Shoes that look better with age...

[Supawiwi]

Hey guys, I'm wearing through the inner of my Indys on the exterior side of my right foot, what do you subject?

I was thinking of a thin adhesiv layer of leather, like we put inside of the shoe under the heel. Do you think it would make it? Is sold at any cobbler?

thanks

[Happy Hooligan]

^^ well that post seemed to work ok, so let's try again!

has anyone heard of lodger? they opened a shop in mayfair a couple of months and I've been in a few times- nice stuff, although I've never found anything 'just right' yet.... I do quite like these though:

http://www.lodgerfootwear.com/som/english/canvas-spectator-0.html

i reckon they'd look pretty cool with indigo stains on the canvas (or to put it another way, they'd have indigo stains on the canvas whether i like it or not!)

those are sweet!

I have a vintage pair coming to me in brown and will post some pics when they come in...

[rodeo bill]

those are sweet!

I have a vintage pair coming to me in brown and will post some pics when they come in...

good stuff HH- can;t wait to see them! I went in to Crockett&Jones on my way home from work tonight and tried on their leather/canvas spectators, but the were a bit pointy for my liking. these look cool (pic googled from style forum):

[Happy Hooligan]

RB,

I'd be afraid the canvas wouldn't age as well as the leather... I'd hate to spend so much on a pair of boots that wear away like a pair of chuck talyors...

I'd go all leather if it were me...

[rodeo bill]

RB,

I'd be afraid the canvas wouldn't age as well as the leather... I'd hate to spend so much on a pair of boots that wear away like a pair of chuck talyors...

I'd go all leather if it were me...

^^ yeah I know what you mean... I asked the guy in C&J about it, and he said you have to wash the canvas parts with a sponge and a toothbrush, and then put onlu neutral polish on the leather... I reckon that;s more work than I'd ever realistically put in! the other thing is the indigo factor- I reckon it could look pretty cool, but it could be a total disaster! anyway, I don;t think I'll be getting any more shoes in the near future (although I've said that before...!)

edit- you may well be right, but I don;t think the canvas would wear through as quickly as on converse. for one thing they;re leather-lined, so actually the canvas is only really a decoration on the outside of the shoe, and for another thing they'd get better care than chucks (shoe trees etc). still i agree with you these'd be less rewarding than all-leather shoes

[JGP.]

cross-posted from the mountaineering boots thread, still trying to figure out the best way to treat the dry leather. Let me know if you have any advice...

Found these in my basement, belonged to my dad at some point but he never wore then so they are brand new. Any advice for which leather products to use on these? The leather is very dry from sitting in a closet for years, I have Obenaufs oil and LP but I'm not sure which to use...

[Turntabloid]

I guess everybody got that eMail already - nevertheless ...

--- mail start ---

Thank you for your continued interest and support of Leather Soul!

We are now accepting pre-orders for the following shoes till 12/12/08.

Timeframe will be 4-6 months.

Please note, our normal stock range will be 6-11D. You do not need to make a pre-order unless you would like to guarantee a pair for you or if you have a size outside of our stock range.

1) Straight Tip Balmoral, Plaza Last, Black Shell Cordovan, Single Leather Sole, $575.00 http://www.leathersoulhawaii.com/2008/06/30/alden-shoes-plaza-straight-tip-oxford/

2) Straight Tip Balmoral, Plaza Last, #8 Shell Cordovan (new color!), Single Leather Sole, $575.00

3) Ultimate Indy Boot, Trubalance Last, Snuff Suede, Commando Sole, $450.00 http://www.leathersoulhawaii.com/2008/05/26/alden-shoes-snuff-suede-indy/

4) Ultimate Indy Boot, Trubalance Last, Dark Brown Kudu (new model!), Commando Sole, $450.00

5) 2 Tone Saddle Shoe, Barrie Last, #8/Black Shell Cordovan Combo, Single Leather Sole, $575.00 http://www.leathersoulhawaii.com/2008/01/17/alden-shoes-2-tone-shell-cordovan-saddle/

Thank you and aloha,

Leather Soul Staff

--- mail end ---

to get this eMail as a subscription, send a request to [email protected]

[Turntabloid]

ult. indy boot ... dark brown kudu ... yummy

[breakfasteatre]

cross-posted from the mountaineering boots thread, still trying to figure out the best way to treat the dry leather. Let me know if you have any advice...

Found these in my basement, belonged to my dad at some point but he never wore then so they are brand new. Any advice for which leather products to use on these? The leather is very dry from sitting in a closet for years, I have Obenaufs oil and LP but I'm not sure which to use...

If the soles feel like hard plastic, i would not wear them. I had a similar vintage pair of boots and the soles cracked right through at both balls of the feat, ruining both boots

[JGP.]

If the soles feel like hard plastic, i would not wear them. I had a similar vintage pair of boots and the soles cracked right through at both balls of the feat, ruining both boots

I don't think they are any more than 10 years old, so I think they should still be wearable. They have vibram soles which feel hard but not plastic-hard, so I think the soles are still okay. But the leather is ridiculously hard and very dried out. Should I use oil or LP or both? Or maybe something else?

[fre-co]

Use the leather oil first to soften the leather and then the LP to protect it.

[SLAB]

does anyone have a picture of what dark brown kudu looks like?

[amlai]

does anyone have a picture of what dark brown kudu looks like?

This appears to be dark brown kudu:

http://clothing.pricegrabber.com/mens-dress-shoes/m/61082554/

Which seems to be the same leather as on the AF64:

http://www.alden-of-carmel.com/index.cfm/Shoes-Rugged_High_Lace_Boot_174.htm

The main difference between the LeatherSoul version and the Alden of Carmel version would appear to be the commando sole instead of the Vibram rubber lug sole.

[JayDC7]

if you do a search for kudu on their web site, you can see a sample of the leather.

[vegetaray123]

if you do a search for kudu on their web site, you can see a sample of the leather.

As amazing as most of these sound...Esp these and the Snuff Indy's...I'm going to make the hard choice and pass...I'm holding out for the 5th Anniv Boot Tom is cooking up...I know it's going to be something special and don't want to miss out...

Of course that's not counting the Sufu Boots because those will def be purchased...They should be mandatory for this board to purchase a pair just out of general principle...

[fre-co]

^unfortunately I won't be buying the sufu boots because they will be damn expensive here. Getting into MTO (not bespoke) C&J or maybe even EG territory once you include taxes.

[JayDC7]

i think the kudu is a great color for the indys.. hopefully ill be able to pick them up down the line.

[rodeo bill]

^^^please correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the boot that Amlai posted basically an Indy in brown kudu already? It's truebalance last, with the moc stitching and eyelets/hooks. This version has a full vibram sole, but that could be changed pretty easily if it had to be

This appears to be dark brown kudu:

http://www.alden-of-carmel.com/index.cfm/Shoes-Rugged_High_Lace_Boot_174.htm

personally I prefer the standard Indy leather, but this could look interesting after a lot of hard wear...

[tmadd]

This is pure speculation based on the fact that Alden and Alden dealers have in my experience tended to refer to the different leathers and colors available using a relatively uniform nomenclature, I think that there may be a difference between Kudu and Heavy Oiled Leather.

[rodeo bill]

^^^yeah I agree tmadd. kudu's a particular kind of animal right?

I reckon maybe they're using it in the way the 'cordovan' is used to describe a colour of leather by many companies. I'd imagine AofC would mention it explicitly if this boot was something especially out of the usual. Also, it's $405, which seems too cheap.

Actually where did this discussion come from in the first place?! has anyone actually seen kudu leather that came from a kudu?

[tmadd]

This is Kudu...they aren't anymore expensive than calf...but they do seem to be different than the heavy oiled Indy's

[Turntabloid]

^unfortunately I won't be buying the sufu boots because they will be damn expensive here. Getting into MTO (not bespoke) C&J or maybe even EG territory once you include taxes.

yeah, that sucks so much. proxy is a must for such shoes, if you are from the EU!

[denimdestroyedmylife]

my alden 405s are about due for a resole

i am thinking of going for a full vibram sole in anticipation of an icy winter

[hollowsleather]

This is the first pair of Aldens I've seen that I've instantly liked.

[larssss]

hello shoe experts, i am seeking your advice

I am by no means a leather/boot expert, but i know it wasn't good for me to be stuck out in the rain all day in my f+b boots.

the leather was original quite soft but since the rain day the leather that was exposed has become more rigid and dull, additionally i seem to have scuffed them as you can see in the photo.

My question for you is, how can i help restore them to their former selves? and how can i protect them from further water damage as its always raining in vancouver. I appreciate any advice

[edmond]

[fre-co]

Larsss: You need to get some sort of leather balm or cream. I forget all the different one you have over there.... obenaufs, pecards, meltonian. Treat them with that to nourish and moisturise the leather, then protect them with obenaufs LP or something like that. If you want them polished you have to use a wax polish.

[SLAB]

that Lightning 'boots book' is great. I've been gazing at the pictures for hours; too bad my Japanese sucks.

Leathersoul does not ship boots marked as a gift? if so, I won't be ordering anytime soon since customs would rape me...

anyone willing to proxy or selling a pair of Ultimate Indies (size 8)?

[vegetaray123]

Hey Tom...

Will the Kudu Ult Indy's have the white Moc Toe Stitching? Or will it be the dark brown color of the lowcut pair you just released?...

[rodeo bill]

just found a cool little shoe shop in London (Holborn)... http://www.curiosityuk.com/curiosity_0407.swf the old curiosity shop (as in Dickens). the shop itself is amazing- apparently it's one of the oldest in London (opened around 1567!!!!) and it's run as a shoe shop by a japanese guy. They've just started sharing the space with Blaak, which is a cool little label i used to really love. These days it's not that great in my opinion, but some of the shoes were really nice. They have some great Trickers collabos, which arren;t just standard Trickers relabelled (like many other fashion crossovers often are) but they were expensive, and not quite my cup of tea...

anyway- interesting news: they have quite a few shoes with Dainite soles (apparently pronounced die-nite, I always assumed day-nite), but the owner told me that they went out of business earlier this year, so after the current stock has ben used up there'll be no more (same story as cat's paw I guess). Grab your Dainite while you can!