Sole leather quality

[josepidal]

Er... by "American days" do you mean the Philippine Commonwealth government set up in 1935, or about the time we were granted independence immediately after World War II and the Japanese occupation?

 

[mussel]

Jose, aren't you coming to States soon to continue your study? Why don't wait until you come here to have the shoes fixed. Alex K. highly recommended a cobbler on Madison between 81 & 82.

 

[TCN]

Fine shoes are a bit like an expensive car, or a fine shotgun. The cost is not just in the purchase price, the cost is in the maintenance.

These items are all things to be used, and things that will wear out and require repair. If the thought of them wearing out one day troubles you, then you should become a collector and not use them. If it's the thought of how expensive the maintenance is that troubles you, then you should buy less expensive items.

Your shoes are mildly screwed, but it's nothing that can't be remedied when you send them in to EG for resoling in about three years. Also, unless you're running marathons through your office "construction zones", the extra burden this places on your soles in negligible. I for one have never understood paying so much more for nice leather soles, then covering them with cheap rubber or protectors . . . it defeats the purpose.

 

[Teacher]

Originally Posted by TCN

Fine shoes are a bit like an expensive car, or a fine shotgun. The cost is not just in the purchase price, the cost is in the maintenance.

These items are all things to be used, and things that will wear out and require repair. If the thought of them wearing out one day troubles you, then you should become a collector and not use them. If it's the thought of how expensive the maintenance is that troubles you, then you should buy less expensive items.

I see this very differently. Adding a topy -- which, contrary to what people around here seem to think for some inexplicable reason -- IS an act of maintainance. It saves greatly on sole wear while adding traction. People's bitching at jose that other countries' sidewalks are slippier etc etc is just stupid...these damned things are slippery and we all know it. Also, the topy does nothing to the shoe that can't be undone down the road.

Your shoes are mildly screwed, but it's nothing that can't be remedied when you send them in to EG for resoling in about three years. Also, unless you're running marathons through your office "construction zones", the extra burden this places on your soles in negligible. I for one have never understood paying so much more for nice leather soles, then covering them with cheap rubber or protectors . . . it defeats the purpose.

Perhaps for you, but not for someone who is wearing them to work during monsoon season.

Why in the hell you guys get so worked up over someone else's shoes is far beyond me. Not enough going on in your lives? Geez.

 

[gdl203]

Originally Posted by Teacher

I see this very differently. Adding a topy -- which, contrary to what people around here seem to think for some inexplicable reason -- IS an act of maintainance. It saves greatly on sole wear while adding traction. People's bitching at jose that other countries' sidewalks are slippier etc etc is just stupid...these damned things are slippery and we all know it. Also, the topy does nothing to the shoe that can't be undone down the road.


Perhaps for you, but not for someone who is wearing them to work during monsoon season.

Why in the hell you guys get so worked up over someone else's shoes is far beyond me. Not enough going on in your lives? Geez.

Your condescending tone is mildly annoying.

Is there a chance you will stop trying to "teach" everyone else why they're wrong, ...Teacher?

 

[Teacher]

Originally Posted by gdl203

Your condescending tone is mildly annoying.

Is there a chance you will stop trying to "teach" everyone else why they're wrong, ...Teacher?

Nope. Jose came on here and asked a simple question. A few others jumped all over him for something he did to his own shoes...and in doing so they ignored his question. It's not only unconstructive, it's rude and uncalled for...and my tone is certainly no worse than theirs. If you don't like it, too bad for you.

 

[von Rothbart]

Jose, contact Meaculpa to check if he can fix your beheeled Edward Green, I am sure he can. Don't send your shoes back to that cobbler. You can check a recent example of his work in this thread:
http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=15310

Also, Andrew raved about a pair of restored EG he bought from him.

 

[josepidal]

Thank you very much, teacher. I honestly appreciate the comments in the face of implications that I am a total idiot for thinking that a local cobbler would screw up something as simple as a topy, or for thinking to have the rubber placed given "monsoon season." I also don't think your comments are any more condescending than certain others on this thread.

To go back to the question: Would having great soles in Redenbach leather but the greater part of the heels in US made leather cause discomfort? I picked them up from the local cobbler last night and am wearing them at the office now. The "new" heels feel stiffer yet heavier, and I'm not sure if it's really that much less comfortable now or if it's just the fact that it's new leather.

Thoughts?

I was thinking of asking the store (which now has my law firm's calling card) to send them back to Hilary Freeman at their expense, and I sent a distraught inquiry to Hilary regarding this.

I will be moving to Boston in a couple of months and if all else fails, I'll be hitting you guys up for cobbler recommendations. (Mussel, I won't be in NYC, but anyway, meaculpa is on the top of the list although he's in Canada.)

Thanks for all future relevant input.

 

[josepidal]

Originally Posted by TCN

Your shoes are mildly screwed, but it's nothing that can't be remedied when you send them in to EG for resoling in about three years. Also, unless you're running marathons through your office "construction zones", the extra burden this places on your soles in negligible. I for one have never understood paying so much more for nice leather soles, then covering them with cheap rubber or protectors . . . it defeats the purpose.
Thanks. I am in fact thinking about whether they need to be reheeled NOW because they seem to be a lot less comfortable, or whether I should just suck it up, wear down these inferior heels and THEN send them to Hilary.

However, I had the rubber placed partly because some members here reported having to reheel their dress shoes in less than a year, aside from how I just don't want to waste the leather heels on the pavement here during sudden rainstorms and typhoons.

 

[josepidal]

Good news. The shoe repair gave me a written undertaking to purchase materials from EG and restore the shoes at their expense. Now I just need to contact them and get a quotation. Hopefully they agree to help restore the shoes, sigh.

 

[Teacher]

Good to hear! Good luck.

 

[josepidal]

Update.

I just passed by the shoe repair service, and they procured new heels from Karen at EG for GBP8 per pair. I suppose the actual materials are relatively inexpensive. Instead of replacing the toplifts only, they are going to replace the entire heels with brand new ones. I asked to make sure they're not going to do anything stupid like touching the welt, and it appears Karen gave them some specific instructions on how to do it.

Interesting.