English hand-made shoes

leeefm

I noticed the cut-throat shaving thread and realised that you guys are more discerning than non-cycling types...

I've been looking for some nice English hand-made shoes for some time, and finally settled on a pair from Cheaney. I've been wanting a pair of English shoes for a while as I didn't want to spend my readies on the usual designer branded stuff. Anyway, I've got to keep these things in decent condition, and was wondering what you guys use to keep them in good shape? I've seen polish, creams, brushes and cloths... what do you reckon?

DrLex

leeefm wrote:

[...] what you guys use to keep them in good shape? [...]

Shoe trees

leeefm wrote:

[...] I've seen polish, creams, brushes and cloths... what do you reckon?

Remove laces
Cream
Apply with cloth (toothbrush along welt)
Buff with brush

daviesee

I don't know where I picked it up but my current method is using polish but to melt it using a candle and apply using a cloth. Polish using a brush. A final polish using a separate polishing cloth may buff up even better.

kurako

I always used Parade Gloss in the cadets but i read recently it is not so good for leather as it can be drying. Instead I tried beeswax polish which comes up pretty nice. Use a lint free cloth to apply in a circular motion then buff for a good shine.

jds_1981

A 2nd pair of shoes so you can rotate?

BelgianBeerGeek

jds_1981 wrote:

A 2nd pair of shoes so you can rotate?

^this. Wearing the same pair of leather shoes day after day punishes the leather which naturally needs some time off. And shoe trees really help maintain the shape.

leeefm

Cheers for the responses so far! The consensus is to get some shoe trees, and then some sort of wax polish or cream.

But I've used wax polishes since I was a kid (on my couldn't quite afford Clark's shoes), and some can have a tendency to dry out the leather, as Kurako said. Would it be better to use the cream and then get a different kind of wax polish on top?

I got some Timpson's Cobblers Cream today, so I hope that will suffice...

And for those suggesting a second pair of shoes; what other brands would you recommend?

cyclingprop

Shoe trees yes, but make sure they're wooden not plastic.

DrLex

leeefm wrote:

[...]

And for those suggesting a second pair of shoes; what other brands would you recommend?

If you want to keep it British, this page indicates Grenson, Loakes & Barkers keep Cheaney company. The three pairs that I bought from Duckers in Oxford are still going strong almost 30 years later, such that the CFO complains that I have more footwear than her!

jds_1981

You can find most of the 'standards' on here
http://www.herringshoes.co.uk/product-l ... ?brandid=4 (oh, if you go for someone like churches then apparently best to send back to them to resole as they give the shoe a full service.)
If you only wear your shoes at the office and special occasions they will probably last you indefinitely.

cyclingprop

If money were no object, Church's all the way. I'm currently running Loakes.

DrLex

cyclingprop wrote:

If money were no object, Church's all the way. I'm currently running Loakes.

Without consideration of price, I'd get a last made up and bespeak a pair or two at Lobb's.

tetm

I have some lovely oxblood half-brogue Loakes which just get better with age, but will never be as comfortable and Crockett and Jones, by far my favourites to wear - just don't go clubbing in them. Indeed, Dr Lex, some Lobb's would be great!

alistaird

Grensons for me... Fit well, comfortable and last well.

A

leeefm

Wow, those Lobb's shoes look damn nice. I hate to think how much it would cost though...

The father-in-law just bought a pair of Church's for more than 400 quid, but I chose the cheaper Cheaney's (I think they are owned by Church?).

The Crockett & Jones look nice too though...

clarkey cat

you can get really cheap Loakes at a weird little shop which is on the junction of Southampton Row and New Oxford St.

rubertoe

Lobb's are stupidly expensive...

Nothing wrong with a pair of hush puppies, had mine for over 10 years now and they are still like new.

Monkeypump

There's a price list on the Lobb site... they start around £2700...

leeefm

Crikey, that's steep! I've just noticed at the top of the page

Add VAT (20%) to all prices in the UK

Still... I could get some felt bath slippers for 847 pounds not including VAT...

DrLex

Be amusing if there's a poster on a shoe & boot forum composing a message like
"Colnagos are stupidly expensive...

Nothing wrong with a Carrera, had mine for over 10 years now and it's still like new."

daviesee

I appreciate quality and I am happy to pay for it.

In the half price sales.
Seriously, these things are rarely a panic buy so why not wait for the sales. Like around now for instance..... :P

anonymousblackfg

Get up to Northamptonshire and buy them from the factory shop, you can save a packet.

rubertoe

Dont get me wrong, I dont mind paying for quality. but £2500+ for a pair of shoes? :?:

il_principe

Church's would be first choice, but Cheaney are excellent and owned by the Church family. Grenson are good for boots etc but not in the same league as Cheaney. If you want something a little more leftfield then have a look at http://www.jeffery-west.co.uk/

For care - shoe trees and polish. Apply with a brush, leave on overnight and then buff. Try to avoid wearing the same pair of shoes on consecutive days.

walkingbootweather

rubertoe wrote:

Dont get me wrong, I dont mind paying for quality. but £2500+ for a pair of shoes? :?:

Quite right. These can be made equally well in a far-east sweat shop for about £25 a pair.

cyclingprop

Il Principe wrote:

Church's would be first choice, but Cheaney are excellent and owned by the Church family. Grenson are good for boots etc but not in the same league as Cheaney. If you want something a little more leftfield then have a look at http://www.jeffery-west.co.uk/

For care - shoe trees and polish. Apply with a brush, leave on overnight and then buff. Try to avoid wearing the same pair of shoes on consecutive days.

Aren't Church's owned by Prada now?

leeefm

From the Cheaney website...

In August, 2009, cousins Jonathan and William Church conducted a management buy-out of Cheaney from Church & Co (by then a wholly owned subsidiary of Prada). They now own and operate the company and are committed to continuing the production of high quality shoes entirely made in Northamptonshire, from the cutting out of the leather to the final polishing, just as it was in 1886.

So I can assume that they're still British...

rubertoe

Its all cobblers...

warreng

Having two kids and subscribing to the n+1 bike theory I barely have enough cash for food never mind a decent pair of rythmns

However I was rooting around on ebay for some work shoes and bid on a pair of Jean-Baptiste Rautureau boots. Won them for £20 and when they arrived I looked on their website and the were retailing for £600 - the first time I've got a reall bargain on ebay

Best shoes I've ever had

prawny

I've got a pair of loakes and bloody nice they are too, I wouldn't class them as luxury though, they were less than £100.

There's a little book inside that tells you not to wear them two days running and to keep them on cedar shoe trees. I keep them in a box in the cupboard. They only get dragged out for special occasions.

If I were a bit more 'well heeled' (boom boom) I'd get my shoes from here

http://www.crockettandjones.com/Shop/Birmingham

Sorry it's a bit northern for you london types.

walkingbootweather

prawny wrote:

There's a little book inside that tells you not to wear them two days running.

You probably shouldn't wear them for running.....

.... or for riding your bike