Shoe Stitching

[zehero]

okay you know the white stitching on the sole of your leather soled shoes? i have no idea what it's called. if these wear away does your shoe rip in half or something? kind of random but i have some shoes like these and they worry me. i wish they were all like the shoes were the stitching is in a depressed area so it doesnt directly wear on the ground.

[englandmj7]

Not all leather shoes have visible stitching on the bottom, but yes, I know what you mean. This is indicative of the fact that the shoe is welted as opposed to simply glued, etc.

Another thing to note is that some shoes have "fake" stitching on the bottom to project the appearance that they are of 'higher quality.' Check how the stitching is done. If they are goodyear welted for instance, the stitching on the bottom will line up with stitching around the edge of the shoe (the welt).

With Blake stitching the stitching is visible on the sole of the shoe but is actually passed through the inside of the shoe, as opposed to the welt. You can look under the insert to see the stitches. If they are indeed real stitches which are holding the shoe together, you can do a few things:

- Get thin rubber soles glued on top of the leather

- Wear them until the sole starts to wear down and get them refinished ($65 or so)

- Get a thicker leather sole put on them (not worth the money)

The shoes aren't simply going to break in half on you...

Cheers.......

[zehero]

thanks much

about how much would it cost me to get thin rubber soles glued on?

[englandmj7]

Completely depends on the cobbler. Could be anywhere between $25-75 for the pair.