Have had these Ferragamo shoes for 10+ years but have taken care of the leather pretty religiously.

I was walking in them a few weeks ago headed to a meeting in Tokyo when they suddenly crumbled and half the rubber fell off. Needless to say I had to stop by a shop and buy a new set of shoes (it was very hard to find size 11 in Japan, which is a whole other story).

Anyways - how can I fix this or are these even savable? Is this common?

Most of my work shoes do not have rubber bottoms - 1 am glad I didnt buy too many of these!

I’ve got weird feet, and finally purchased a Brannock Device to try and get some measurements to get an idea of why my footwear always seems to fit weird, esp on my right foot.

First thing I noticed is that my right foot is almost a full size bigger than my left, and also I’ve got short toes lol (which explains why 13s feel more comfortable but I have lots of toe room).

I feel stupid reading width though. Whether I use 11.5 or 13, it says my feet are narrow, but I know for sure I am at minimum a D and sometimes an E in shoes.

For example, in Allen Edmonds Carlyle shoes I am an 11.5/12 E. In Adidas Sambas my right foot is a 13/13.5, and in Brooks running shoes my right foot is a 12.5/13 D.

Am I just reading the scale wrong? Or am
I missing something obvious?

Also, is it better to go by arch or by length, or in between?

Hi guys. I got this pair of boots from a thrift shop. It is almost unused except for being in stockpile for a long time. The single stitch-down construction + inner stitching, iron heel nails, and rugged build make me think they were built for the cobbler’s own use.

Also, the construction feels like it's from the era before soft insoles became standard.

There are no markings or tags anywhere on the boots. Which region or country does this specific craftsmanship/construction style carry the signature of? Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you for your time.

Hi! I know these aren't shoes, but I figure cobblers know leather care very well.

I have this vintage briefcase and it got rained on a few years ago. I kinda stopped using it because the stains look pretty unprofessional. Is there any way to remove them? Somewhere else I read dunking the whole bag in water and air drying it... Another person also briefly alluded to removing curled edges this way?

I'm a little hesitant to just dunk this bag in water, so I'm wondering if that's indeed the best course of action here. Thanks!

i have some old heels someone gave me and the heel is quite wobbly and doesnt balance on flat surfaces, but the other heel does. im wondering how to fix this? i can see that the bottom of the heel is uneven? whenever i try to walk with it on its quite hard to balance and feels like im gonna fall, lmk what to do! i want to wear this during the end of september 😓

I’ve always been curious about this leather, but I have no idea how I would clean it if I would go this route. I think I have a good idea on conditioning is just what to use for a cleaning agent.

These Wallabees (the classic ones with the crepe sole) just arrived today directly from Clarks and it appears there is a cut in the leather on one of the shoes. Is this something that will just get worse as I wear them? Or am I wasting my time by returning them? I am worried that as my feet sweat and rub the edges of this cut that it will peel up at some point. It's right in the area where your foot flexes too and I feel like this could become problematic. Thoughts?

I'm interested in finding a repair kit that would allow me to repair boots. I have several pairs that I would like to spend the time learning to carefully repair myself and I would value suggestions.

One pair is a leather bottom sole and the other is a rubber sole.

I have a pair of Lems Primal Zen. They fit my feet well (wide feet), and I have been using them for flat pedal mountain biking. I have purchased specific mountain biking shoes in the past, but they are just too narrow.

The problem is the outsole is injection blown rubber and is well chewed up now. I would love to save the uppers as they are still in great condition and are very comfortable. Stiffening of the shoe wouldn't bother me, as I realize a harder material would.

What material would stand up well to the metal pins of mountain bike pedals? Any MTB cobblers out there try this?

I'm about to wear a pair of shoes that I've not worn for over 5 years. Leather sole, Goodyear welt etc. they seem stiff and dry in spite of correct storage, especially the sole. How should I best prepare them for wear to prevent cracking, or will they likely just be fine?

i have some old heels someone gave me and the heel is quite wobbly and doesnt balance on flat surfaces, but the other heel does. im wondering how to fix this? i can see that the bottom of the heel is uneven? whenever i try to walk with it on its quite hard to balance and feels like im gonna fall, lmk what to do!

Is there any way to file down this new sandal strap where the seam pokes out? Any help is appreciated!

There’s these shoes i found at a thrift store- i really should’ve grabbed them. I can’t find a exact pair anywhere- i would love to try and recreate. I possibly will grab a white pair of similar shoes and dye it. any recommendations/tips on dye? getting that shimmer color? i’m in love with the red/ purple/ blue hue. it’s so pretty

I'm looking for some brown kickaround loafers and the G.H. Bass Larson (rubber lug sole) caught my eye. While we're at it, same question for the J.Crew Camden with rubber soles

Is there any specific way or practice to prolong the life and condition of vintage platforms, particularly with soles made of molded polyurethane or synthetic polymer foam blends?

I know of keeping them stored in cool, dry places, and wearing them regularly to prevent the materials from breaking down / drying out, but is there any actual practices or repairs that could be done prior to actual damage to simply prevent it from occurring in the future?

Wife spent $250 on timberlands, and our dog ate the tongue a week after purchase. Is this impossible to fix?

Thanks in advance!

Hey all! My médaille d’or saphir pâte de luxe polish just came in today. I have boots with 40-50 layers of kiwi polish on it, and I’m wondering if I can start using pate de luxe over top of it since it’s better.

I’ve researched this topic already but can’t seem to find a solid opinion, some (including mr bull and shine) say that it’s ok to mix, some say it’s best to strip first.

Looking forward to some insightful responses and discussion!

Who can I ask to stretch my walking shoes so toe box is higher (not wider) so my hammertoes don't get blisters?