Allen Edmond Recrafting

[Tomasso]

it amused me that boxing the shoes for shipping counts as one of their 38 steps...

Actually, aside from using AE's proprietary last, it's step #10 that nobody but AE can deliver.


Personally, if I were required to inflict heavy use/abuse upon a small rotation of shoes.... I'd cut to the chase and use Topy. You could dodge the cobbler for a decade or more.

 

[davestlouis]

Damn it, I had to watch that video 4x before I stopped it at Step 10..is that a foam heel pad of some sort?

I have 4 pair of shoes in work rotation, including one with rubber soles for cemetery wear or rainy days. I spend most of my day on carpeted floors, in funeral homes, so wear is minimal. I don't like the idea of topys, not sure why, I just prefer unadorned leather soles.

I don't like heel or toe taps, because it affects the way the shoe hits the ground and feels funny to me, like I stepped in gum or something and it's under my heel.

 

[Tomasso]

I don't like heel or toe taps

Then you don't like your shoes.

 

[davestlouis]

The flush taps are beautiful...the cheesy nail-on nylon ones are not

 

[XPLSV]

Decades of Recrafting

My Father & I both have narrow feet, so the choices of properly fitting shoes are limited. We've both worn many AE's over the years and have had many pairs recrafted between the two of us.

I've had some AE's resoled locally. I used to have a cobbler in the NOVA area do an excellent job for $60 (circa 2000-2001). Moved to Huntsville, AL and had the same pair resoled again at the local cobbler...the fit never felt right after that.

Back to the AE resoling. I've only had one issue with AE's recrafting and the shoes were not sent back to me...I received a call that they encountered a problem with recrafting my shoes and they offered me a new pair. Since that style was no longer available, I was able to pick any shoe out of their line, sans the true Cordovan shoes (that was not what was ruined during recrafting) and I had my brand new pair within 10 days.

I don't bother experimenting with local cobblers on my AE's anymore...they go straight back to AE when the time arrives.

 

[The Shooman]

I don't get that. All the recrafting services that I've used (Alden, Mephisto, Edward Green and J.M. Weston) have replaced the insole.

That wouldn't make sence to do that. That means a complete rebuild. The factories would most likely just stitch another outsole on, even a slip sole if neccessary. Replacing the insole wouldn't be neccessary for many recrafts.

How much more can it cost?

lt's more work, especially if the slip sole needs replacement, of course it will cost more.

 

[The Shooman]

[YOUTUBE]Qi_OXygSmbA[/YOUTUBE]

No insole replacement in that video. They take the sole off, renew the cork, stitch on a new sole and repaint the shoos. Easy to resole, just how goodyear should be.

 

[The Shooman]

I had a negative experience with a recent recrafting. On the initial attempt, AE didn't read my enclosed instructions and didn't replace the soles as I had instructed. On the second attempt, they got it right at no additional charge, but there were a couple of new nicks in the leather and someone was a little careless with the glue pot. The whole process took several weeks and more than a bit of frustration on my part.

Overall, given the quality of the workmanship, I'm not sure that I'd go to the expense again. [huh]

People who use machines v's hands for recrafting have different philosophies in my experience. People who use machines pay less attention to detail and tend to be more slap happy than craftsmen specialising in hand repairs. The priorities of workers who use machines is SPEED, not premium work.

Machine operators in factories are human and they are prone to fatique if doing the same job over and over again on a production line.

Factories are what they are, nothing more.

 

[The Shooman]

I don't like heel or toe taps, because it affects the way the shoe hits the ground and feels funny to me, like I stepped in gum or something and it's under my heel.

l don't like toe taps either, it's a HUGE risk when applying them. lf the nail goes into the little holes where the lock stitch is formed the integrity of the construction will be compromised because the lock will be broken, stitching can start to undo. l wouldn't trust a cobbler to put on taps, only a maker who made the actual shoo by hand because they understand the shoos construction much much much better than a machine operator.

 

[Tomasso]

That wouldn't make sence to do that. That means a complete rebuild.

I misspoke;I meant to say the sock (liner) rather than the insole.

 

[univibe88]

I have used AE recrafting once. I sent them an 8 year old pair of shoes that they sent back looking brand new. However they came back much too narrow. I wore them for a couple of weeks thinking maybe they just needed to break in. However, I still remembered vividly the day I got those shoes marveling at how they fit perfectly the moment I walked out of the store.

I sent them an email asking if it was possible they made a mistake in the recrafting. They asked I send them back for inspection. Once they received the shoes they admited they made a mistake and offered me a new pair.

While I think this is top notch customer service, I don't like the new pair as much as my old pair. I have another pair of AEs that need new soles, but I'm not sure what to do now. This pair I absolutely love. They are cordovan wing tips with years of break in. I would be heart broken if I had to replace them.

 

[davestlouis]

My cobbler sent me an email today, notifying me that the shoes are ready for pickup...I'll pick them up tomorrow and see how they turned out.

I wonder how noisy and slippery those flush metal toe taps would be...can't make too much noise in the funeral home, and the terrazzo(spelling???) gets kinda slick in the service hallways. What would they do to hardwood floors?

 

[cptjeff]

l don't like toe taps either, it's a HUGE risk when applying them. lf the nail goes into the little holes where the lock stitch is formed the integrity of the construction will be compromised because the lock will be broken, stitching can start to undo. l wouldn't trust a cobbler to put on taps, only a maker who made the actual shoo by hand because they understand the shoos construction much much much better than a machine operator.

Uhh, what? The whole point of lock stitching is that if one stitch dies, the rest of it remains intact.

 

[davestlouis]

Well, I picked up my AEs today...they look great, beautiful finish, soles and heels match and are nicely finished. This cobbler sells Alden shoes too, so I brought home a catalog to drool over.

I have new laces for the shoes, have to take another look at the tutorial I found, to show how to lace them "properly".

I put them in my shoe closet and they make the rest of shoes look tired and scraggly...guess I'll spend the evening shining the others.

 

[John in Covina]

Matt Deckard has had some repaired I think also. He gushes over his AE's so much that I am looking forward to the day I spring for a pair. Gotta get a new job first though and not for the census either.:eusa_doh:

 

[davestlouis]

My cobbler told me that I am at the top of the weight range where he thinks AEs are sturdy enough. He says that really chubby boys cause the shoes to flex in front of the heel, due to the lack of a metal shank. This causes the FRONT of the heel to wear, and the structure of the shoe breaks down. He says that he always suggests that anyone over 250ish to get shoes with shanks, like Alden. Thank heaven I'm only 225ish...I think.

 

[davestlouis]

I wore my AEs that were locally redone...feel great, look great, my only issue is this: the soles are slippery as can be. On polished terrazzo it's like walking on ice. I wore them all day, and the leather barely had a mark on it when I got home. I assume that means they will wear well, but I may kill myself in a fall before they every wear out.

 

[Tomasso]

Put a piece of cloth tape on the sole, lengthwise down the center. It will prevent slipping in the short term and by the time it wears off the sole should be sufficiently broken in. It's a runway trick I learned from a model ex.

 

[John in Covina]

I have also seen a version of a rubberized strip that is like tape also . I used a piece of stairway anti slip tape in a couple of situations which might work well on the bottom of shoes.

 

[KILO NOVEMBER]

Where can I get those flush-mounted taps?

Tomasso's posted picture of flush-mounted toe cleats (taps?) is the first I have seen of this type. Where can they be got? Are they only used on specific types of soles, or could they be added to any leather sole?