Cobblers, shoe care, DIY

[V-J]

can anyone tell me the basic steps of taking care of shoes? and the products associated with each step?

from reading this thread, there doesn't seem to be much info on the basics of taking care of shoes.

thank you!


on a side note, does anyone know of a good cobbler in vancouver?

[gavagai]

[QUOTE=Eternal;343706]Ok, my cobbler fucked up in my opinion. He did some really good work to a pair of boots I left, but shaved off almost half of the heels on a pair of new derbies, to attach a much thicker rubber sole than the thin one I had suggested.

I won't even leave my Guidi's with the cobbler. I take them in and put new taps on every other month.

i recently had to put new thin rubber on the heel but the cobbler wanted to shave off some and put a thicker sole because he didn't want me to accuse him of doing "bad work." i explained I'd come back periodically to have them redone. Repeated myself many times - "NO POLISH, SHINING or SHAVING" and I picked out the thinnest rubber possible.

A really good cobbler can fix those heels. I hate thick rubber heels.

[KM80]

on a side note, does anyone know of a good cobbler in vancouver?

Quick Cobbler on around 2nd and Quebec, they've been great so far. They most recently Frankenstiched back together a pair of RO combat boots I have that were falling to pieces, and completely re-soled them for the 2nd time. They looked amazing compared to how they went in.

There's another place up main, a smaller place and it was a bit more expensive, but they were okay to.

[humancrack]

i second quick cobbler. taken atleast 10 pairs of shoes there. A+++ service

[BECOMING-INTENSE]

I have just had my Demeulemeester riding boots
vibramed by my new cobbler. New cobbler means
new type of rubber, let see if it can live up to its
name ...

LongLife Indiana.

[Oasis]

Am I wasting my time looking for a good cobbler in Scotland. The guy I saw today made numerous grunts and a few snorts when I asked him about protecting the soles on my Hockeyes.

I didn't go with him.

Anyone got any recomendations?

[eton97]

Am I wasting my time looking for a good cobbler in Scotland. The guy I saw today made numerous grunts and a few snorts when I asked him about protecting the soles on my Hockeyes.

I didn't go with him.

Anyone got any recomendations?

I'm 100% certain you'll find a fantastic cobbler in most places. My advice coming from London is go to an independent cobbler who probably owns his place and cares/listens to the customer rather than somewhere like timpsons where they don't give a shit.

[michael_kard]

/\ Let me just second that, avoid dry cleaner chains at all costs. Johnsons ruined a 4k Ann leather of mine and then attributed it to a 'manufacturer defect'.

I've gotten the impression that the next alternative for people who work at places like these is flipping burgers at McDonald's. All they're given is some very basic instructions without any real knowledge or expertise.

[Oasis]

/\ Let me just second that, avoid dry cleaner chains at all costs. Johnsons ruined a 4k Ann leather of mine and then attributed it to a 'manufacturer defect'.

I've gotten the impression that the next alternative for people who work at places like these is flipping burgers at McDonald's. All they're given is some very basic instructions without any real knowledge or expertise.

I'm 100% certain you'll find a fantastic cobbler in most places. My advice coming from London is go to an independent cobbler who probably owns his place and cares/listens to the customer rather than somewhere like timpsons where they don't give a shit.

Yeah, the place I went to today was owned by the guy I spoke to. I'd expected a little better service than a few grunts and a shrug of the shoulders..

The place I used to use was also owned by the guy who did the work for me and to be brutally honest he wasn't that great either. His shop is closed now, he retired.

I'll need to go on the hunt for somewhere that doesn't leave me sweating any time I leave footwear to be fixed or protected.

[Oasis]

Well I found somewhere I was some what confident in leaving my CCP's to have a half sole put on them. Get them back on Friday, fingers crossed.

[harr1s]

Has anyone chipped or scraped their wood midsoles and have had success replacing them? I have some Raf boots with a wooden sole and I'm dismayed at how quickly the sharp edges of the sole have been ground down or warped. Literally a single outing results in this:




The gel attachment on the sole prevents me from slapping some vibram on there. I'd be okay with dealing with it and grinding the soles a bit if I knew they could be replaced somehow in the future... ideally by something with longevity.

Am I being too picky? I have other wood-soled shoes which don't show nearly as much wear as these do.

[mike]

if you want to keep your shoes in museum mint condition you should put plastic bags over them before you go out.

[phiman]

I just bought these BBS calfskin boots:


anybody got some tips on the right shoe care for me? this is my first pair of high-quality boots so i don't really have any experience in how to take care of the leather!

thanks

[michael_kard]

Those boots don't look like they are meant to be taken care of in the conventional way, as the leather has already been distressed/washed/whatever. just add some rubber to the soles and enjoy..

[anomolies]

how do you take care of julius leather boots?