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  • eton97
    Senior Member
    • Dec 2008
    • 922

    wow......at my london cobbler i have 3 choices (and he is pretty good!) black....a kind of tan, and white......(which went great with my augusta sneakers).....but then always seems like a better choice of everythig in the US...somebody could make some good money supplying various coloured vibram to UK....I would certainly buy!
    you can't polish a turd, but you can roll it in glitter...

    Comment

    • beardown
      rekoner
      • Feb 2009
      • 1418

      Originally posted by eton97 View Post
      wow......at my london cobbler i have 3 choices (and he is pretty good!) black....a kind of tan, and white......(which went great with my augusta sneakers).....but then always seems like a better choice of everythig in the US...somebody could make some good money supplying various coloured vibram to UK....I would certainly buy!
      I'm not sure if all the swatches were for soles because I believe they offer a material that's for inner support/heel/toe traction so it could have been for that rather than soles. I just noticed the Vibram logo on the swatch material.

      But my guy is probably less of a skilled cobbler and more of a commercial footwear dude. (technical term). I know he mostly deals with work boots and things like that (I'm in an area where there are quite a bit of factories). I wouldn't trust him with any major repairs but he's friendly, kind of funny and pretty quick.

      And most likely he's never used much of anything other than black or brown for 95% of his jobs. Vibram does a lot of work boot soles/traction, etc. and I've seen those in his shop more than anything. So the fact that there are so many warehouse workers in this region that have to wear specific boots with certain kinds of traction is why his business seems fairly brisk.
      But your cobbler should be able to special order different colors.
      I'm sure a google search would reveal the hues that Vibram offers.
      Originally posted by mizzar
      Sorry for being kind of a dick to you.

      Comment

      • eton97
        Senior Member
        • Dec 2008
        • 922

        You must go down well kitted out in the footwear and clothes from this forum in your local wateringhole with the local work force!
        you can't polish a turd, but you can roll it in glitter...

        Comment

        • Acid, Bitter and Sad
          Senior Member
          • Mar 2007
          • 1063

          I almost always make it a point to add half soles and rubber heels to all my boots before they hit the pavement outside. For protection of the boots and prevention of slipping while walking. On certain occasions depending on circumstances, I'd get the half soles done first and rubber heels added later. Half soles for me are a must from the get-go.

          Had mine done in Tokyo, NY and SG. And I got to say that the Japanese workmanship can't be beat. I'd always request to maintain the same heel height after adding the rubber heel and they do it to perfection. For my Guidi backzips, after adding the rubber heel, they would grind the edges to create that gradual curve/rounding just like the original Guidi leather heel layer. For a pair of my Ann D boots, after adding the rubber heel, they actually sanded/grind (not sure what they did exactly) the sides of the rubber heel to mimic the wood grain texture of the original wooden heels. Top notch work!

          I think I've been completely spoilt by the Japanese standard that now if my boots weren't purchased in Japan, I'd either send them over there or wait till my next trip there to have them re-soled.

          Comment

          • beardown
            rekoner
            • Feb 2009
            • 1418

            eton97,
            I've written in the past about being referred to in public as a chimney sweep and accused of being a mormon in the past.

            As far as colors, here's a pretty complete list. Some of these are only available in specific versions. I think the go-to is called Morflex but Vibram offers different sheets with various traction type.

            black, nicotine, neutral, honey, coffee, mojave, camel, brown, sand, natural, dark oak, leather, clay, white, taupe, flint, gray, lt. gray, caramel and red.

            Like I was saying, most people go with brown or black but if you want to specifically match colors, you could probably get fairly close. I think there is a minimum amount to buy which is why most shops only carry a few basic colors.
            Originally posted by mizzar
            Sorry for being kind of a dick to you.

            Comment

            • eton97
              Senior Member
              • Dec 2008
              • 922

              beardown
              ...funny you say that...most people think i am a chimney sweep when i go out in my paul harden jackets and trousers......shocking to think how much it costs to look like a pauper or someone who has just come from a coal pit!
              Thanks for advice on vibram......knowing what I'm like, i would order 100sheets of vibram just to get 1 pair of boots sorted!
              you can't polish a turd, but you can roll it in glitter...

              Comment

              • kuugaia
                Senior Member
                • Feb 2010
                • 1007

                Anybody have recommendations on products/methods to care for reversed leather? I assume water proofing is an important step? I'm also still unclear whether or not 'reversed' is a nicer way of saying 'suede'. The boots I have are reversed cow, isn't as fuzzy as suede typically is.

                These:

                Comment


                • if it's suede or reversed doesn't have to do with the fuzz. Suede is split leather, only using the inside layer of the skin. Reverse is full grain leather, but with the meat side out.

                  Comment

                  • Castor
                    Senior Member
                    • Nov 2009
                    • 612

                    I would not treat any suede or reversed skins. It will change the color, texture and feel of the nap. Just wear with pride. Water will alter the appearance, so if you don't want that, then avoid rain. I personally like skins to evolve.
                    Originally posted by DRRRK
                    The bridge from Dior to CCP being Rick Owens.

                    Comment

                    • Raw
                      Senior Member
                      • Oct 2009
                      • 1106

                      ^^^ Agree, I havn't used any products for my reverse steer boots and havn't had any problems. I've also worn them in light rain too, which didn't have any effect on them.

                      Comment

                      • kuugaia
                        Senior Member
                        • Feb 2010
                        • 1007

                        Alright thanks guys. I'll just sole them as usual.

                        Comment

                        • miserableman
                          Senior Member
                          • Dec 2009
                          • 321

                          Got some dirt of the leather toe cap of my new Ann D sneakers the other day. Gently wiped it off with a damp cloth and noticed the leather had worn away already a little. I felt I could easily take off more of the top surface of leather if I went further as it seems very delicate. Slightly worried they'll wear badly, I like to keep my sneakers clean most of the time.

                          Comment

                          • Acid, Bitter and Sad
                            Senior Member
                            • Mar 2007
                            • 1063

                            Suede sneaks?

                            That's odd.
                            I've cleaned my ann d suede sneaks many times, and they've held up fine.
                            Perhaps a pic?

                            Comment

                            • miserableman
                              Senior Member
                              • Dec 2009
                              • 321



                              Hard to show on the pic because of the flash but you can see it. It's shows up quite a lot if I wet it slightly.

                              Comment

                              • Acid, Bitter and Sad
                                Senior Member
                                • Mar 2007
                                • 1063

                                mistaken

                                I thought yours were the suede sneaks.
                                I actually don't have any experience with cleaning or wiping white leather simply because I don't have any. Perhaps someone else can chime in...

                                Comment

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