Shoes that look better with age...

[Joe E Taleo]

1st day in my Tricker's Ilkley's

Wow, those look like they'd be great with jeans.

[partytaco]

alden video.....

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1388771169

[familyman]

what can you guys say about this pair? any thoughts? greg? anyone?

are they better quality than whites semi dress? or what? they are cordovan btw.. anyone has it here?

I'd bet they are right on par with Whites. From what I know, when they make boots they don't screw around, it's all very good. The horse hide is interesting. I've read a bit about older boots made in horse (not shell) and it's supposed to be incredibly durable, very abrasion resistant and stupidly stiff. It was one of those materials you didn't really want unless you needed it for some reason. I'd love to hear how they wear.

[GregNYC]

Theyr'e here! Superleather Indies with J.R. (Rendenbach) soles. Wanted to get something up quickly. Will do a better shoot over the weekend.

Definitely worth the wait! Please forgive the poor hasty photos. But I'm very pleased with the multi-toned layers of leather stacking the heel and the sole. Better photos later. I also like the quality of the stitching around the sole. Precise, and with a channel grooved to inset the stitching - in a shape that really matches the sole's contour. Years ago they paid $20,000 for a factory machine just to do a good job on this kind of stitch. I wanted more nails and tacks around the heel but they said it doesn't make sense - it would just be for show, and it's gonna be slippery enough anyway!

[edmond]

wow greg those are a beauty! sell me those i fyou dont want em no more ok? im the first inline!

[edmond]

I'd bet they are right on par with Whites. From what I know, when they make boots they don't screw around, it's all very good. The horse hide is interesting. I've read a bit about older boots made in horse (not shell) and it's supposed to be incredibly durable, very abrasion resistant and stupidly stiff. It was one of those materials you didn't really want unless you needed it for some reason. I'd love to hear how they wear.

yeah was wondering if someone here has a pair.. would like to see how it fits and hwo the leather would age and form..

[TragicBliss]

Those are fantastic Greg.

[GregNYC]

wow greg those are a beauty! sell me those i fyou dont want em no more ok? im the first inline!

Only one problem - they fit! That's always a challenge for me - finding Indies that fit. And with this leather, they're noticeably lighter than with the original material. So I'm gonna keep them for a while.

[edmond]

i can wait buddy you take care of your shoes well.. so it doesnt matter hah!

[GregNYC]

I've seen soles like these, but I can't place them:

[edmond]

what do you mean?

[flex0r]

Dammit Greg those are truly a thing a beauty. Those soles are so beautiful I would almost be afraid to scuff them, but then I guess that would be the opposite of what this thread is about. What's the wedge thing in the heel called again? I'm thinking maybe a double leather sole on my GT's when they need it, and I would love to have that click everytime I step.

[coleslawyum]

Sweet Baby Jesus, Greg… those look fantastic. I really dig all the nails around the sole. They did a great job!

[Chicken]

greg, i echo the sentiments. fantastic indys!

looking forward to more pics.

[Happy Hooligan]

bravo greg

can't wait for better pics!

[indigo_junkie]

Awesome boots, Greg. Now I know what I'm going to do when I wear out the vibrams on my AF64s.

[SLAB]

gorgeous Indies Greg!

[Mich]

^^ can't add anything that hasn't been said before but i still feel i have to say this, they look great!

[GregNYC]

What's the wedge thing in the heel called again?

It's called a V-plate or a V-slug or sometimes a heel notch. It's nailed or screwed in, and the equivalent thickness in the leather heel is cut out to allow it to fit flush. The goodness of fit in all three dimensions is where you can assess the skill of the craftsman. These metal wedges are supposed to be set into the heel at the strike zone, where you'd normally wear the heels down. My father always had these in his heels, and as a kid I once had a pair of dress shoes like this. This would be my second pair ever like this.

Jim's in NYC can do these also. I once talked to Jim about v-plates. He said, "These were about all we had when we were kids." Jim and his shop have been around a long time. The shop still has an old sample board hanging up on the wall. On the sample board are mounted the various types of taps and reinforcements they can put on the heels and toes, including v-plates.... Of course B. Nelson and Eddie's have them as well, and know what you're talking about if you ask - cause they're old-skool places.

[rnrswitch]

Greg, how much did the resoling cost on those? My indies are starting to wear through and I need some new soles.

[GregNYC]

Greg, how much did the resoling cost on those? My indies are starting to wear through and I need some new soles.

It was expensive, because there are no "leatherboard" layers but only leather layers all the way through, and the sole is that premium Rendenbach. The price depends on the upper, the welt, the size and many other factors. But that same job on Indies is, gulp, $250.

There is another heel pattern you can get if you want the comfort of a bit of rubber instead of hard-core v-plates. The half-rubber, half leather pattern that Rendenbachs also uses. Here is a photo from another cobbler. I don't know if these heels are Rendenbachs, but the pattern is the same as the one Nick showed me yesterday: part rubber, part leather.

With the all-leather heel, I know I'm gonna fall on my butt!

[edmond]

could they add those steel v's on a cats paw heel?

or what coudl you guys advice me to put ont he heels of the cats paw cause they wear out kindda fast..

[moykky]

Greg, those Indys became stunning!

[Leonard Leroy]

I'm going to name drop Greg at B Nelson's and see what's going on there. I like talking to people about shoes.

[GregNYC]

could they add those steel v's on a cats paw heel?

or what coudl you guys advice me to put ont he heels of the cats paw cause they wear out kindda fast..

There was a guy at B. Nelson yesterday with like 8 pair of Aldens he was picking up ( all those Aldens and he'd never seen an Indy boot, was very interested in mine). Anyway, they had done half-leather/half-rubber heels for him, with plastic taps on top of the strike zone.

You wouldn't use a metal slug with a rubber heel like a Cat's Paw. With a rubber heel, you'd use a harder composition substance - softer than a steel v-plate, but harder and denser than the rubber of the heel itself....

[fre-co]

They look lovely Greg. I only wish I had access to a great old school cobbler here. In fact, that's a good question...... anyone know a great old school cobbler in London?

[Bill2]

Now Stocked and In-store waiting for a good home!!

We have now stocked sizes in three boots! PM me for size availability

1.) Dress Brown Semi Dress, Leather soles, All eyelet, Copper hardware

2.) Lace-to-toe Smoke Jumpers, Six inch height, Dress Brown Leather, All Eyelets w/ copper hardware, Leather Sole

2.) Semi-Dress in Black w/Brown Heels/Soles, Single Leather sole, All Eyelets w/ Copper hardware

All stocked boots are $470 a pair, and include free Shipping in the U.S. International shipping avail. through USPS for flat fee of $40

[emmitbrown]

droppin shoe repair knowledge...

"half rubber half leather heels" are called "combination heels" to a shoemaker.

[edmond]

those are some fine whites youve got in store billy bob! hahha you devil..

[amlai]

droppin shoe repair knowledge...

"half rubber half leather heels" are called "combination heels" to a shoemaker.

Technically, it is a combination toplift. I hear that the ones made by JR "wears like iron." (Direct quote of Randy of Cobblestone Shoe Repair on AAAC.)