Saddle shoes

[texasgirl]

I don't think I ever commented on my Bass saddle shoes. I love them! I know someone had said their Bass saddle shoes were heavy, but the ones I have are really light. I bought them on ebay, but I checked Amazon and they have some. It looks like the same one and they come in a lot of colors, named Enfield

 

[Audrey Horne]

I'm so glad I popped in here. For some reason I had it in my head that Payless only had saddle shoes for kids! Now I can't wait to stop by there soon.

You have to order them online and they'll ship them to a store near you for free

 

[Moodle]

Silly question--is it possible to make the soles of saddle shoes any grippier? I had a pair of Muffy's shoes a few years ago and I loved them, but they were SO slick--walking on anything smoother than concrete (so the floors of shopping malls, supermarkets, etc) was a bit hazardous. I think there's a cobbler's near me that I could go to, or I could try something myself, but I don't want to attack my shoes with sandpaper or drive tacks into them or something (NB: I am not seriously considering either of these) without researching it first!

 

[LizzieMaine]

Silly question--is it possible to make the soles of saddle shoes any grippier? I had a pair of Muffy's shoes a few years ago and I loved them, but they were SO slick--walking on anything smoother than concrete (so the floors of shopping malls, supermarkets, etc) was a bit hazardous. I think there's a cobbler's near me that I could go to, or I could try something myself, but I don't want to attack my shoes with sandpaper or drive tacks into them or something (NB: I am not seriously considering either of these) without researching it first!

I use a fine-grit sandpaper on mine without ill effect -- the trick is *not* to bear down so hard that you're visibly grinding away bits of rubber. You don't want to make deep gouges or scratches, you just want to get rid of that slick glaze that forms on the soles. I tend to do this at the start of saddle-shoe season, and then a lot of walking on concrete keeps them in shape until I put them away again in the fall.

This is a useful trick for any shoe with a real rubber sole -- urethane soles, such as most modern shoes have, don't generally get that glaze, but actual rubber usually does, because of the rubber's reaction to light and oxygen.

 

[cherry lips]

fftopic: Moodle I love your frenchie pup!

 

[Inky]

Silly question--is it possible to make the soles of saddle shoes any grippier? I had a pair of Muffy's shoes a few years ago and I loved them, but they were SO slick--walking on anything smoother than concrete (so the floors of shopping malls, supermarkets, etc) was a bit hazardous. I think there's a cobbler's near me that I could go to, or I could try something myself, but I don't want to attack my shoes with sandpaper or drive tacks into them or something (NB: I am not seriously considering either of these) without researching it first!

I've scratched up shoes with sandpaper, and even rubbed them outside on rough concrete with success. You can also purchase non-skid pads for the soles of your shoes at drug stores - something along these lines:

http://www.amazon.com/Sole-Stopperz...=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=shoes&qid=1267713637&sr=8-5

 

[Moodle]

Thanks, guys!--I was thinking out of desperation with the sandpaper, but now I'll have to go find some and give it a (gentle) try...

Oh, and thanks, cherry lips! He is a cutie, although one of the stubbornest (and definitely the smelliest) dogs I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.

 

[Deleted member 12480]

they do some really lovely saddle shoes at topshop for those who live in the UK.

(and New York, is it?)

 

[TheSwingingBee]

I was just browsing The Commons on Flickr and found this pic, look at the front row, saddle shoes with a suit! I love it!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jwacommons/3738596043/

 

[Avalon]

You have to order them online and they'll ship them to a store near you for free

Awesome! Thanks hon! :eusa_clap

 

[LizzieMaine]

All the saddle-shoe talk had me get mine out today to get them cleaned up and ready for spring -- and after stripping off the old polish and dirt and scuffs, I noticed I have a spot on one where the actual white color seems to have been rubbed clean off -- apparently a spot that gets a lot of wear when I'm riding my bike.

I usually polish them up with Sani-White, which is good for simple polishing, but it isn't able to cover up a spot where the original color is gone. Anyone got a line on a product that can fix this, short of spray paint?

 

[crwritt]

I'm afraid shoe paint would be the answer.

 

[cassylynn]

Colter Creek

Here are my saddle shoes. I bought them off eBay 2 years ago and they are so comfortable. I didn't want to go with the original black & white so I opted for the a Navy & Ivory/Tan, they look very sharp when paired with navy trousers. The rubber bottoms are really good too, not slippy at all. There is a pair of Brown & White that I adore too, but not in my size Very reasonably priced for $12 w/ shipping, mine came out to be a total of around $25. If your interested just search Colter Creek Oxfords, the seller is apfloors.

 

[Darhling]

any tips on getting saddle shoes in London/UK? I know that rocket Originals carry them, and I want them in leather, but at £69 it is a bit much at the moment..

 

[Laughing Magpie]

It's time for me to give up my old pair of saddle shoes and buy another (I've worn the heels down to slivers, and then one of them fell off and I lost it... and they've cracked across the toes...)

What I loved about my old pair was that they were incredibly light. They felt so nice to put on after wearing heavier shoes. And since they were light and small, they felt a bit dainty with summer dresses.

I don't think they were especially vintage though I bought them second-hand (the brand was Coasters and the font looked sorta '70s).

The soles were rubber, but fairly soft. Maybe just a bit spongier than a pencil eraser.

I would love another pair that is light and easy on the feet like these were, even though I know that buying a soft, light pair will mean they'll wear out faster.

For those of you who have handled or worn different saddle shoes, I would love your advice on brands and materials that I should look for.

I've tried on Bass saddle shoes and they felt too heavy. I think they have a hard rubber sole.

I haven't tried on any leather soled shoes, like the sort Muffy's carries, so I'm not sure about them, but I suspect any of them made with leather or hard rubber composite soles would be heavier than what I'm looking for?

I have noticed that Muffy carries Willit's in both a "soft rubber (TPR)" and a "hard composition" sole and I'm leaning towards the soft Willit's of all of Muffy's shoes.

There's also the Payless shoes (which, sadly, I cannot order from Canada) that I think are "Predictions" brand. There are a couple places (like ebay) that I've seen Predictions saddles for sale, so I could track them down. Are they fairly light, with a soft sole?

Thanks so much, saddle shoe sisters!

 

[Inky]

I can speak for the Muffy's leather sole shoes and the Willits with hard rubber sole.

I would not say either of them is lightweight and if you are looking for something specifically light, they won't meet your needs. But I can say both pair, once broken in are incredibly comfortable and easy to wear and I do not notice the weight of them at all. I love my all leather ones VERY much as I can wear them about town and dancing as well, though they may not wear as well or as long in your harsher weather

I would suggest you contact Muffy's directly and tell them what you are looking for and they can help you - it's easier to contact them by phone than by e-mail in my experience.

 

[Lusti Weather]

I haven't worn the Bass or Muffy's shoes, but I have Payless saddles and would say they're on the lighter side. I also think they're a great value for the price!

 

[kamikat]

I have a pair of the Predictions saddles. They are a higher quality than most Payless shoes and have lasted me several years. They are quite lightweight but don't have much arch support. The only thing I would warn you about is that they are quite narrow. I wear a 6.5wide or a 7 regular but in the saddle shoes, I have to wear really thin socks or I can't even get the 7s on my feet.

 

[Laughing Magpie]

Inky:

Indeed - throughout this thread I've heard good things about Muffy's shoes, and a sturdy, well-made shoe is always very tempting to me!

But I think for this purchase I'd better stick to what I need - I've got a couple solid quality pairs already, and I should look for something lighter weight this time.

Yeah - these will just be summer shoes for me I have a modern Fluevog reverse-saddle for winter (and boots, etc of course...)

Did you notice much difference between the Muffy's leather-soled and the Willit's hard-soled shoes? Since I might get the Willit's soft-soled shoe, I'm curious how your Willit's fit?

Yes! Muffy's email correspondence is not exactly effusive . I emailed them about this already actually, and the response was a link to their "soft Willit's" and to the "Academie" saddle shoes without much explanation. So I figured I'd try to get a couple other opinions before committing. If their toll free number was accessible from Canada, I would totally have phoned them instead!

kamikat & Lusti Weather:

It's good to know you've been pleased with the Predictions from Payless and that they seem light!

They're not quite as inexpensive for me once exchange, shipping & duty come into play, but they certainly still seem like a good deal. I've been haunting the local Payless - they do have bricks & mortar stores here, but no on-line shopping - and I've never seen saddle-shoes there.

I appreciate all your help! I think I'm narrowing it down to the soft-soled Willit's or the Predictions (Payless) shoes.

 

[Inky]

Inky: Did you notice much difference between the Muffy's leather-soled and the Willit's hard-soled shoes? Since I might get the Willit's soft-soled shoe, I'm curious how your Willit's fit?

In sizing I "normally" wear a 10 with a slightly wide foot. In a fully closed shoe I need a wide width as my instep is also high and i have big ankles. Fred Flintstone feet

That being said, my leather Muffy's are 9.5EE (this was upon the recommendation from the folks at Muffy's based on my foot length) and my Willits are 10C. They both fit very well.