My adventure in oxford shoes recraft!

[nutcracker]

My Otsuka Cap Toe Black Oxford....It's really a wonderful Made in Japan goodyear welted shoes, with a comfortable and fitting round toe last, topped with quality upper leather (Annonay's Vocalou), cost me around 30000 yen or so with discount.

Been a reliable workhorse for quite some time, wearing 10+ hrs a work-day, often in damp rainy days. The leather sole took quite some beatings from the muddy streets of Taipei, with mold growing on couple of occasions

Anyway, I've since expanded my black oxford collection, leaving my Otsuka in the shoe rack more often. SO I thought I should give my old' friend a re-craft job and transform it into a subtly stylish work+play shoes.

I replaced the entire sole with a Navy Blue Vibram Eton Sole. t's a good alternative to Dainite brand sole, since there's so many colors to choose from!! The edges were dressed in black.

The navy blue flat shoe laces with pewter metal tips were custom made.

So here it is, my very blue captoe oxford. yay or ney?

 

[fritzl]

i need this laces. where are they from?

 

[Quadcammer]

not my style, but the work looks good

 

[nutcracker]



i need this laces. where are they from?

I got my laces made at Isetan Men's in Tokyo. Was able to choose shape (round/flat), color, metal finish, and length, and they were made to order (took like 1 hr or so). Ready made color shoe laces are widely available at fine shoe store / repair stores in Tokyo, but unfortunately, I don't think any of them cater to overseas mail order.

You might want to try Tassels in Hong Kong, they offer "Shoestripes" color laces. Leathersoul in Hawaii also carries color laces from Japan. I am not sure if any of them comes in flat laces, or metal tips though.

 

[Trompe le Monde]

i like it, esp the beefy looking soles

 

[bourbonbasted]

Awesome way to spice up a dark evening suit. I can totally imagine myself seeing you walk by and thinking "Huh, that dude had blue shoe laces on his cap toes." Then turning back, only to get a flash of navy as you step and thinking

Really cool idea, man. And more importantly, really well executed.

 

[Leather man]

Love them - great job!

 

[nutcracker]

Thanks, I really like how the navy laces look with my dark navy suit. not too flashy, and it's an inexpensive way to add some fun to my otherwise mundane round-toe black oxford. as for getting attention, so far no comments

 

[fritzl]



I got my laces made at Isetan Men's in Tokyo. Was able to choose shape (round/flat), color, metal finish, and length, and they were made to order (took like 1 hr or so). Ready made color shoe laces are widely available at fine shoe store / repair stores in Tokyo, but unfortunately, I don't think any of them cater to overseas mail order.

You might want to try Tassels in Hong Kong, they offer "Shoestripes" color laces. Leathersoul in Hawaii also carries color laces from Japan. I am not sure if any of them comes in flat laces, or metal tips though.

thank you for the information. would you do a proxy?

 

[nutcracker]



thank you for the information. would you do a proxy?

Sorry I live in Taiwan now!! I would expect you can get something similar if not with more variation in Europe though

 

[malat]



I got my laces made at Isetan Men's in Tokyo.

Walking down the escalator to the basement shoe floor here is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Shoe mecca. Sometimes I go just to kill a couple hours browsing the shoes.

 

[rootskier]



so far no comments

That's because those shoes don't ask for a response, they say "**** you."

And they are awesome.

 

[nutcracker]



Walking down the escalator to the basement shoe floor here is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Shoe mecca. Sometimes I go just to kill a couple hours browsing the shoes.

yeah, from budget shoes to high end shoes, they got it all.

they also have some sample bespoke shoes by the amazing Yohei Fukuda

 

[ShayaEXQT]

they are absolutely amazing!! you have done a fantastic job

when i saw the shoes i was praying this was a For Sale thread and was frantically looking for the size!!!!

 

[Gdot]



Thanks, I really like how the navy laces look with my dark navy suit. not too flashy, and it's an inexpensive way to add some fun to my otherwise mundane round-toe black oxford. as for getting attention, so far no comments

This is interesting. As another way to add just a touch of 'life' to black shoes I always polish mine with navy polish. You really can't tell any difference at first. But eventually they start to take on an interesting but very subtle extra 'life' in the finish.