Show us your SHOES !!!

[randooch]

topy will solve that if it bothers you.

Qu'est-ce que c'est, "topy"?

(Ignorance is only sometimes bliss.)

 

[eiserneschar]

Those dress boots are nice, I am trying to see the details on the front toe area, what brand are they?

They're a generic make I got at this military store in Tokyo, they're supposed to be replicas of Japanese Army officer private purchase boots. Pretty good price and decent quality. I got another pair I'm trying to die black with vinegaroon right now, has anybody done this before?

 

[randooch]

Vinegaroon, the big black bug?

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Vinegaroon, the big black bug?

Dang..I think I dated that "bug" many a years ago....lol!

 

[LoveMyHats2]

They're a generic make I got at this military store in Tokyo, they're supposed to be replicas of Japanese Army officer private purchase boots. Pretty good price and decent quality. I got another pair I'm trying to die black with vinegaroon right now, has anybody done this before?

No. I have not used anything like that myself on shoes or boots to make them black. I do know however that to make brown a black is not a hard thing to do. You can use any actual dye that is made for shoe leather and it should work fine. You will however have to strip the finish off the shoes you are using the dye on to prepare them first. I would strip them (you can find stripper made for removal of the finish off of shoes it works with some effort) and then I would suggest you use some saddle soap on the shoes and rinse them with water real well and let dry then do the dye. If you do not want the dye to get on the top of the soles near the welt area, you can tape that off with some masking tape and try to not directly get any dye on that area.

Those are nice looking dress boots, wish there was a place here that sold them.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Qu'est-ce que c'est, "topy"?

(Ignorance is only sometimes bliss.)

I may be mistaken but there are sort of half soles that are glued on the bottom of soles (may be stitched on by some cobblers but more than not just glued with Barge Contact Cement). I think maybe that is what is being labeled as Topy? Spank me if I am wrong???????

 

[eiserneschar]

I'll find the stripper (haha!) then. The dye I'm using is going to be a homemade one shown here:
http://www.dererstezug.com/blackeningboots.htm

I could get the boots if you wanted, I imagine they'd only be about 150 dollars or so.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Wow, you have it covered for making those black for sure. The price on those boots is not bad at all, but when you spend another $60.00 to ship to the USA it then takes it past my current budget! Thanks however. Please do post pictures when you have finished doing your dye process. I would love to see how well they come out!

 

[eiserneschar]

I'm pretty sure the shipping would be somewhere around 30 dollars max depending on how fast you want it... I'm sending a package of militaria to my buddies stateside so I'll see how much that would cost.

By the way, would Acetone work as stripper??

 

[cookie]

Qu'est-ce que c'est, "topy"?

(Ignorance is only sometimes bliss.)

Memo Randooch "I need to get out more often".

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Wearing my spade sole footjoys yesterday.....(sigh) .....lol!

 

[The Shooman]

Bought some Edward Green factory shoes this afternoon. A very nice shoe, but not a touch on the old 30's and 40's vintage shoes made from quality leather.

Goodyear welted construction = a risky construction not built to last a lifetime, and compromised further by a factory environment
Hand welted construction = a construction made to last a lifetime and goes hand in hand with specialist craftsman treatment

* all assuming the upper are looked after of course. Not always black and white, but those factors can be very very important.
* machine and factory environment always compromise integrity of a shoe - pure brutes.

 

[eiserneschar]

The vingar thing didn't really work (I couldn't find any white vinegar and Japanese vinegar wasn't strong enough to eat away the steel wool) so I bought some regular leather dye and voila- here it is! I was probably not doing it right so the application was uneven but it looks okay after polish. A bit of the brown shows through though, not sure if that will look okay in the sunlight-- I'll try them out tomorrow.

 

[Isshinryu101]

Wearing my spade sole footjoys yesterday.....(sigh) .....lol!

I like your style, TT

 

[Isshinryu101]

Good spending spree of late!

Bought some Edward Green factory shoes this afternoon. A very nice shoe, but not a touch on the old 30's and 40's vintage shoes made from quality leather.

Goodyear welted construction = a risky construction not built to last a lifetime, and compromised further by a factory environment
Hand welted construction = a construction made to last a lifetime and goes hand in hand with specialist craftsman treatment

* all assuming the upper are looked after of course. Not always black and white, but those factors can be very very important.
* machine and factory environment always compromise integrity of a shoe - pure brutes.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

The vingar thing didn't really work (I couldn't find any white vinegar and Japanese vinegar wasn't strong enough to eat away the steel wool) so I bought some regular leather dye and voila- here it is! I was probably not doing it right so the application was uneven but it looks okay after polish. A bit of the brown shows through though, not sure if that will look okay in the sunlight-- I'll try them out tomorrow.

Looking good! I would hope you will allow those shoes to "cure" a bit before wearing them or even putting any polish on them. Wait a few days, then polish them up. I would myself, leave polish on them for a long time period before using a brush and then put a few more thick coats of polish on them. That should help seal the dye into the leather. Those sure do look nice, I think you did a great job!

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Looking at some posts regarding shoe construction and things such as welts, etc., I have been working on some fixes for shoes I own with my cobbler and am learning some real insight to what a shoe is made of. There is a website I was checking out, http://carreducker.com/courses I am so tempted to do this! Geez, to make my own shoes from the materials I would want to find, the way I would desire them to look....a skill if I had would take me from having to purchase another shoe out there! Weeee Haaaw!

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Good spending spree of late!

Those are a nice shoe. I have not yet purchased the brand, but do hear they are very nice quality shoes. I am searching for some hard to find aldens in my size, something along the line of spectator wingtips....have to admit I am so addicted to fedora's and shoes now.....(anyone else actually dream of shoes in their sleep)? lol!

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I like your style, TT

You know....that bug....the shoe bug...it bit you as well...I can't help it!

 

[randooch]

Looking at some posts regarding shoe construction and things such as welts, etc., I have been working on some fixes for shoes I own with my cobbler and am learning some real insight to what a shoe is made of. There is a website I was checking out, http://carreducker.com/courses I am so tempted to do this! Geez, to make my own shoes from the materials I would want to find, the way I would desire them to look....a skill if I had would take me from having to purchase another shoe out there! Weeee Haaaw!

If I were a younger man, that course would sorely tempt me. However . . . it may be too late for a newly adopted physically demanding career. Sigh.