We have one the next town over where I had the velcro replaced on my cycling shoes. Not only do my shoes feel new (and stay closed) but our cobbler guy is HOT! not one but 2 good reasons to go.
I love hot cobbler.
Shell cordovan is very nice but super expensive. But the $100 Chinese shoes that everybody buys today will only last 1-2 years before they break down. If you splurge for really nice shoes, take care of them and get them resoled, they can last 20 years or more. It’s an up front investment that ends up being a better deal in the long run.
When I had my KISS costume shoes built-up (sole stacking), it took a week and a half to get them done!!! I see no less than 100 pair of shoes, 75 hand bags and assorted other things waiting to be fixed by the local cobbler!!!
Cobbling could be the new skilled job…
Allen Edmonds Shell Cordovan shoes last forever. Seriously. Double soled, they polish better than calfskin and most importantly, do not crease, ever.
Shoe care tips:
- Rotate your shoes—don’t wear the same pair daily.
- Store them on properly fitting cedar shoe trees, and in a cloth shoe bag if possible. When you take them off at the end of the day, they go right onto the cedar trees. You’ll extend the life of your shoes by at least 50% doing this.
- Dust them off prior to putting them in the shoe bag.
- Polish them yourself, every 3-4x you wear them. It takes about 5-10 min, and is a skill well worth acquiring.
I’m partial to Lobb or Vass shoes, however Edward Green & Church’s handmade are also nice—their lasts don’t fit me well. AE or Alden are very good mid-range shoes and if you are a salesman its what I would buy—I prefer the double-soled option as they last longer. I’ve had lots of pairs of Ferragamos and they can be very well made, but not at the same level (even their Lavorazions) as the best from UK/Budapest.
Agree on all this.
Oh, and you really shouldn’t own more than 1-2 pair of black shoes, outside of 1 pair of patent leather formal shoes. My rule of thumb is 4 pairs brown for every 1 pair of black. They are simply more interesting & help you avoid BDE (bus driver effect).
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
No brown in town. Ever. All shoes to be worn for work should be black. As should the belt. You may be able to get away with brown on a friday, even with a suit.
(while writing this i have realised that I’m euro and a management consultant so wear a suit every day. I could possibly see that if you wear that strange smart casual/sports coat outfit that yanks are fond of brown shoes may be better. But, really, you shouldn’t be wearing that strange smart casual/sports coat outfit)
I walk a decent distance on concrete sidewalks every day going to/from work. It tears shoes apart quick. Much easier for me to wear out cheaper shoes (I’ll buy Bostonian on clearance for like $60) and toss them than always be resoling my good ones. When I wear a suit I’ll wear some nicer shoes that get resoled, but the big majority of days are just business casual, and it’s not that important to have high class shoes on. I’ve worked it out and found that doing so was more economic in my case.
Resole your leather soled shoes with a rubber half sole like a mini-v or something along those lines. It will basically look the same but add a ton more life to them for walking. Also, replace your heels before it wears into the leather block below the heel. The leather bits can be built back up but it is much easier and cheaper to just slap a heel on there and grind it to shape. If you have leather stack heels with a think rubber bottom, have the leather part ground down a bit and put a thicker rubber heel on there there to increase life. The nice thing about good shoes is that you can modify them to suit your lifestyle.
Oh, and you really shouldn’t own more than 1-2 pair of black shoes, outside of 1 pair of patent leather formal shoes. My rule of thumb is 4 pairs brown for every 1 pair of black. They are simply more interesting & help you avoid BDE (bus driver effect).
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
No brown in town. Ever. All shoes to be worn for work should be black. As should the belt. You may be able to get away with brown on a friday, even with a suit.
no. fuck this.