church's!

 

[j]

It's my understanding (correct me as usual) that shoes are generally slightly smaller inside than the actual last the shoe was made on. The reason for this being that leather is elastic and pops back a bit when the last is removed.

If (?) this is the case, then are lasted trees generally made to the size of the original last (hence slightly bigger than the inside of the shoe and providing more support for the leather) or smaller so they are easier to fit back into the shoe?

Personally, I think that the most important things to look for in trees are that the surfaces that actually contact the leather and provide force are broad and distribute force widely, rather than being narrow. For example, a large rounded heel is better, and a tree shaped more like a shoe/foot in front is better than one that's reversible due to it being symmetrical. Some of those symmetrical ones will stretch the shoe out enough to do any good only by being spread apart to where the edges are clearly distending the sides of the upper....

 

[Will]

Lasted trees come with bespoke shoes. I'd be surprised if there are none in RTW but I don't know of any. Edward Green, for example, uses one model tree for all it's oxfords, across half a dozen different lasts.

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by Will

Lasted trees come with bespoke shoes. I'd be surprised if there are none in RTW but I don't know of any. Edward Green, for example, uses one model tree for all it's oxfords, across half a dozen different lasts.
True, but maybe there is a middle ground. I find that trees made by (or for) the manufacturer of the shoe fit the shoe more precisely than trees sourced elsewhere. Not as precisely as a lasted tree, but better than an odd tree.

 

[dah328]

Originally Posted by Will

Lasted trees come with bespoke shoes. I'd be surprised if there are none in RTW but I don't know of any. Edward Green, for example, uses one model tree for all it's oxfords, across half a dozen different lasts.
Hmm, the RLPL trees come marked with both last number and size. They didn't look like generic trees to me although as I mentioned, the fit was not particularly snug through the forefoot.

 

[gdl203]

Originally Posted by Will

Edward Green, for example, uses one model tree for all it's oxfords, across half a dozen different lasts.

I don't think that's correct. The EG trees I own and have seen were for one specific last

 

[Kasper]

What about useing ripped out Yellow Pages? I do this when I travel and was thinking that it might be better than shoe trees even because you can stuff them to the exact shape.