Tips: What repairs can a shoemaker do on your shoes?

WHEN BUYING A NEW PAIR OF SHOES, DO YOU NEED TO FIT A SHOES?

Bora : " We can actually install a skate , which has many benefits when it is well made. It protects the sole from humidity as well as the seams from water, in addition to considerably increasing the lifespan of the the sole Furthermore, a leather sole slides, while the skate does not slip.

The operation is very inexpensive and allows you to significantly reduce maintenance costs for the sole.

A shoe without a runner that has become damp should be placed on its edge to allow the leather sole to dry. With a skate, the question does not arise because the sole never gets wet!

This is an operation that can be carried out from the start of the shoe's life, it can be applied either to a new sole or to a sole that has been used a little, but it is not necessary to soften the sole. with a few ports before making it. On the other hand, the thinner the sole, the sooner you need to put the skate on.

The price of a skate installation is around €20. "

CAN YOU EXPLAIN US HOW TO INSTALL A SKATE?

Bora : " To begin, we choose the color of the skate, which must match the color of the runner. Then, we cut it to adapt it to the sole of the shoe. We lightly scrape the part of the outsole which will actually be in contact with the ground, because we do not place a skate all the way to the heel block.

This scraping operation allows the pad to be properly embedded in the sole. We glue the two parts, which we pass under a press to have a uniform bond under the sole, then we cut any part of the skate which protrudes. "

ARE THERE ANY SKATE STYLES OR BRANDS TO PREFER?

Bora : " Personally I prefer creped skates which I find more flexible and paradoxically as solid as Topy skates, a company which has a virtual monopoly on the skate market ."

WHY FIT AN IRON IN THE FRONT?

Bora : “ The advantage of the iron is that generally, the first part of the skate – and of the shoe in general – is damaged at the front.

Either because the pad is coming off, or because of wear which makes it porous. Simply hitting a curb or step can cause the front of the skate to become detached.

When iron is present, it absorbs stress on this part, thus protecting the skate from delamination or premature wear.

SHOULD WE PREFER A NAILED IRON OR A SCREWED IRON?

Bora : "As far as we are concerned, we prefer screwed iron for its durability. In fact, the screw is, by definition, more adherent than a nail, in addition to being shorter (which therefore damages the sole less ).

Nailed iron nevertheless has the advantage of being able to install and remove more easily, but this also makes it less solid. The skate + iron assembly represents between 1 hour and 2 hours maximum of work.

Installing an iron can range from €5 for a nailed iron, to €30 for a screwed iron ."

Note that the iron + skate combo is typically French. The English, although they live in a rainy country, rarely put on skates.

To sum up :

• The skate should be preferred on thin soles which will be damaged more quickly , notably Blake-stitched ones, which are less waterproof than Goodyear or Norwegian shoes.
• The iron is preferred if your walking quickly damages the front of the shoe. In this case, you should opt (preferably) for a screw-in iron, especially on high-end shoes.
• Don't hesitate to ask the shoemaker to see examples of his work, so you can judge its quality.

CAN YOU MAKE REPAIRS TO THE HEEL OF YOUR SHOE?

Bora : " The majority of shoes already have a bumper, which is a piece that protects the heel block upon purchase. When the bumper is too worn and the heel block is also damaged, you may have to change the block , which costs two to three times more than changing the tip.

To change a button, you need approx. 20€. For a heel block, more than €50 ."

HOW CAN YOU REPAIR THE SOLES OF YOUR SHOES?

Bora : " It is possible to change the sole, this is called resoling. To do this, if it is made of leather - or rubber for that matter - you must start by separating the block heel, then unstitch 2 the threads and undo the stitches one by one, apply nail polish remover to remove the glue from the sole, then remove the sole.

We then remove the old seams and possibly replace the cork (the main role of which is to protect the inside of the shoe from the cold), which we scrape lightly so that it adheres better to the glue. We cut a new sole from a piece of leather, which we glue back together a bit like a skate.

Finally, if it was sewn, we sew the sole and refit the heel block.

Contrary to popular belief, it is entirely possible to change a Blake-stitched sole. For this, the shoe must have a minimum shape in its construction 3 . If these conditions are respected, the Blake can be changed as easily as the Goodyear.

Moreover, a Goodyear welted shoe cannot be resoled indefinitely. After a while, running the stitches through the same points will damage the leather welt.

The price of this operation is around €150. "

The main benefit of resoling is to give a second life to a pair of shoes , especially if they are of very good quality. You get an almost new shoe for “only” €150.

After several years of wear and abuse, the insole and the insole will have taken the shape of your foot, for optimal comfort.

It would therefore be stupid to start everything from scratch by opting for a new one: your pair of shoes will have developed a magnificent patina over time , so you will have every interest in wanting to give it a second life to continue to develop it.

WHAT CAN YOU DO INSIDE THE SHOE?

Bora : " There is one operation in particular that we carry out, it is the installation or replacement of a slide. The slide is the piece of leather located at the level of the counter, at the heel, which is subjected to numerous friction via the foot This can therefore be changed by cutting a new piece of leather.

An anti-slip pad (made from flesh-side leather, such as suede calfskin), quite thick, can possibly be added if the wearer's foot tends to come off at the heel.

You can also change the insoles if they are at the end of their life, and put a piece of leather at the level of the tread folds if the lining begins to wear out at this level, to prevent the leather from getting holes. . "

ARE THERE ANY OTHER REPAIRS WE HAVE NOT ADDRESSED YET?

Bora : “ Other repairs are possible, such as changing the elastic or buckle of a Monk Strap shoe. We can also offer glazing/polishing, as well as creating a patina, or even changing the color of a shoe.

The better the shoes are maintained, the easier these operations are to carry out. "

For a complete “beauty” treatment + icing, it costs around €20-30. For a patina, depending on the difficulty of the operation , count between 40 and 100€.

For more details on patinas, we wrote an article to read here .

HAVE YOU EVER MADE INCONGROUS REPAIRS?

Bora : “ Yes, I remember one case in particular.

A customer had bought a pair of leather flip-flops online, and received two left feet (the benefits of sales). The challenge was to turn one of the flip-flops over to make a right foot. Besides, in the end, it looked pretty good! 😉 "

Bartu : “ Yes, we happened to change the leather covering on the heel of a boot, which a dog had obviously mistaken for its plastic bone. ”

EVEN IF MY SHOEPWORKER IS BEAUTIFUL, SKILLED AND ACCESSIBLE, WHAT’S THE SECRET TO SEEING HIM LESS OFTEN?

Bora : " Firstly, never wear your leather shoes for two days in a row, and always put them on a shoe tree when you are not wearing them. Don't hesitate to sit down and use a shoehorn to put on your shoes, especially if they are ankle boots or tall boots.

Remember to cream your shoes with quality products and wax them regularly to keep them waterproof, especially before going out in the rain.

The frequency of creaming/waxing depends on how you use them: you will need to maintain them more if you walk a lot that if you just go out to take the car and you mostly wear them to the office! There is no risk in frequently feeding a shoe, it is better almost too much than not enough .

We are talking about smooth leather here, but suede calfskin is just as strong and easy to maintain. Simply brush it regularly with a crepe brush, which is less abrasive than a brass brush. Also use a renovator, in addition to waterproofing them before going out in the rain.

For me, it is as strong and resistant to rain as smooth leather, if it is properly waterproofed. And if the rain has really been persistent, let the shoes dry on shoe trees away from heat sources .

We can expect a quality shoe to last ten or even twenty years, although we must obviously respect the maintenance rules to achieve this result. "

AND FINALLY, IN WHAT PRICE RANGE CAN YOU FIND THE BEST QUALITY/PRICE VALUE FOR SHOES?

Bora : “ Personally, I would say between €300 and €500! ”

Bartu : " For me, you can find the best quality/price ratio between €195 and €350. This range is quite heterogeneous, but you can do very well for this price, knowing that you will find some very good ones. above. "

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Thanks to Bartu and Bora from Atelier Maubeuge , who welcomed us and gave their time for this interview. To discover the quality of their work for yourself, go to 28 rue de Maubeuge, 75009 Paris.