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patrickBOOTH

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They are the oldest boots I have in rotation. They are Rider Boot Company. They are a bit of a Frankenstein boot made from various patterns of his (Ron Rider's) other boot patterns. I think I remember him saying the factory was irritated trying to get the patterns to work on the fly and he told me "never again!" Ironically, they are only worn in the snow, sometimes for weeks at a time and they are in better shape and have lasted longer than any other shoe I have owned and babied that cost more than twice the amount. I don't even own the suit I'm wearing in that photo anymore. Go figure.
 

patrickBOOTH

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In modern day times i fail to see why the need to having a boot that high up.
Especially going into the office LOL.
Jokes aside, great looking pair you have there.
Nobody notices. Your trousers cover them and they just appear like wingtips. I will say they do provide extra warmth. Walking far in NYC on a frigid day can be brutal.
 

sensuki

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Does anyone know of any toe plates that are suited to a single leather sole (e.g. will hold in place, but screws wont go through the welt)

I'm getting a pair made by a local maker and he's up to the sole attachment part, I requested metal toe plates because I tend to chew through the toes of leather sole shoes in a few weeks. He said the toe plates he can get have long screws and they'll protrude from the welt if he puts them on. The other type won't hold as they're too thin.

Any makers have a suggestion? Don't want to have to go straight for a topy.

I posted about leather sourcing issues earlier in the thread, we ended up going with Annonay undyed leather (crust?) and he hand painted/dyed it to the shade of dark brown that I was after as we couldn't get a hold of any dark brown calf :/
 

DWFII

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FWIW, a maker can mount rubber toe pieces virtually the same way that metal toe pieces are mounted except the rubber can be sewn on as part of the leather outsole.

Metal toe plates don't have to be mounted with long screws, shorter ones are available at almost any hardware store. But any screw long enough to hold the toe plate will damage the welt and /or the inseam--when put on properly the screw holes are near-as-nevermind 'designed' to be right on top of / inline with the inseam. That said, it probably is only a concern with a handwelted shoe...which, I suspect most bespoke shoes are.

Beyond that, perhaps if the maker fits you properly and the shoe is not too long for your feet (as is the style these days), and having commisioned a bespoke pair, you determine to maintain the shoes rigourously, you might find that you don't need toe plates of any kind.
 
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sensuki

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FWIW, a maker can mount rubber toe pieces virtually the same way that metal toe pieces are mounted except the rubber can be sewn on as part of the leather outsole.

Will this be the case if the sole is closed channel?

And yeah, they are handwelted.
 

DWFII

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Will this be the case if the sole is closed channel?

I don't see why not. If I understand you correctly when you say "closed channel", in all likelihood the outsole will be sewn by hand...nothing to prevent continuing to hand stitch through the toe piece. Of courrse, the rubber can't be channeled the way the leather is but the stiches will still be there. And a vertical channel can be cut in the rubber and the stitches hidden, at least somewhat.
 

DWFII

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3/8” 2G brass screws
Not disagreeing--probably the best way to go with metal plates.

But consider: 3/8" is near-as-nevermind 10mm. Few outsoles are thicker than 6mm. If the plate is inset 3mm into the substance of the outsole that leaves (I'm guessing here) approx. 4mm of screw to penetrate the welt, or the insole, or the inseam. If that makes any difference to anyone.

Just saying, FWIW...
 

ixk

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Does anyone know of any toe plates that are suited to a single leather sole (e.g. will hold in place, but screws wont go through the welt)

I'm getting a pair made by a local maker and he's up to the sole attachment part, I requested metal toe plates because I tend to chew through the toes of leather sole shoes in a few weeks. He said the toe plates he can get have long screws and they'll protrude from the welt if he puts them on. The other type won't hold as they're too thin.

Any makers have a suggestion? Don't want to have to go straight for a topy.

I posted about leather sourcing issues earlier in the thread, we ended up going with Annonay undyed leather (crust?) and he hand painted/dyed it to the shade of dark brown that I was after as we couldn't get a hold of any dark brown calf :/

It's not the toe-plates that are the issue, but rather the technique of the maker. Not throwing shade on him either, installing toe-plates are a cobbler's expertise.

Toe-plates can be nailed or screwed on without damage to the shoe if done the right way.

All my shoes have toe-plates and none of them present any issues.
 

Manuel

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It's not the toe-plates that are the issue, but rather the technique of the maker. Not throwing shade on him either, installing toe-plates are a cobbler's expertise.

Toe-plates can be nailed or screwed on without damage to the shoe if done the right way.

All my shoes have toe-plates and none of them present any issues.
Could you tell me what the toe-plates are for?
 

daizawaguy

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you might find that you don't need toe plates of any kind.

There does seem to be a school of thought that favors the toe plate - but I personally don't like the shape it creates together with the wear pattern, apart from comfort issues. I know I`ll get a lot of comments to the contrary, but I'm a fan of a natural sole - or indeed a half rubber, but not a toe plate.
 

DWFII

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There does seem to be a school of thought that favors the toe plate - but I personally don't like the shape it creates together with the wear pattern, apart from comfort issues. I know I`ll get a lot of comments to the contrary, but I'm a fan of a natural sole - or indeed a half rubber, but not a toe plate.

I'm with you--I think that toe plates are kind of an abomination.

As a shoemaker, my whole focus is to make the best looking, best wearing and longest lasting shoe that I can make.

I know from many years doing shoe repair that the screws in metal plates almost always damage the insole or the inseam, even if only minimally. Of course, the owner of the shoe is seldom if ever aware of this damage and will often abandon the shoe before such damage becomes critical...sometimes the lack of maintenance that seems to go hand in hand with wanting metal toe plates is sufficient reason.

And if the truth be told, as a maker I am not in the business of mounting toe plates nor deliberately damaging a shoe by installing them. I have no incentive to mount toe plates. My business is making, not repairing. My focus is making it right to begin with, not 'improving' what has already been done or remedying what is often the result of external problems entirely unrelated to the shoe, or the maker, or the original materials.
 

patrickBOOTH

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Without them I chew right through the sole at the toe into the welt. I have some shoes that are longer and shorter in the toe and it is all of the same. I think it has a lot to do with, well, how you wear your shoes and the amount and location of your walking. As a New Yorker I walk more daily than a lot of people and this isn't shuffling from a car to a carpeted office. It is pavement and in most cases very crappy pavement. Furthermore, I walk very fast. You think you walk fast? Oh, I assure you I walk faster. I will speed walk anybody on here, even on wet pavement. Challenge me and be doomed!
 

patrickBOOTH

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Purposeful walking wear:

DA8617B3-8379-4CCF-82B8-17C0FF489BB8.jpeg
A708492F-828A-4C7C-BBE3-E6C8FCFC0430.jpeg
 

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