Shoe LUST
- Thread starter wetnose
- Start date
+100 - RM Williams is the pride of Australia. Their comfort craftsman model is the most comfortable shoe I have ever worn and I can recommend them without reservation to anyone.onthebottom said:
Quite simply, if I could equate it to a car, RM Williams is the Infiniti G35 - impeccably built, beautiful, solid value for money. They're one of the few bootmakers who make the entire shoe from 1 piece of leather - i.e. wholecut construction. This makes for a strong boot as there's only 1 seam to the boot. Most mass market shoe brands today (Aldo, Rockport, Hush Puppies, etc) are the equivalent of Ladas made in China. I know of a guy who got stained socks from wearing his brown Hush Puppies - ugh. Or where the leather breaks up after a few wears.
I highly recommend all terbites to try the RM Williams Comfort Craftsman at the store on 791 Queen West. A little pricey (C$430 a pair) but you can also order it from australia at bootsonline.com. (C$290 a pair) Hey a pair of new Nikes will cost half as much but only last a tenth as long....
RM Williams also offers a made to order option - so yes, you can even request a boot made to YOUR specifications. This means choosing the heel, the toe, the leather and the sole.
Last edited:
Re:
http://www.jimmychoo.com/pws/ProductDetails.ice?ProductID=71839
there is something about that shoe that just gets me going
Just not the price
http://www.jimmychoo.com/pws/ProductDetails.ice?ProductID=71839
there is something about that shoe that just gets me going
Just not the priceShoe maintenance: wow I thought this page
http://www.whatmakesaman.net/wordpr...rs-part-4-caring-for-benchmade-leather-shoes/
was good.
============
Shoe care / maintenance
Stage 1: Once you have bought them
I am indebted to John Lobb for the following advice.
Immediately after you have bought your shoes they are most vulnerable. Though they look new and shiny, they will be dry, having spent the recent part of their livers in a shop storeroom. At this stage the leather uppers will mark easily, with the potential to leave permanent scars on the shoes. Treat them as follows:
Put the shoes on their shoe trees. Open the shoe polish you intend to use on the shoes. If you have shoe cream (like the RM Williams saddle dressing) that is better.
Take a soft cotton cloth, drape it over your hand and make a point of your fore and index fingers.
Work the shoe polish with your finger, making it warm and pliable. The softer the polish the easier the process and the better the result. Do not heat the polish, as it will warm unevenly and you will get an uneven shine on the shoe upper.
Once the polish has softened enough to work (you will get a feel for this), use your finger “point” to gather up some polish and polish it into the shoe.
Now polish the shoe all over in this way. The trick to this is to work the polish into all the seams of the shoe, especially the heal seam and the welt seam (where the upper meets the sole). Be generous here, because you want to lubricate and seal these seams against the elements. Do not worry how the shoe looks at this time, because you will polish them off later.
Continue until you have polished the whole shoe. When you are done place the shoes in a cool dry place, preferably out of direct sunlight and leave them for 24 hours, for the polish to soak into their shoes. Ensure it's well ventilated.
At the end of this time polish them off as follows:
Take a medium bristle shoe brush which is appropriate for the colour of the shoe (if you have a brush that you have used for black shoes do not use it on brown shoes, for example). Do not use a hard brush as this point.
Brush the shoes gently, to brush off the polish residue.
Get a soft cotton cloth. Do not use the cloth you applied the polish with. Once again, make sure it is appropriate; do not use a cloth that you have used for black shoes on brown shoes.
Buff the shoes gently but firmly with the cloth. Buff them across the long axis of the shoe (across the toe) and also with the long axis of the shoe, along the vamp and facing.
You will get a soft shine as the leather polishes up. This is an appropriate finish at this stage of the shoe’s life. Over time you will (if you want) be able to buff the shoes to a high shine.
This may sound like a lot of work, but you only do it once and it is important to do this for many reasons.
Firstly it will add years to the life of the shoes. By waxing the shoes and leaving them to rest you give the leather a chance to absorb the oils of the polish and become more supple. The shoes will keep their shape much better and be much less likely to tear along points of tension and especially around the stitching.
Secondly, if you do this the shoes will be so much easier to wear-in. New shoes that have been waxed properly have so much more “give” in them and are easier on the feet from the outset.
Stage 2: Wearing-in the shoes
For the first wearing, wear the shoes only for a few hours, not for a whole day. Just long enough to breakdown the stiffness of the leather. If you can, wear the shoes indoors the first time. If you wear the shoes outdoors for the first time, do not do so in the rain or snow.
The soles of your shoes will be new and slippery. This becomes less of a problem once you have worn them a few times. However there is an old British Army trick for those who want to use it. Take a reasonably sharp knife (a penknife will do) and lightly score the new soles. Score only the sole, in a cross-hatch pattern. The shoes will grip much better.
Cleaning your shoes on a regular basis
If your shoes are dirty, wipe them off with warm water and a soft cotton cloth. Never use any cleaning solvents on quality shoes, it will destroy them. For salt stains, use 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. Clean them then follow up with water immediately. Let dry for at least an hour. Never dry out with a hair dryer.
If the shoes are muddy, wait until the mud dries and brush it off with a firm-bristle brush. Never scrape the upper with metal implements.
“Polishing-in”
As before, use a polishing-in cloth to polish the shoes.
Some folks recommend using a brush to polish shoes with. This puts way too much polish on the shoe and it becomes difficult to polish off. If you do this often enough the shoes get a cloudy, waxy finish which is unpleasant to look at. It is also very difficult to get rid of.
The longer you can leave the shoes waxed, the better. Once I have polished-in my shoes I leave them for 24 hours. This helps the leather absorb the polish and preserve the finish of the shoe.
“Polishing-off”
Also as before, use a medium-firm brush to polish off the shoes, followed by a buffing from a soft cloth.
Shoes should be polished once every two weeks. Do it consistently and the process becomes easy, the shoes become beautiful.
Waxing shoes for storage
If you have a collection of good shoes, there will be some that you do not wear for a long period of time. I have a pair of Grenson tan oxfords that I only wear in summer. They are made of soft aniline-dyed leather and are too fine for winter wear. Now I could simply polish them and store them but my experience of this is that the uppers dry out.
I prefer to wax shoes with a leather feed which will nourish the uppers while they are in storage. For this purpose I like Chelsea Leather food. I like Chelsea because it can be applied easily (at the point of a cloth), left (it forms a protective film on the leather), and quickly polished off as necessary.
Wet Shoes
If the shoes are simply wet (the uppers are wet) put the shoes on their trees and if you have one, put the shoes on a shoe rack and let them dry. The frame allows the air to circulate around the shoe and dry out the sole, which is important.
If you do not have a shoe frame, then place the shoes on several sheets of newspaper in a well-aired place. Once again, drying out the sole is important
If the shoes are soaked (the inner linings and the inner sole of the shoe are wet) fill the shoes with newspaper, and, as before, elevate the shoes on a shoe rack. Drying out the soles is even more important if the shoes are soaked. If placed on newspaper and the nrewspaper becomes wet, change it.
If the shoes are soaked through then when dry again I would advise waxing them and resting them for 24 hoours before wearing them again.
Never heat the shoes to dry them, there is a good chance that the sudden expansion of the leather will crack the uppers. It will certainly dry them out and that is nearly as bad. If your feet sweat heavily and you heat the shoes when wet you are liable to get a salt stain which is almost impossible to remove.
Wearing your shoes
Never wear shoes for two days running. Once you have worn a pair put them back on their trees and give them at least a day to rest. Cloths
You need these both to work the polish in and for the final buffing after the shoes are polished.
Ideally you need two sets of cloths, one for polishing in the wax and one for buffing. You also need to differentiate between those cloths that you use for black waxing and any others. This is very important, as black wax can really stain shoes of other colours and as far as I know, the damage cannot be reversed.
I use a variety of soft cotton cloths, some which are cut from old good quality t-shirts, which work very well. If you are starting from scratch I suggest that you buy a set of white dusters and use those.
Brushes
I mostly use brushes for polishing off. If you have boots then you might want a brush for polishing on. For all my shoes I use a medium bristle shoe brush.
Once again, differentiating your brushes is important. If you consistently use a brush which has been used on black shoes on brown shoes, you will ruin them. Black brushes turn brown shoes into an in-between colour with a dirty muddy-looking finish
http://www.whatmakesaman.net/wordpr...rs-part-4-caring-for-benchmade-leather-shoes/
was good.
============
Shoe care / maintenance
Stage 1: Once you have bought them
I am indebted to John Lobb for the following advice.
Immediately after you have bought your shoes they are most vulnerable. Though they look new and shiny, they will be dry, having spent the recent part of their livers in a shop storeroom. At this stage the leather uppers will mark easily, with the potential to leave permanent scars on the shoes. Treat them as follows:
Put the shoes on their shoe trees. Open the shoe polish you intend to use on the shoes. If you have shoe cream (like the RM Williams saddle dressing) that is better.
Take a soft cotton cloth, drape it over your hand and make a point of your fore and index fingers.
Work the shoe polish with your finger, making it warm and pliable. The softer the polish the easier the process and the better the result. Do not heat the polish, as it will warm unevenly and you will get an uneven shine on the shoe upper.
Once the polish has softened enough to work (you will get a feel for this), use your finger “point” to gather up some polish and polish it into the shoe.
Now polish the shoe all over in this way. The trick to this is to work the polish into all the seams of the shoe, especially the heal seam and the welt seam (where the upper meets the sole). Be generous here, because you want to lubricate and seal these seams against the elements. Do not worry how the shoe looks at this time, because you will polish them off later.
Continue until you have polished the whole shoe. When you are done place the shoes in a cool dry place, preferably out of direct sunlight and leave them for 24 hours, for the polish to soak into their shoes. Ensure it's well ventilated.
At the end of this time polish them off as follows:
Take a medium bristle shoe brush which is appropriate for the colour of the shoe (if you have a brush that you have used for black shoes do not use it on brown shoes, for example). Do not use a hard brush as this point.
Brush the shoes gently, to brush off the polish residue.
Get a soft cotton cloth. Do not use the cloth you applied the polish with. Once again, make sure it is appropriate; do not use a cloth that you have used for black shoes on brown shoes.
Buff the shoes gently but firmly with the cloth. Buff them across the long axis of the shoe (across the toe) and also with the long axis of the shoe, along the vamp and facing.
You will get a soft shine as the leather polishes up. This is an appropriate finish at this stage of the shoe’s life. Over time you will (if you want) be able to buff the shoes to a high shine.
This may sound like a lot of work, but you only do it once and it is important to do this for many reasons.
Firstly it will add years to the life of the shoes. By waxing the shoes and leaving them to rest you give the leather a chance to absorb the oils of the polish and become more supple. The shoes will keep their shape much better and be much less likely to tear along points of tension and especially around the stitching.
Secondly, if you do this the shoes will be so much easier to wear-in. New shoes that have been waxed properly have so much more “give” in them and are easier on the feet from the outset.
Stage 2: Wearing-in the shoes
For the first wearing, wear the shoes only for a few hours, not for a whole day. Just long enough to breakdown the stiffness of the leather. If you can, wear the shoes indoors the first time. If you wear the shoes outdoors for the first time, do not do so in the rain or snow.
The soles of your shoes will be new and slippery. This becomes less of a problem once you have worn them a few times. However there is an old British Army trick for those who want to use it. Take a reasonably sharp knife (a penknife will do) and lightly score the new soles. Score only the sole, in a cross-hatch pattern. The shoes will grip much better.
Cleaning your shoes on a regular basis
If your shoes are dirty, wipe them off with warm water and a soft cotton cloth. Never use any cleaning solvents on quality shoes, it will destroy them. For salt stains, use 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. Clean them then follow up with water immediately. Let dry for at least an hour. Never dry out with a hair dryer.
If the shoes are muddy, wait until the mud dries and brush it off with a firm-bristle brush. Never scrape the upper with metal implements.
“Polishing-in”
As before, use a polishing-in cloth to polish the shoes.
Some folks recommend using a brush to polish shoes with. This puts way too much polish on the shoe and it becomes difficult to polish off. If you do this often enough the shoes get a cloudy, waxy finish which is unpleasant to look at. It is also very difficult to get rid of.
The longer you can leave the shoes waxed, the better. Once I have polished-in my shoes I leave them for 24 hours. This helps the leather absorb the polish and preserve the finish of the shoe.
“Polishing-off”
Also as before, use a medium-firm brush to polish off the shoes, followed by a buffing from a soft cloth.
Shoes should be polished once every two weeks. Do it consistently and the process becomes easy, the shoes become beautiful.
Waxing shoes for storage
If you have a collection of good shoes, there will be some that you do not wear for a long period of time. I have a pair of Grenson tan oxfords that I only wear in summer. They are made of soft aniline-dyed leather and are too fine for winter wear. Now I could simply polish them and store them but my experience of this is that the uppers dry out.
I prefer to wax shoes with a leather feed which will nourish the uppers while they are in storage. For this purpose I like Chelsea Leather food. I like Chelsea because it can be applied easily (at the point of a cloth), left (it forms a protective film on the leather), and quickly polished off as necessary.
Wet Shoes
If the shoes are simply wet (the uppers are wet) put the shoes on their trees and if you have one, put the shoes on a shoe rack and let them dry. The frame allows the air to circulate around the shoe and dry out the sole, which is important.
If you do not have a shoe frame, then place the shoes on several sheets of newspaper in a well-aired place. Once again, drying out the sole is important
If the shoes are soaked (the inner linings and the inner sole of the shoe are wet) fill the shoes with newspaper, and, as before, elevate the shoes on a shoe rack. Drying out the soles is even more important if the shoes are soaked. If placed on newspaper and the nrewspaper becomes wet, change it.
If the shoes are soaked through then when dry again I would advise waxing them and resting them for 24 hoours before wearing them again.
Never heat the shoes to dry them, there is a good chance that the sudden expansion of the leather will crack the uppers. It will certainly dry them out and that is nearly as bad. If your feet sweat heavily and you heat the shoes when wet you are liable to get a salt stain which is almost impossible to remove.
Wearing your shoes
Never wear shoes for two days running. Once you have worn a pair put them back on their trees and give them at least a day to rest. Cloths
You need these both to work the polish in and for the final buffing after the shoes are polished.
Ideally you need two sets of cloths, one for polishing in the wax and one for buffing. You also need to differentiate between those cloths that you use for black waxing and any others. This is very important, as black wax can really stain shoes of other colours and as far as I know, the damage cannot be reversed.
I use a variety of soft cotton cloths, some which are cut from old good quality t-shirts, which work very well. If you are starting from scratch I suggest that you buy a set of white dusters and use those.
Brushes
I mostly use brushes for polishing off. If you have boots then you might want a brush for polishing on. For all my shoes I use a medium bristle shoe brush.
Once again, differentiating your brushes is important. If you consistently use a brush which has been used on black shoes on brown shoes, you will ruin them. Black brushes turn brown shoes into an in-between colour with a dirty muddy-looking finish
Crockett and Jones, UK...about GBP 300-400 each...all handmade. If the store doesn't stock the size, they'll order it from the factory, which will take 8 weeks. They make their shoes from the finest leather out of Europe, supposedly from the shared border between France, Switzerland and Germany. If the cow can't moo in 3 languages, it's not worthy to be considered by C&J. =)
http://www.crockettandjones.co.uk/handgrade-weymou.html
http://www.crockettandjones.co.uk/handgrade-weymou.html
An introduction to fine English shoes...
http://www.whatmakesaman.net/wordpr...ish-shoemakers-part-2-the-traditional-brands/
http://www.whatmakesaman.net/wordpr...ish-shoemakers-part-2-the-traditional-brands/
