Actually, aside from using AE's proprietary last, it's step #10 that nobody but AE can deliver.Originally Posted by davestlouis
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.
Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery
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.
Then you don't like your shoes.
Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery
The flush taps are beautiful...the cheesy nail-on nylon ones are not
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.
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Vegetarian...Old Western Word Meaning Lousy Hunter
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.
lt's more work, especially if the slip sole needs replacement, of course it will cost more.How much more can it cost?
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.
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.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.
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.
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.
I misspoke;I meant to say the sock (liner) rather than the insole.
Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery
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