InLoveWithBoots Report post Posted February 27, 2014 Hi all, I seem to have fallen in love with a pair of boots. I bought them before I went out of town because they were cheap ($20) and they looked cute with an outfit that I had picked up. But to my amazement, these have turned out to be the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn (I have "problem feet"). I have walked scores of miles all over Dublin, and you know that, "Ahhh" feeling when you get home from a long day and take your shoes off? Yeah, I don't get that with these. They're so comfy that I forget to take them off. The problem, of course, is that I got what I paid for. They are pleather junk. The bottoms are falling off and the pleather is peeling and I've only had them for two months (a pretty rough two months, but still). My first instinct as an American was, of course, to call China and have them ship me 40,000 pairs at the wholesale price, but I ran into a storage issue. Plus, they were out of stock. My second instinct as a DIYer was to learn to make a pair myself, better than the originals, though I have zero leather working experience, and after delving into the riches of this site, I may still do that eventually. But my feet can wait for my hands to learn! I looked around for companies that could make boots to my specifications, and I just can't find what I want. These boots need to have very flexible bottoms, almost like slippers, but they need to stand up to wear and tear better than junk from China. Here is a picture of the ones I have for an idea of the style: So, are there any leatherworkers here who specialize in custom boots? Or can anyone direct me to the masters? My feet thank you! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted February 27, 2014 Shoe construction is about the highest learning curve of any form of leatherwork. If you want to learn leather, that is one thing. But if you just want new shoes, I really encourage you to find a custom shoemaker (there are not many left). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Northmount Report post Posted February 28, 2014 I gather you like thin soles. Thin wears out faster. If you put thicker soles on, they will be stiffer and not have the flexibility that you appear to need. Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
InLoveWithBoots Report post Posted February 28, 2014 Yeah, there really aren't many shoe makers left. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jwalker Report post Posted March 1, 2014 this post made me chuckle... there are plenty of boot makers...as for shoes...also plenty...not many in the US though...i know a boot maker in Ok who has a daughter...the boot maker is Lisa Sorrell...her daughter Paige makes some shoes...there are also shoe maker forums on facebook Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
InLoveWithBoots Report post Posted March 1, 2014 this post made me chuckle... there are plenty of boot makers...as for shoes...also plenty...not many in the US though...i know a boot maker in Ok who has a daughter...the boot maker is Lisa Sorrell...her daughter Paige makes some shoes...there are also shoe maker forums on facebook Thanks for the leads! (And your welcome for the chuckle. ) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jwalker Report post Posted March 3, 2014 i almost forgot...the chicago school of shoemaking Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Palermo Report post Posted March 5, 2014 We can make those for you but your looking at $1000 - $1500 PM me if you are interested with your standard size to make sure we have the proper last. And Jwalker is right back home in Italy we have one on every corner : ) but her in the USA it's a dying art because we are conditioned to buy cheap Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
InLoveWithBoots Report post Posted March 5, 2014 We can make those for you but your looking at $1000 - $1500 PM me if you are interested with your standard size to make sure we have the proper last. And Jwalker is right back home in Italy we have one on every corner : ) but her in the USA it's a dying art because we are conditioned to buy cheap Ahh... perhaps I should scrounge up a ticket to Italy, sit outside one of their "cobbling" schools with an empty capuccino cup, begging for shoes. Call it a "theme vacation". :D When you say "we", who is "we"? And how do you come up with that price range? What is labor and what is parts (so to speak)? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Palermo Report post Posted March 5, 2014 We is me and my dad. He started making shoes when he was 8 years old. I can't give away all informations but I can tell you cost of materials is a lot less than price. Labor for those is not as much as most because they look like "contact" construction. Depending on where you go in Italy the price would be approxametly the same with exchange rate. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wlg190861 Report post Posted March 5, 2014 That is a shame too, When I was a kid growing up, there was a cobbler or two in almost every town. We need to go back to them days. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
