Shoe trees

[Talbot]

I recently acquired a very nice pair of AE Broadstreet's from Cookie (pics to come), and need some more shoe trees.

I also picked up some Loake and some near new 'K' at the goodwill recently and want to protect my $6 investment!

I have some vintage metal trees, and even some dodgy plastic ones.

A quick ebay hunt shows everything from IKEA cheapies to high end cedar. I'm sure the cedar ones are grand, but may challenge the budget right now.

Are there any that should be avoided at all costs? Spring loaded, lever action, etc?

Your recommendations would be appreciated.

Talbot

 

[Isshinryu101]

avoid anything with a narrow heel. ESPECIALLY if you are into vintage shoes. Look for trees with a full and rounded heel, they will help to keep the shape. In newer shoes, narrow heel trees can change the shape of the heel & cause creasing on the sides. In vintage shoes, they can cause serious damage.

 

[cookie]

Good second hand trees from eBay is the go or those nice German ones Schuhspanner from the cobblers. Don't use the Florsheim ones as they stress the heels with the narrow ends and spring loading.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

http://www.shoecaresupplies.com/Cedar_Shoe_Trees_p/mens-st-paul.htm

 

[Tomasso]

I'll add a split toe to the full heel recommendation.

 

[flyfishark]

etsy has shoe trees from, time to time, at some give-away prices. If you want them, I'll lay off for a while

 

[Bruce Wayne]

etsy has shoe trees from, time to time, at some give-away prices. If you want them, I'll lay off for a while

Why do you need more than one pair?

 

[flyfishark]

Why do you need more than one pair?

Bruce...every pair of shoes we have (over 200) have shoe trees. Why would you only have one pair?? These help the shoes keep their shape, and allow the moisture to dry at the end of the day. Since I wear a pair of shoes, even my favorites, no more than once a month, shoe trees for all of them is a necessity. It is a sin to have great shoes and not keep shoe trees in them--maybe even a mortal sin!!

 

[Bruce Wayne]

From what I have been told on here, you only need to put shoe trees in for the first 2 to 3 hours.

 

[flyfishark]

you might put your feet in the shoes for 2-3 hours, but I store my shoes with shoe trees without fail.

 

[Isshinryu101]

From what I have been told on here, you only need to put shoe trees in for the first 2 to 3 hours.

this is 100% wrong. Who said that?

 

[Rudie]

I have narrow heels and a bespoke shoemaker told me to use exactly the shoe trees with narrow heel ends and spring loading you guys say to avoid at all cost. He says on a RTW shoe pretty much every shoe tree with a full heel tends to widen the shoes that fit my heels so much that the shoes start to slip. So I guess you can't say a certain type of shoe tree is best for everyone. You have to take your foot shape into consideration.

 

[Tomasso]

So I guess you can't say a certain type of shoe tree is best for everyone.

No, but one can say what is best for the shoe.

 

[Isshinryu101]

I have narrow heels and a bespoke shoemaker told me to use exactly the shoe trees with narrow heel ends and spring loading you guys say to avoid at all cost. He says on a RTW shoe pretty much every shoe tree with a full heel tends to widen the shoes that fit my heels so much that the shoes start to slip. So I guess you can't say a certain type of shoe tree is best for everyone. You have to take your foot shape into consideration.

this is WRONG.
My size 8- 8 1/2D foot has approximately a 2 inch wide heel (at widest point). Your "narrow" heel can't be much more narrow than that. I've just checked 5 different types of "narrow heel" trees, and they are all an inch or less wide in the heel. All my full backs are approximately 1 1/2 inches wide. I have yet to see any pair of shoes that were made with a heel that was an inch or less wide.

 

[Isshinryu101]

I have narrow heels and a bespoke shoemaker told me to use exactly the shoe trees with narrow heel ends and spring loading you guys say to avoid at all cost. He says on a RTW shoe pretty much every shoe tree with a full heel tends to widen the shoes that fit my heels so much that the shoes start to slip. So I guess you can't say a certain type of shoe tree is best for everyone. You have to take your foot shape into consideration.

may we see some pics of your shoes with the trees in them, especially from the side, toward the heel?

 

[cchgn]

Btw, does anyone have a line on the sizing of shoe trees? I see trees with a # 1,2,3, or 4, etc, yet when ordering they say S,M,L,etc, while none have the actual size 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, etc, .

 

[Annixter]

^^What manufacturers are you looking at? The manufacturer should have a sizing chart to convert lettered sizes to numerical shoe sizes; I would base your choice off a manufacturer's size chart instead of looking for a universal answer to sizing because I'm not sure that shoe tree sizes are precisely standardized, and not all manufacturers carry sizes like XS or XXL. The 1 - 4 designation might be a last number peculiar to the seller? All of my modern shoe trees have lettered sizes printed/stamped onto/into them, although I have some vintage Rochester shoe trees that have model numbers on them, but I believe those were specific to Rochester and not all shoe tree manufacturers.

Here's a Woodlore shoe tree sizing chart from Allen Edmonds for an example:

 

[Seraph1227]

Bruce...every pair of shoes we have (over 200) have shoe trees. Why would you only have one pair?? These help the shoes keep their shape, and allow the moisture to dry at the end of the day. Since I wear a pair of shoes, even my favorites, no more than once a month, shoe trees for all of them is a necessity. It is a sin to have great shoes and not keep shoe trees in them--maybe even a mortal sin!!

200 pairs? You, Sir, are the man

 

[Tomasso]

200 pairs? You, Sir, are the man

That's was, as he has since sold most of his formidable collection.

 

[Patrick Hall]

avoid anything with a narrow heel. ESPECIALLY if you are into vintage shoes. Look for trees with a full and rounded heel, they will help to keep the shape. In newer shoes, narrow heel trees can change the shape of the heel & cause creasing on the sides. In vintage shoes, they can cause serious damage.

So THAT's why all my shoes have strange creases on the sides. Wonderful. Glad I haven't yet splurged on any vintage pairs that I could also ruin with narrow heeled shoe trees.