Summary
Santoni or Bontoni or Italigente .THE GOODYEAR ASSEMBLY
© Credits: Jacques and Demeter
A direct competitor to Blake, the Goodyear construction has a double seam. The first (in yellow in the figure) is used to connect the insole, the upper and the welt. The second, the famous "small stitch" seam (in orange), connects the welt to the outsole.
The advantages of Goodyear are:
- Offer easier resoling for the shoemaker ,
- Have increased waterproofing in case of rain,
- An overall more durable shoe.
But because of a “heavier” assembly, shoes assembled with Goodyear will be less thin than Blake, and more unpleasant to wear while the sole adapts to your foot.
This type of shoe is found among English shoemakers such as Edward Green .
NB: we sometimes hear talk of “ handwelted ”. This term actually means that the entire assembly was done by hand, while Goodyear assembly is generally done by machine, industrially. In addition to the beauty of the gesture and the enhancement of craftsmanship, such an assembly allows you to obtain the solidity of an industrial Goodyear with the elegance of a Blake assembly.
This type of assembly is only found in the very high-end (Corthay or Gaziano & Girling for example).
Maubeuge Workshop .
WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND AND TRAINING AS A SHOEMAKER?
Bora : " I did a 2-year CAP in shoemaking, on a work-study basis. One week at school, one week in a company. I started my training at a large shoemaking franchise, but I didn't like the work we did there - which mainly consisted of making keys and license plates. It was closer to a service profession than shoemaking.
After my first year, I left this brand to join a large Parisian shoemaker, where I obtained my CAP and then worked for 5-6 years.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SHOEMAKER AND A BOOTMAKER?
Bora : " In my opinion, these are two separate professions, both in terms of equipment and time.
The shoemaker will create a custom shoe , taking into account both the morphology of the customer's foot and their desires, whether they are simply aesthetic or responding to a walking deficiency. They will rarely offer repairs, at best on their own creations.
The shoemaker is there to repair (almost) all types of shoes and possibly leather goods.
© Credits: Atelier Maubeuge.
WHEN BUYING A NEW PAIR OF SHOES, SHOULD YOU FIT THEM WITH A SKATE?
Bora : " You can actually put on a skate , which has many benefits when it is done well. It protects the sole from humidity as well as the seams from water, in addition to considerably increasing the lifespan of the sole. Furthermore, a leather sole slides, while the skate does not skid.
The operation is very inexpensive and allows you to significantly reduce the maintenance costs of the sole.
A shoe without a skate that has taken on moisture must be placed on its edge, in order to let the leather sole dry. With a skate, the question does not arise because the sole never takes on water!
This is an operation that can be carried out at the beginning of the shoe's life, it can be placed on a new sole as well as a sole that has been used a little, but it is not necessary to soften the sole with a few wearings before carrying it out. On the other hand, the thinner the sole, the earlier the skate should be placed.
The price of fitting a skate is around €20.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO 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 that will actually be in contact with the ground, because we do not put a skate down to the heel block.
This scraping operation allows the skate to be properly embedded in the sole. The two parts are glued together, which are passed under a press to obtain uniform bonding under the sole, then any part of the skate that protrudes is cut off.
Example of incorrect skate installation, without scraping (i.e. without cutting the skate sufficiently).
Example of a good skate fit, with a clean junction between the skate and the leather sole.
ARE THERE STYLES OR BRANDS OF SKATES TO PREFER?
Bora : " Personally, I prefer crepe skates, which I find more flexible and paradoxically as solid as Topy skates, a company that has a quasi-monopoly on the skate market ."
WHY PLACE AN IRON ON THE FRONT?
Bora : " The advantage of iron is that generally, the first part of the skate - and of the shoe in general - is damaged at the front.
Either because the skate is coming off or because of wear and tear that makes it porous. Simply bumping into a curb or step can cause the front of the skate to come off.
When iron is present, it absorbs the stresses on this part, thus protecting the skate from detachment or premature wear.
SHOULD YOU CHOOSE A NAILED IRON OR A SCREWED IRON?
Bora : "As far as we are concerned, we prefer screwed iron for its durability. Indeed, the screw is, by definition, more adherent than a nail, in addition to being shorter (which therefore damages the soleplate less).
The nailed iron nevertheless has the advantage of being able to be installed and removed more easily, but this also makes it less solid. The shoe + iron assembly represents between 1 and 2 hours maximum of work.
The installation of an iron can range from €5 for a nailed iron, to €30 for a screwed iron ."
Example of nailed iron. Less elegant, less solid, it can let water in through the nails…
Example of irons screwed onto a pair of Yohei Fukuda. Credits: Shoegazing.
Note that the iron + skate combo is typically French. The English, while they live in a rainy country, rarely put on skates.
To summarize:
- The skate is to be preferred on thin soles which will wear out more quickly , in particular Blake stitched ones, which are less waterproof than Goodyear or Norwegian shoes.
- The iron is to be preferred if your walking quickly damages the front of the shoe. In this case, it is necessary to opt (preferably) for a screwed 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 REPAIRS BE MADE TO THE HEEL OF YOUR SHOE?
Bora : " Most shoes already have a toe cap, which is a piece that protects the heel block when purchased. When the toe cap is too worn and the heel block is also damaged, you may be forced to change the block, which costs two to three times more than changing the toe cap.
To change a heel block, you have to pay around €20. For a heel block, more than €50 ."
Here we see two different bonbouts, on the left in leather with a rubber back, on the right entirely in rubber.
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 heel block, then unpick the threads and undo the stitches one by one, apply a solvent to remove the glue from the sole, then remove the sole.
Then remove the old seams and possibly replace the cork (whose main role is to protect the inside of the shoe from the cold), which is lightly scraped so that it adheres better to the glue. Cut a new sole from a piece of leather, which is glued back on a bit like a skate.
Finally, if it was sewn, we sew the sole and replace the heel block.
Contrary to popular belief, it is quite possible to change a Blake stitched sole. To do this, the shoe must have a minimum shape in its construction 3 . If these conditions are met, the Blake can be changed as easily as the Goodyear.
Besides, a Goodyear welted shoe cannot be resoled indefinitely. After a while, stitching through the same points will damage the leather welt.
The price of this operation is around 150€.
© Credits: Atelier Maubeuge.
The main interest 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 wearing and mistreatment, the first assembly and the insole will have taken the shape of your foot, for optimal comfort.
It would therefore be silly to start all over again by opting for a new one: your pair of shoes will have developed a magnificent patina over time , so it would be in your best interest to give them a second life to continue to develop it.
© Credits: Atelier Maubeuge.
Yes, it really is possible to work miracles with resoling.
INSIDE THE SHOE, WHAT CAN BE DONE?
Bora : " There is one operation that we carry out, which 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 a lot of friction via the foot. It can therefore be changed by cutting a new piece of leather.
A fairly thick anti-slip pad (made from flesh-side leather, such as suede calfskin) 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 walking folds if the lining starts to wear at this level, to prevent the leather from getting holes.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER REPAIRS WE HAVEN'T COVERED YET?
Bora : " Other repairs are possible, such as changing the elastic or buckle of a Monk Strap shoe. We can also offer glazes/polishes, 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 perform.
For a complete "beauty" treatment + glazing, you should expect to pay around €20-30. For a patina, depending on the difficulty of the operation , expect to pay between €40 and €100.
For more details on patinas, we wrote an article to read here .
Here is a nice before/after example of a care and patina by Alexander Nurulaeff of Dandy Shoe Care.
HAVE YOU EVER MADE ANY UNUSUAL REPAIRS?
Bora : " Yes, I remember one case in particular.
A customer had bought a pair of leather flip-flops online, and had received two left feet (the benefits of sales). The challenge was to turn one of the flip-flops inside out to make a right foot. Besides, in the end, it looked pretty good! 😉 "
Bartu : " Yes, we happened to change the leather cover of the heel of a boot, which a dog had obviously taken for its plastic bone. "
EVEN IF MY SHOEMAKER IS GOOD-LOOKING, COMPETENT AND APPROACHABLE, WHAT IS THE SECRET TO SEEING HIM LESS OFTEN?
Bora : " First, never wear your leather shoes 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 high boots.
Remember to cream your shoes with quality products and polish them regularly to keep them waterproof, especially before going out in the rain.
The frequency of polishing/suede depends on how much you use them: you will need to maintain them more if you walk a lot than if you just go out to take the car and wear them mostly to the office! There is no risk in frequently nourishing a shoe, it is better almost too much than not enough .
We're talking about smooth leather here, but suede calfskin is just as strong and easy to maintain. Just 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 well waterproofed. And if the rain has really been stubborn, 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 follow the maintenance rules to achieve this result.
AND FINALLY, IN WHAT PRICE RANGE CAN WE FIND THE BEST QUALITY/PRICE RATIOS FOR SHOES?
Bora : “ Personally, I would say between 300 and 500€! ”
Bartu : " For me, you can find the best quality/price ratios between €195 and €350. This range is quite heterogeneous, but you can get by very well for this price, knowing that you will find very good ones a little 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 for yourself the quality of their work, go to 28 rue de Maubeuge, 75009 Paris.
