Or middle class problem of the day v2.0

I'm after some new work shoes have got through 3 pairs of Paul Smith London shoes in last couple of years, the soles just start to fall away and there is **** all you can do to get them sorted, they're not cheap either.

Is it worth spending more on some Churchs, Cheaneys or the like that are goodyear welted? Can these be fixed properly when they start to wear out?

Any recommendations?

why cant they be resoled? my ted bakers have been.

I drive in them, the leather soles have split in the forefoot, they've been resoled and the glue just doesn't cut it.

hhmmm, begs the the middle class dilemma/question how many time can a shoe be resoled? this was my first time…….

I love my Loake Buckinghams. Don't wear them everyday but they seem very hard wearing. The shoe is factory (and probably good local cobbler) repairable and resoleable.

Yes:

spend more, get more life.

Churches will completely resole your shoes for about 75quid, but then you need to have a pair worthy of it 8) church shoes are uber sumptuous

Is it worth spending more on some Churchs, Cheaneys or the like that are goodyear welted? Can these be fixed properly when they start to wear out?

Any recommendations?

Goodyear welted are the only type of formal shoes I will bother with (whilst I can afford them), yes they are worth it and yes they can be repaired, Loake will replace the entire sole on their shoes for £65 rather than get a cobbler to re-sole, although a cobbler will be about £30, but it's a compromise plus you need to find a decent cobbler, some just shouldn't be in business.

matterhorns….!!!

My lowa's are **** ace – especially the desert issue one's, can walk for ever in those things!

Church's are worth the money. They can be rebuilt 2-3 times, they are super comfy (if you find the right size and last for your foot – there are lots!), and nicely made.

However, they aren't expensive because they are robust. They are expensive because they are British, hand made, use suptuous leathers and last well if looked after and not subjected to too much abuse. They are probably no harder wearing than your Paul Smiths.

They do a few specific styles with extra thick soles, but they do weigh a lot. They also do some rubber soled versions.

The truth is that you will probably get slightly longer out of Church's, but at the rate you get through them, and driving as much as you do, you might end up disappointed.

Having said that, I have had many pairs of Church's rebuilt (they replace virtually everything except the upper), and have always been impressed. That is one advantage to buying Church's is that you can send them directly back to the factory in Northampton and they come back as good as new. So, your investment might pay back even if you wear through the soles quickly.

Hmm, the split in the PS shoes runs horizontally along the sole, I was thinking that properly welted soles wouldn't suffer this?

Get a car with cruise control?

inappropriate footware for driving by the sounds of things surely?

a less extreme example of going hiking in carbon SPD shoes and having the soles crack?

You have a pair of hand-made driving shoes, non?

That is one advantage to buying Church's is that you can send them directly back to the factory in Northampton

This is also the same factory that you would send Loakes back to as well.

😉

I bought my first pair of Church's Shoes twenty five years ago (god I feel old), and in all they lasted me for a good ten years before the uppers died. So in all I'd say excellent VFM. I've had two other pairs both during and since that time, as well as owning Loakes and more recently Barkers .. and I can happily recommend them all.

One point to note is that you really do need two pairs, as with such fine (and absorbant – from the inside) leather you shouldn't wear the same pair for two days running .. and always use show trees!

Does anyone actually wear driving shoes?

If your near Northampton both Church's and Trickers have factory shops with decent savings.

The Southern Yeti – Member

Does anyone actually wear driving shoes?

Chavs do, but not for driving.

Converse All Star low for driving, and skating. High Tops for dancing.

Barker's shoes are good in my experience, and they have a similar send back to the factory / resole policy. That said, my formal shoes don't get much wear.

Barkers are awful in my experience, the only pair of welted shoes I've ever had that tore my feet to shreds.

Would you really want to wear the same pair of shoes for 10 years?

Yeti, why not have the sole fully replaced with a long sole which goes the full length of the shoe under the heel block.

Send me some pictures and I can give you an honest response regarding repairing of them.

+ 1 for rotation to keep the uppers in good condition.

I have a 7 or 8 pairs of Churchs, the oldest being 17 years old but they are for emergency use only now as the uppers are shot. If you keep the uppers in good conditions by rotating and using shoes trees then they will last and last as when they come back from a factory resoling they are like new.

However, I am pretty light on shoes because I cycle to work so a large proportion of wear is indoors. In addition, I am not convinced that the premium for Church is warranted, I believe they are owned by Prada now and I think there is a "fashion" premium in their pricing. If Loakes do a factory resoling option, which I did not know about, I would probably buy them next time or alternatively look at the factory outlet options. Crocket & James have good deals at their shop which is open on a Friday afternoon.

I've had a few pairs of Church's. The repair service is fantastic.

I generally buy Oliver Sweeney now. As well made as Church's but more comfortable and a bit more stylish.

I'm after some new work shoes have got through 3 pairs of Paul Smith London shoes in last couple of years

Instead of buying expensive rubbish, and three pairs in a couple of year is rubbish, why not spend less on shoes from somewhere like Clarks? I've had a couple of plain black leather shoes from there and each pair has lasted for years and can be resoled very easily. Granted you are unlikely to get leather soles, but having owned a few pairs of those in the past I don't actually think that leather is an appropriate material for the sole of a shoe.

Oliver Sweeney imo of having to repair do not come anywhere close in quality and manufacture to a pair of Churchs, Trickers or Alfred Sargents.

But nowhere near as bad as Samuel Windsor

Possibly the poorest quality handmade shoes I have ever had the displeasure of repairing in 25 years

Can someone else tell gonefishin why his constructive advice has already been deleted from my memory?

CandoDavid… what about Loakes? Have seen a few pairs that I really like, concerned that they are significantly cheaper than other brands though.

Loakes are very good shoes across all kind of budgets, when looked after they will always repair nicely being a better quality shoe.

I would always recommend when repairing them to have a long sole rather than a half sole, a stronger repair rather than a join across the 'waist' of the shoe (half sole)

Would always recommend if going for welted footwear, check the shoe is a full leather shoe including the insole, not with a fibreboard lining.
These will take a little bit longer to break in but will hold their shape better.

Try to not wear the same pair of shoes day after day, this will give the shoes time to recover and dry out from being worn and then last you longer.

If you do use shoe trees, only leave on for the first 24 hours from when last worn, this is the time when the fibres in the leather are still warm and will help put the shoes back in natural shape, any longer and the shoe is liable to be gradually moved into distorted shape.

My dad used to wear leather soled shoes and reckons they are absolute death in snow and ice.

Always had Jones best smart shoes – currently on the second resoling and they still look very smart indeed. About £140 instead of around £200 and very similar to Churches.

They do flipping hurt for about two weeks though!

Leather soles are from the days before rubber ones.

My dad used to wear leather soled shoes and reckons they are absolute death in snow and ice….. ABSOLUTELY.

Wouldn't wear leather shoes in snow and ice as soon salt stains will become apparent, and the soles would be soaked before you know it and feet will get cold.

Snnow and Ice = Wellies or walking boots

Leather soles are from the days before rubber ones

Yes but everyone knows the old ways were the best.. no exceptions 🙄

I think my dad was concerned about the extreme lack of traction…

I had a pair of Hudsons with thin soles and I wanted to avoid the leather wearing and becoming too soft so I got Timpsons to add a rubber patch to the front half of the sole. Replaced that rubber a few times but the sole remained in good nick and they lasted ages.

Get yourself up to Northampton and there are factory shops for Church's, Trickers, Crockett and Jones and Cheaneys in Desborough. All money well spent and a good bit cheaper than the shops. I had a bespoke pair from a John Lobb shoemaker but I actually prefer the Church's off the peg ones.

What Bill said – a pootle around the factories saw me buying from Cheaneys for my most recent work shoes. They are as splendid as one might expect.

Cheaneys in Desborough

That's where i'm from….coooool