Shoe repair

[norcaltransplant]

I have a question regarding the elastic piece attaching the buckle to my mid-grade monkstraps (Ferragamo LO & Moreschi): can a cobbler replace the strap once its worn?

I had a cheaper pair of Eccos in highschool with an elastic strip that completely deteriorated after three years of moderate wear. I'd imagine that the elastic in my Ferragamos and Moreschi shoes isn't substantially better, and will need some replacing in another year or two.

 

[bengal-stripe]

It should be no problem for a skilled shoe repairer to replace the elastic. He won't be able to get it under the sewing machine and will have to do it by hand. Either by leaving the machine stitching and a stump of the old elastic place and hand stitch a new bit over it. Or he takes out the machine stitching, inserts a new piece of elastic and pulls needle and thread through the existing holes. The stitching might have to go through the inside lining as he won't be able to peal the lining back without dismantling the whole shoe.

Now replacing the elastic in a Chelsea boot (old elastics have a tendency to look like cabbage leaves) - that's a problem.

 

[armscye]

I've had the same problem, and had a leather piece handstitched in rather than new elastic. This retained some elasticity but not too much. Most elastic seems to fail fairly quickly when stretched-- after a few months you can hear it crackle as you draw it tight.