Never thought I’d spend hours watching shoe repair videos. Lol. But love you guys. It’s rare to find good, honest guys doing quality work who also enjoy educating folks. We appreciate you. And the video length is just fine. Thanks.
Trenton & Heath Hey guys. I’m interested in shoe trees. I see that you sell them, but I wear a size 13 shoe. The largest size I see on your website is 10-12. Do you have anything larger? Thanks.
It blows my mind how new this channel is and the quality of material you guys put out. It's quite refreshing to see some honest work, good educational information and no sales pitch like some others out there who repeat their names every freaking sentence coming out of his mouth.... I have a good size collection and rotate my shoes often but be sure I will mail them to you guys when I need work done on them....
nodieusa Meh, I assume you’re talking about Mr. Allison from Hanger Project. I wouldn’t really consider what he does a sales pitch but more just being specific with what he uses. His information is top notch though
nodieusa The manner in which he gives out the information isn’t trying to persuade us to buy anything. He’s just letting us know he’s using this certain polish/conditioner with this certain chamois or brush. I suppose it is all up to interpretation though.
At the end of the video: "I think these shoes look pretty good." Boy, is _that_ an understatement. Beautiful work. Also, I very much like what you've been doing with your videos in terms of length and content. You and your brother are producing the best shoe-related content on RU-vid.
Totally disagree. These guys go cheap on many of their repairs. They are not true cobblers. More like repair techs. Check out bootfury from russia. That guy is the real master! Happy viewing
Women’s shoes are sadly very poorly constructed by comparison - not usually worth repairing. I love shoes and have spent far too much money on them over the years (I particularly love men’s style brogues), and am always disappointed that we don’t get the quality that men get with shoes. Very few makers make Goodyear welted shoes for women.
I don't know about that. Some people aren't good in front of the camera and other people think they have to overreact for the camera which makes for a cringey video. I think back to all those car restoration shows like Pimp My Ride or Overhaulers and they were just so cheesy
judt discovered your channel ..awesome !!! good length on video time ... you mentioned at the end you thought they turned out "well" .. would would have made you say they turned out "great " ?
If I had this pair of shoes back from you I'd never, ever want to wear them because they should be under glass in a showcase. I am 62 years old and I have never seen anything so beautiful.
Awesome! I'm from India and love watching your videos, it's my go to, for unwinding, post dinner everyday. Fabulous content, very informative and educational. Thanks and keep up the good work!😃
If any of you ever travel to Argentina, there's fully handmade leather shoes for less than 100 usd. And above 300 usd some small shops make em to fit (Avoid tourists places).
Whatever you guys choose to do is guaranteed to be good so do what you think is good. The shoes in the video look better than new since they were repaired with you guys' capable hands.
Could've been a minute or two longer to let us see the staining of the soles. Then also the conditioing & polishing, I'll tell you why: that's the only part we do ourselves and it's interesting to see how much better are the products you use compared to what most of us use.
i really enjoy learning what a cobbler does and what a quality shoe is constructed of some day i hope to have maybe a few of the quality shoes you handle daily i appreciate the content and almost always learn something question- how do i find a good cobbler in my area?
in a good "sence", I envy younger people who opt to work like artisans. In my country Cyprus dozens of professions have disappeared so now buy cheap and discard fast is the trend. Thank you my dear friend for sharing your knowledge with us. You seem modest and honest. I wish I could buy a decent pair of shoes in my country.
Thank you, Andros! We appreciate that. Yes, it’s sad to see so many artisanal professions dying off due to cheap, throw away products. It’s like that in most areas of the United States as well.
Nice video. I would like to see the process on the sole finishing. Nice to see the color of the sole matching the shoe color. What is the tool that you are using that puts the sole decorations on?
Love your content! Don’t be afraid of adding some length to it. Perhaps do some more shoe reviews? Since you get shoes in for repair, perhaps you could shed light on how certain brands hold up? I would love to see your thoughts on acemarks, Paul Evans, Thomas bird, other brands etc
Excellent and informative video. It's nice to see that there is still great craftmanship out there to refurnish quality shoes. We live in a society that is basically throwaway and many folks don't want to pay a premium for quality shoes that can be resoled multiple times. Therefore the demand for these services are not what they used to be. That said, I feel fortunate that there are still tradesmen like yourself out there who can do this kind of work. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Kevin! Yep, you summed it up exactly. We’re glad to see that there’s somewhat of a resurgence with some of these old trades, but it’s definitely a throwaway society still. One of the reasons we decided to start this channel was to educate folks on what shoes are good and which are not worth the money. Buying quality goods has SO many benefits over cheap.
@@TrentonHeath I couldn't agree more. With respect to quality, the only issue one has is the price one has to pay for it. That said, after the purchase is made one sees that the product (in most cases) performs better, looks better and last far longer than cheaper goods. As an example, I own several pairs of Allen Edmonds that I have had well over 10 years and they are still going strong. Thanks to folks like you, I will have them even longer. Keep up the great work!
Dood... you just inspired me... I'm a cobbler (not so much dress shoes as heavy duty Hiking boots. Every time I get a pair of dress shoes, I whine like a baby because I just don't have enough practice on them to be good at them. I'm getting better tho... watching you do the work you did on this pair of shoes makes me want to see more of them... I subscribed, thumbed up and sent all the good juju I could muster for ya...
Hi, Ken! Glad you enjoyed! Where we’re located, we receive a lot more dress shoes than hiking boots, so it sounds like a roll reversal. Those are hard to work on as well. If you ever have any questions, just let us know.
Any reason why the laces were left in for this project? There were time when they seemed to get in the way :-) Always fun to see the final product look so good!
This length is PERFECT. You guys are terrific at showing and explaining. To me, youtube is for short attention spans so I skip long videos. I like the format as is.
I went down a RU-vid rabbit hole recently and found myself watching a bunch of your videos and also some from The Elegant Oxford, with whom I know you’ve collaborated in the past on a project. I’m a woman, living in Ireland, I’ve never heard of any of these shoes before and as my son has autism and I can’t get him to wear dress shoes, I have no-one to buy these shoes for. But despite this I am totally fascinated in the process of restoring and polishing beautiful shoes. It’s made me itch to check out second hand stores to see if I can pick up any good shoes, purely so I can polish them. I know I’m crazy! Your videos are very relaxing and informative and I’d be happy if they were even a bit longer. Your soothing accent helps too. Keep up the good work.
I don't think time is as much an important factor as it is keeping the "story" moving along. As long as you're showing interesting or important details, and keeping the flow moving...i don't care if it's 20 minutes or two hours. I pretty much never make comments. So you're doing it right on my end. Keep up the good work guys.
Not only was the Welt in amazing condition, but the Leather Soles still had 40-50% wear left on it... Your client needed new heels, and that is it... Why wouldn't you advise him to leave his soles for another 6- 9 months of weekly wear?
blazinmark1 We always advise clients on what they truly need; however, these shoes were mailed in to us, and the gentleman just wanted to upgrade his soles. 🤷♂️
The shoes look great. I like the length, because of have seen several long shoe repair videos and understand what you are doing and don't need the detail every time. You may want to do a longer one now and then for newcomers.
What are the pros and cons of sending AE’s back to the factory or to a high end cobbler like yourself? How much value is there to getting the shoe recrafted on the original last? Thank you
It basically comes down to the rib (an internal strip that the welt is stitched to). If the rib is crushed then a last needs to be used to replace it. Most often the rib is in fine shape. The ones with damage are often WAY past time for a resole with a giant hole along the stitches. If the rib is fine, a new welt can be replaced by either person. Often you can get more upgraded options through a cobbler (depending on the cobbler).
I've heard JR sole leather is the best. Outstanding job on this rehab, and the sole finish dressing was a cool bonus. I noticed the interior leather was left as was. Is this ever replaced too?
Those soles did not look terribly worn to be replaced already. And the condition of the cork bed suggests that they weren't heavily worn either. Beautiful job, though. Love the color of the soles.
Great work and very informative, me personally prefer hidden sole stitching and find the colouring interesting but quickly destroyed on walking on the pavement. Keep up the quality videos.
That was a good video Allen Edmonds does the complete restoration for $150.00 what is your price ? I like the soles and the little 'stud' you put in the heel you do good work .. the length of time is good but it you show more we will watch more.. Thank you.. I want to get me a pair of used Edmonds so I can have them restored.
Would love to see the entire process I never tire seeing you all repair shoes. Taking something run down and beat up and bringing it back to life is really a never ending joy to watch.
I am especially impressed with the confident way you address the resoling of those expensive Allen Edmonds shoes. There is no question that the shoes’ owner will be pleased! I also appreciate your discussing the skilled workmanship of quality shoes like Allen Edmonds and Alden-mandating the kind of TLC shoes receive at Potter and Sons.
I have not watched yet, saving it for later this evening to enjoy with a glass of Brandy but just wanted to say how great it was finding your channel. I really love the videos you both make.
12:00 Guys, I love watching your videos and I actually like that you’re filming while the shop is open. It makes the video feel more authentic and realistic and gives more atmosphere. I like to hear the hustle and bustle of the shop in the background. To hear the machines, to see how they work, to feel what it’s like to do this work. It’s relaxing.
The video is good and the editing is good and to the point ! Love the background music and the art you put in to it. Awesome job One thing I may suggest is to remove the shoe strings when adding the wax. Other than that im amazed at the final product . I wish the shoe shop here on town had the same craftsmanship. Alcohol ruined our zapatero he was great before he started drinking thats so sad.
Greetings from Edinburgh, Scotland! Gotta start looking after my Loakes a bit better. You are making me feel guilty for neglecting them! Superb video on a great channel. Keep it up!
Great to have you, Scott! We used to live in Europe, but unfortunately I never had the opportunity to make it to Scotland. Would love to get there one day. Glad to hear you’re enjoying the channel! Cheers!
Wow. By watching at this, I am amazed how my father did everything by hand. He only had a shoe knife, hammer, shoe needles, a lighter, a grinder and a cigarette in his mouth. He used the knife to detach the old sole, grind new sole, glue it, cut the edge with knife then smooth it with grinder, use the knife again to make a space for stitching so he can hide the thread under the sole , use hand needles to do the stitches, shine it with whatever chemical he had with the grinder or brush etc... Then he had shiny new shoes. He insisted of not using any machinery except the grinder. That skill is gone since he does not make or repair shoes anymore. He never let me learn this amazing trade-skill because it was an "inferior" one according to him. It's a shame. I should've insisted to pass on that skill to me..
onlywiseman Wow, that’s pretty impressive! We always enjoy hearing from other folks who were shoe cobblers or grew up around the trade. We appreciate you sharing! Funny thing is that we did just the opposite. Heath and I both came from former professions. I was in the corporate healthcare field, and Heath was a high school teacher. After more than a decade in our fields, we decided to hang it up and do something we enjoyed...shoes. What started out as just a pick-up/delivery shoe shine service as a side gig, then turned that into opening our own shop, and now, aside from our shoe repair shop, we also own a sandal company we started. Who would have thought the shoe trade would have opened so many doors?!
Hi - I am happy to have found your channel. I have viewed a number of videos produced by Steve at Bedo's leather works, who I consider to be the gold standard in shoe repair. I am pleased to tell you I think you are as top notch as Steve. I like how you remove the heels and soles, how you replaced the cork even though it was in reasonable shape, and how you took the time to remove the old stitches from the welt. You also use the best materials such as JR and saphir products. Steve usually replaces the AE heel block with a stacked leather one and rarely uses the wooden shank, but you justified why you often reuse these items when in good shape. You are also skilled in the artistic aspects of shoe repair as evidenced by your finishing of the sole. Great job at moisturizing and polishing too. Now if I can just get used to the term "hill block".
Thanks, Joseph! That’s a heck of a nice compliment! We’re fans of Steve’s as well. He’s definitely a magician when it comes to shoes and other leather products. We’ve kind of taken a different route on our channel, as we’re here to not only show behind the scenes of shoe repair but to share our knowledge of the shoe industry as well (what brands are best from a cobblers point of view, what products to use, what you should/should not be doing, etc.). Unlike several of the other cobblers on here, we’ll also show other options outside of JR leather. While that’s great stuff, there are other high quality options that many folks are unaware of. We hope you’ll follow along and enjoy our viewpoints behind the shoe cobbler scene.
The Allen Edmonds Strand is one of my favorite. In fact I have every color except the burgundy only because the burgundy was not available in my size when I was ordering. Having said that, I love the restoration done at Trenton & Heath. Once again, this restoration really popped! Thank you guys.
Feedback: At the end. Instead of showing the end result (which is obviously good), also show before and after. I think the contrast would be satisfying to see as well. Btw I just bought this pair from manufacturer with the rendenbauch sole and heal. Looks much better, from what I could tell, they say it is more durable sole, and it has decorative nails. The only thing I wish AE would do is offer toe plate as option as well. Maybe I will send them to you, once I receive them, to get the first conditioning, polish, and the toe plate added.
Nice job. I have a pair of Johnston and Murphy Oxfords, but the sole on the inside is starting to come apart. Is that something that can be replaced? I've had a cobbler replace the soles before but they never changed the inner sole and now big chunks are coming off. Also, any places you guys would recommend in the Dallas area?
cabdolla Hi! Are you referring to the leather liner on the inside...the removable part that can be pulled out? If so, liners aren’t generally replaced during a resole. Some shoes have liners, and some don’t (such as Allen Edmonds). Liners can definitely be changed out if they need to be. A cobbler should be able to do it, or you could pull it out and replace it. Most big box stores like Target and Walmart have liners in the Dr. Scholl’s foot section. Sorry, we aren’t familiar with any cobblers in the Dallas area.
I am sorry to say...after wearing Allen Edmonds for over 30 years...noticeably their quality has suffered through the years. I won't go into any examples...because honestly, even as the quality has somewhat diminished over the years, for the price point, Allen Edmonds still makes a nice shoe. Fortunately, their Customer Service is still top notch. If not for that, I may have left AE a long time ago. Sadly...Alden seems to be taking the same road as AE in the quality control department. Nonetheless, both brands, still offer a quality shoe, with great Customer Service, for the price point. A little parting tip; One really comes out ahead...if a pair are found in a thrift shop, for less than $20, and then sent in for a re-craft. I have several pair, just from going that avenue. Found a pair of 13, (much too large for me), sized Park Avenue's at a Goodwill, for $19.99, not too long ago. Sent them in for a re-craft, and then promptly gave them to my 6'3", 21 year old nephew. I suspect, after explaining to him the quality of a Goodyear welt, and cork lining in shoes, I suspect he will have them for quite a long time. He loves them. It is somewhat discouraging however, to see quality somewhat diminished, at this time concerning AE, and Alden. I remember when Johnston and Murphy, and Florsheim, were a considerable high end shoe. These days, not so much. I just hope AE, and Alden, do not end up going the same route as those two companies did. Love your channel...keep up the good work. 👍☀️👍
You guys do a amazing stuff!!! Just stick with Saphir for ever its just the best! Do you guys know a LANDIS distributor in Germany to get one of these? The Sawing Maschine for the Sole. Please :)
**FEEDBACK** video lengths are good. I like what you guys are doing. I like different kinds of shoes. It seems like mostly men's dress shoes. What else can you do? Great work guys
Hello Fellas. I just wanted to say first off. I love what you guys do. It's informative and I get info on shoes to look for. I bought a pair of Allen Edmond, Oxford,5th avenue. $16.00 in very good condition.. how did I do? Thanks again for everything.
I'd say the length of video is good. M'be consider a series, where each video showcases an in-depth of each process? Love me some Strands with the JRs. I recently scored a new pair of Bartletts (from the Independence Collection, and the 201 last), which are the same styling of their Strand (65 last). The score was that they retailed at $530 and I got a NEW pair (not 2nds either) for $107. I have 'em all conditioned up and polished up with Saphir cream and wax, and ready to go. Might even wear 'em today.
IMHO length is good. Story flows and that's important. Great channel and enjoy the videos. You work speaks for itself. I appreciate the exposure to brands I have not purchased or worn before. And much thanks!
The difference for me, is That I prefer a couple pairs of good quality shoes or boots, that I take care of, so when they become comfortable, a good resole extends the wear-life again., without the break-in period. And the patina adds a beautiful rich appeatance. 🙏🇺🇸😎
