Show us your new shoes (Vol 2)

[g3org3y]

FreeLitres said:

I like those. My first pair of Goodyear welted shoes were Barkers and they are still going strong.

Barker and Loake are definitely the gateway shoe. Remember to check out Crockett & Jones, Trickers, Gaziano & Girling, John Lobb. etc.

You sound like a drug pusher.

(Don't forget Cheaney)

[Goaty Bill 2]

pmanson said:

So said:

If these are "proper" shoes, what were you wearing previously?

I normally live in tan Clarkes Chelsea boots or a couple of pairs of suede brogues (one blue / one brown) from Dune. Typically I normally wear a pair out and buy some new ones.

Hoping these Barkers will keep me going for many years to come (as long as I look after them)

A simple rule of thumb - two pairs of shoes will last you three times as long as one pair (assuming reasonable care).
In reality, it's probably longer than three times, and it's useful to have a third pair (at least) while one of the others is in for re-soling).

This is a lesson hard learned by many (myself included), and personal income/budget is often the main factor here to be fair.
I rarely wear the same pair of shoes twice in a week (aside from weekends, when I may occasionally wear the same shoes two days in a row, then not again until the following weekend), I haven't had to have a pair of shoes re-soled in 5+ years.

All the same, not a bad looking pair of shoes. Most Barkers will be a considerable upgrade from the majority of Clarkes/Dune shoes. Enjoy

[pmanson]

Goaty Bill 2 said:

A simple rule of thumb - two pairs of shoes will last you three times as long as one pair (assuming reasonable care).
In reality, it's probably longer than three times, and it's useful to have a third pair (at least) while one of the others is in for re-soling).

This is a lesson hard learned by many (myself included), and personal income/budget is often the main factor here to be fair.
I rarely wear the same pair of shoes twice in a week (aside from weekends, when I may occasionally wear the same shoes two days in a row, then not again until the following weekend), I haven't had to have a pair of shoes re-soled in 5+ years.

All the same, not a bad looking pair of shoes. Most Barkers will be a considerable upgrade from the majority of Clarkes/Dune shoes. Enjoy

That's good to know. I might try and treat myself before the end of the year then.

[g3org3y]

Don't forget to get yourself some shoe trees.

[Goaty Bill 2]

g3org3y said:

Don't forget to get yourself some shoe trees.

Good reminder.
Critical to keeping them in their best shape (literally)
Charles Tyrwhitt does a reasonably decent budget priced set for £20.

[FreeLitres]

Goaty Bill 2 said:

Good reminder.
Critical to keeping them in their best shape (literally)
Charles Tyrwhitt does a reasonably decent budget priced set for £20.

+1 for the Charles Tyrwhitt ones. I bought 2 other types of cedar trees for my Barkers which were miles off fitting even after hours of sanding and reshaping. The CT ones fit really well in all my shoes. I have about 10 pairs of those trees now.

[nethers66]

Barker Miami's picked up on a recent trip to London

[CharlesdeGaulle]

nethers66 said:

Barker Miami's picked up on a recent trip to London

Brave call, decking in a sitting room is somewhat avant-garde.

[fourfoldroot]

TKMaxx bargain basement. They never seem to have size 10 in the good shoes but I must have been lucky. I was expecting a cancellation email. Sons wedding next April so hopefully they may be broken in by then!



Box corners were broken ( not bothered) but complete with shoe bags and spare laces.

[toastybase]

Got these for work. Loake L2 Oxfords

[So]

I am going to be in Savile Row area tomorrow and need some shoes heeling, either whilst I wait or within a couple of hours. Can anyone suggest somewhere around there that does quality repairs please?

[Blown2CV]

So said:

I am going to be in Savile Row area tomorrow and need some shoes heeling, either whilst I wait or within a couple of hours. Can anyone suggest somewhere around there that does quality repairs please?

johnsons dry cleaners.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

Blown2CV said:

So said:

I am going to be in Savile Row area tomorrow and need some shoes heeling, either whilst I wait or within a couple of hours. Can anyone suggest somewhere around there that does quality repairs please?

johnsons dry cleaners.

Don't forget timpsons.

[FreeLitres]

Bin 'em and buy a new pair?

[Blown2CV]

The best resole and heel job you’ll get is by returning them to the manufacturer for a service. It will be like £100 but I don’t think there’s anywhere they will do a decent job with a 2 hour turnaround. I don’t even think you’ll get a st job done in that timeframe.

[So]

Blown2CV said:

The best resole and heel job you’ll get is by returning them to the manufacturer for a service. It will be like £100 but I don’t think there’s anywhere they will do a decent job with a 2 hour turnaround. I don’t even think you’ll get a st job done in that timeframe.

Then you require an education!

Thanks to PH members I've found two decent shoe repairers in the Midlands. I also had two of my "own" until they retired. It's perfectly possible to get good quality repairs done, without going back to the manufacturer, and quickly.

I would put £100 on there being a quality shoe repairer within half a mile of Savile Row, who can heel a pair of boots within a couple of hours and do a good job.

Anyone?

[FreeLitres]

I seem to have accumulated so many shoes that I've never had a pair repaired. I have only had Topy covers attached to a pair of leather sole Church's a few years ago (boo hiss from the purists).

Would you get a full resole done at a local cobblers/repair place or just re-heel? Without the original last, how can they keep the correct shoe shape?

I keep hearing about the factory refurbish service which is what I would probably go for when the time eventually comes. Unless TKMaxx has the exact same shoe for the same price as the refurb!

[Blown2CV]

So said:

Blown2CV said:

The best resole and heel job you’ll get is by returning them to the manufacturer for a service. It will be like £100 but I don’t think there’s anywhere they will do a decent job with a 2 hour turnaround. I don’t even think you’ll get a st job done in that timeframe.

Then you require an education!

Thanks to PH members I've found two decent shoe repairers in the Midlands. I also had two of my "own" until they retired. It's perfectly possible to get good quality repairs done, without going back to the manufacturer, and quickly.

I would put £100 on there being a quality shoe repairer within half a mile of Savile Row, who can heel a pair of boots within a couple of hours and do a good job.

Anyone?

you're not making any sense. You asked for a place that can turn it around within 2 hours around Savile Row. I said you won't find somewhere that does a decent or maybe even a crap job within 2 hours, and probably particularly around that area. I suggested that as an alternative, you would consider sending them back to the manufacturer. I'm not wrong, just because you found a shoe repairer in the Midlands, that doesn't actually meet any of your requirements?

[g3org3y]

FreeLitres said:

I seem to have accumulated so many shoes that I've never had a pair repaired.

That's the dream we all aspire to.

FreeLitres said:

Would you get a full resole done at a local cobblers/repair place or just re-heel? Without the original last, how can they keep the correct shoe shape?

I keep hearing about the factory refurbish service which is what I would probably go for when the time eventually comes. Unless TKMaxx has the exact same shoe for the same price as the refurb!

Reheel can be done at local cobblers without much bother I'd reckon.

Proper resole would be best suited to factory refurb.

Although saying that, a chap on one of the clothes forums recently had his Loakes refurbished and the finish didn't seem all that:

[So]

Blown2CV said:

So said:

Blown2CV said:

The best resole and heel job you’ll get is by returning them to the manufacturer for a service. It will be like £100 but I don’t think there’s anywhere they will do a decent job with a 2 hour turnaround. I don’t even think you’ll get a st job done in that timeframe.

Then you require an education!

Thanks to PH members I've found two decent shoe repairers in the Midlands. I also had two of my "own" until they retired. It's perfectly possible to get good quality repairs done, without going back to the manufacturer, and quickly.

I would put £100 on there being a quality shoe repairer within half a mile of Savile Row, who can heel a pair of boots within a couple of hours and do a good job.

Anyone?

you're not making any sense. You asked for a place that can turn it around within 2 hours around Savile Row. I said you won't find somewhere that does a decent or maybe even a crap job within 2 hours, and probably particularly around that area. I suggested that as an alternative, you would consider sending them back to the manufacturer. I'm not wrong, just because you found a shoe repairer in the Midlands, that doesn't actually meet any of your requirements?

Well, Gaziano and Girling and Cad and the Dandy tell me that Tony’s Heel Bar in Crown Passage are used by the makers for such repairs. Having called them, they say they can do the job in two hours and they are half a mile away.

So far, so good.