Resolable shoes

[slaxer]

I have quite a few shoes that I need resoled, and I was wondering if anyone can provide me with some information about their experience of having these shoes done, if they can be.

I have two pairs of AE's, a pair of park aves ( I'm just going to send into have redone by ae), and a pair of malones. I cannot find any info about them on the AE site and haven't phoned their customer support to ask if they can be recrafted yet, can they?

I have two pair of Florsheim imperial's, I haven't been able to find a definitive answer on the forum if these are able to be redone.

I have a pair of rubber sole Ferragamos, and I am unsure what line these are. What do I look for to see if I can resole these.

There is a pair of Santoni's, there is enough wear on the soles to show what appears to be stitching wearing through at some points. Does Santoni offer factory recrafting like AE?

Lastly there is a pair of magnanni's that need a resole. Also like the Santoni's there is enough wear on the soles that the stitching is showing through and has shown some wear also.


One last question. Anyone have a recommendation for a good cobbler in the London-KW-Hamilton Ontario area I'd appreciate it. Toronto is not out of the question if I'm getting a bunch of shoes done but to travel that far for a single pair would be a little much.

 

[MyOtherLife]

Originally Posted by slaxer

I have quite a few shoes that I need resoled, and I was wondering if anyone can provide me with some information about their experience of having these shoes done, if they can be. I have two pairs of AE's, a pair of park aves ( I'm just going to send into have redone by ae), and a pair of malones. I cannot find any info about them on the AE site and haven't phoned their customer support to ask if they can be recrafted yet, can they?
Allen Edmonds Malones are recraftable. If I am not mistaken, you can either have new jelly rubber soles like the original, or have leather soles/heels (possibly for an additional charge) Email AE to confirm.

I have two pair of Florsheim imperial's, I haven't been able to find a definitive answer on the forum if these are able to be redone.

Any cobbler can resole your Florsheim Imperials. You'll need to specify 'double sole', and this will cost you double the price (~$120). Don't know any cobbler that can reproduce the 'V-Cleat' or the 65 nails in the heel. This would be a special order today, and you would have to agree on a price before the cobbler proceeds with the work.

I have a pair of rubber sole Ferragamos, and I am unsure what line these are. What do I look for to see if I can resole these.

You need to establish if there is a welt or not. If there is a welt, then the soles can possibly be redone but they will be most likely glued as opposed to stitced. Without photos, it is hard to be more accurate.

There is a pair of Santoni's, there is enough wear on the soles to show what appears to be stitching wearing through at some points. Does Santoni offer factory recrafting like AE?

I don't know what, if any recrafting Santoni offers. Worn stitching should not be a concern unless the soles are literally seperating from the shoe. That stiching is tougher than the leather.

Lastly there is a pair of magnanni's that need a resole. Also like the Santoni's there is enough wear on the soles that the stitching is showing through and has shown some wear also.

Same answer as your Santoni's. Stitching aside, press you thumb over the soles. You are looking for any spongy areas. If the soles are soft and spongy, it may be time for a resole. If they are still rather stiff, then you are still ok.

One last question. Anyone have a recommendation for a good cobbler in the London-KW-Hamilton Ontario area I'd appreciate it. Toronto is not out of the question if I'm getting a bunch of shoes done but to travel that far for a single pair would be a little much.

If you can get to downtown Toronto, I would recommend Novelty Shoe Rebuilders. 119 Yonge Street Toronto, ON M5C 1W4, Canada - (416) 364-8878 They may be able to address your Florsheim Imperials as well with regards to V-Cleats, that is, if you really want them. I don't care for the V-Cleats myself. Welcome to Styleforum.

 

[slaxer]

Thank you for your help MOL. I'll get pictures up when I can find my camera to hep with this.

I am unsure what you mean about the v cleat, or the 65 nails, I'm still new to this.

The Ferraagamos appear to have a stitched on sole, but being rubber I wasn't sure.

 

[emptym]

I'd ask to see samples of their work. Ask them if they can resole the shoes exactly as they were done before. And if you decide on a shop, have them do your least valuable shoe first.


Edit: A V-cleat is a little metal v stuck in the heel to increase the durability of an all leather heel.

 

[alphaO888]

I'm almost certain that Santoni only resoles if you ship to Europe and it costs almost $200 a pair (not including shipping). This is info I got from a Nordstrom rep after I purchased a pair -

 

[Boston Tweed]

I can highly recommend B. Nelson in NYC for this type of work as they've resoled some AEs for me with excellent results (and used better than OEM soles...Redenbach is so much more durable) and reasonable prices.

They'd do a great job on your AEs or Florsheims.

http://www.bnelsonshoes.com/

 

[cptjeff]

As for the imperials, despite the historic value, I would recommend doing what I did and having v cleat and nailed heel replaced with rubber. Yeah, it's not true to the original, but it gives you more traction and won't run the risk of killing floors.

 

[MyOtherLife]

Originally Posted by cptjeff

As for the imperials, despite the historic value, I would recommend doing what I did and having v cleat and nailed heel replaced with rubber. Yeah, it's not true to the original, but it gives you more traction and won't run the risk of killing floors.
Quite right. It may also prevent killing ones self. How many of us have slipped on our backsides from wearing those old Kenmoors.

 

[slaxer]

Originally Posted by emptym

I'd ask to see samples of their work. Ask them if they can resole the shoes exactly as they were done before. And if you decide on a shop, have them do your least valuable shoe first.
heel.

Originally Posted by cptjeff

As for the imperials, despite the historic value, I would recommend doing what I did and having v cleat and nailed heel replaced with rubber. Yeah, it's not true to the original, but it gives you more traction and won't run the risk of killing floors.


emptym, this was my first thought. I posed this question to the forum in the hopes that someone already has a recommended shop, and I could skip the wait.


cptjeff, I was looking around the forum and I have taken a liking to the metal heel and toe plates, as I am very hard on the toes and back edges of my heels I thought this might be a way to increase the life of the sole. Are they as hard to walk with/unstable as I sense from your post?

 

[emptym]

^Sounds good. I'd still try them out with one pair even if I got a good recommendation.

Also, all shoes can be resoled by a competent cobbler. Shoes with goodyear welting, as your AE's and Florsheims almost certainly are, can be resoled many times. Same goes for blake-rapid soled shoes. Shoes that are blake stitched can be resoled a few times too. Shoes with soles glued on can be resoled. A cobbler may have access to the same sole, but typically s/he will grind down the old rubber sole and glue on a new one. This can be done many times too, but the leather (if it is leather) of shoes with glued soles tends not to be very durable. You might want to find A Harris's excellent thread "Shoes Explained."

 

[Tck13]

Anybody recommend someone to resole shoes in Philadelphia? I have a pair of RM Williams that I need to get resoled. I'm not sure if they need to go back to RM Williams or not (still trying to find out) but I thought about just finding a local cobbler that might be able to do it.