hart88

an Idea... could you find some leather to match the shaft of the boot/ and have a shoe repairer cover the zipper to keep you from using it, or thinking about using it? HUMMnn It would take a bit of work, mainly to match the leather or have it dyed. I have never thought about it until now, I will go back under my rock, and hear what happens. I know it would take some craftsman ship, but It will depend upon what you expect.

Hart88:-)

After studying your illustrations for a while, it finally became clear in my mind what you had in mind to make the boot shafts fit that Asian ladies legs. I'll bet the boots looked a lot better on her legs after the alterations than before. I'm sure she was well satisfied with the "after look" over the "before look". You really do know your craft. Amazing what you are able to do. Any more stories from your past jobs that could help out the guys?

Cheers---

Dawn HH

Dawn HH,

at the top of the shaft of the boot, the last few stitches, I sewed a bit of a curve, so that the boot top had a bit of shape, not just flat. It gave the boot some shape. Vinyl material is nice to shape, but hard to sew...

Because I had her come back, It gave me more ideas as I was working on the. It was kinda difficult to make the ankle are wrinkle free, but because I had her return, It was fairly simple to reshape the ankle area also. They fit her "like a glove" {with leather that wouldn't be as simple because leather is more bulky}

When I started "back in 1969" Vinyl shoes were just coming into the market. Now they are here in force. Some due to Vegetarians, some do to lower costs of production.

One point I want to make clear is I cut the stitches from the top side, not by cutting between the material and the zipper. I figured if I cut the stitches, I could carefully pull the vinyl away from the zipper...It worked. It takes alot of Patience, cutting stitch by stitch, and I had to be careful not to scratch the vinyl material. Leather would be a bit more forgiving, as I could polish the leather to fix minor scratches.

If you cut the zipper tape, or the vinyl material, you could have a disaster.

They say measure twice, cut once. Making the customer return a couple of times is better than having to take it apart two or three times. Repeated cutting, and sewing will leave you open for more mistakes.

So the moral of the story, is be patient. Plan ahead. If you need something for a costume, or event, try thinking a couple of months ahead. It would take the pressure away from the shoe repairer and they will enjoy doing the job more. I know in this day of microwaves, we think we can get what we want immediately...Most people in this business want to do a perfect job, but if you rush them, it might make the job less perfect.

last winter I had a woman who is Asian, who had matchsticks for legs...

Nice, but STRAIGHT.

Of course, the boots were those stretchy vinyl, and I told her that that stuff doesn't sew very nicely. In a case like that I would pinch the material against her leg, and mark with tape, or white pencil and draw from the top as far down to the point where the leg touches the material again.

In her case I could go almost all the way down to the bottom of the zipper, practically all the way down.

I decided to do something that I have never done before, I took the stitches loose from the zipper, called her, she came and I measured the boot by pulling the material in from the zipper opening....

I sewed one line, and had her come in...It was almost perfect, I only had to pull the material in about 1/2" more toward the zipper bottom

Cutline----\ @@@@@@@ / ----Cut line

@- spacer to keep redlines in place-Just look for the Red # that is zipper

@@\@|#|@/ -the slanted lines are the cut away

@@\@|#| / <the # is the zipper..the | | lines the

@@>\|#| / <original zipper Lines. cut away the

@@>\|#| / <material- material is apart

@@> |#| <I then glue the leather onto the zipper

@@@ |#| tape,then call the customer to see if I

am on the right track. If okay, then I

sew the rest and lining if necessary.

I have done this trick for many other slender legs... it takes some creativity to make the cut line and the stitch line mold into one near the bottom, but that is where the ankle bends, anyway. If you want more shape for the calf, cut the lines accordingly to make the shape you want.

letting a boot out, is alot more difficult, as You have to match the grain of the leather, find out which seam works best, either the back to make a V or a side to add a V. When you match the grain, and if you dye the leather to match, and it slowly fades, the grains will match... If you don't match the grain of the leather, fabric or vinyl, when it ages, the difference will magnify.

Good night everybody!

Tuesday was the worst day (my first day back), but surprisingly the rest of the week much better than expected. I am still behind on work that was waiting for me to get back, but I am optimistic that I should be able to do the job. I may have to swollow some pride, and say no to work that I might get easily worked up about, but normal work should be okay. (compared to the people in Lousiana and Texas, I might have gotten away with quite a bit less inconvenience than they...so I shouldn't complain too loudly!)

I thank the few people who sent me business during this last year. I have to say with some difficulty that I won't solicit any new business I have to go on dialysis again after 12 years of a transplant kidney. I ended up having 3 succesive infections and phnemonia and bascially really sick. I am only 50 and have been in this business for along time. I intend to stay as long as I can, but I should limit my abilities to my local customers during this time. I hope I can get a new kidney, but it takes time. I can still answer questions when I have time. If you are a usa customer, I can maybe try to help you find a place if you don't know a repair shop. this poem kinda decribes my enthusiasm to get to work each day Left foot, left foot, right foot, right; feet in the morning and feet at night ... In the house and on the street, how many different feet you meet. "Dr Suess"

polish is polish and Dye is Dye the best information about dying, is to clean off old finish Most Shops carry a dye prep, it takes down the glossy finish and old polish and grime (You could substitue Acetone- but be aware that if you touch an area that isn't leather- it will damage vinyl! If you don't invest the right amount of preparation, you will get a worst result. In other words, the right prep will give you the best results. *the best dye is also hazardous, and poisenous, so use with caution no smoking, and with some ventilation the old finish should be removed. but with black dye, you can dye almost any thing even your sink LOL! I had a lady who broke the glass Jar with the black dye(FIEBINGS) in her sink and she had Zebra stripes in her sink for a couple of years until she had a new sink installed mask the areas you don't want to dye, and be alot more patient and carefull while applying the dye close to the area you don't want to dye. Acetone can remove some of the dye if you get it on buckles, zippers, etc Don't be afraid if when it dries the first time it looks cloudy or streaky. Apply a second coat. When it is dry, apply some neutral or black polish and it sets the finish better.

(Due to a bad illness-kidney failure and infections related and non related) I can't do something like this at this time If you can find the leather that matches, you should be able to extend the boots. The extra material could have a buckle and strap to complete the design, that way you wouldn't miss the zipper at the top. I don't know how savvy the repair person you find is, but there are two sides to every piece of leather. different color, different gran. If you find a place that sells scrap leather, look at both sides, that increases your chances of finding leather to be used for the extention Sueded leather also sometimes is different on both sides For instance, I did some shoe work for the grumpy old men movies. They had me add a folded collar to a pair of boots for Ann Margaret. It was a suede boot to have a "puss and boots" folded collar...I ordered the black suede hide, and initially was disappointed that I couldn't get the right grain. then I turned it over, and the back side matched alot better.

this looks like a sole press machine. (by looking at all the foot pieces.) It would be handy, because most of the shoes today are glued together. the pieces on the ground must be accessories. It looks HEAVY. When I bought my first shoe repair shop, I had 3 machines, a sole stitcher, a sewing machine, and the 12foot long finisher machine with the sanding wheels and polish brushes and sole trimmers. Thats all we had.

Most of the heel material we have is a composition material. The better materials are Vibram, and Topy the heel material that is used for pin lifts(stiletto) heels, is a hard urethane material these days and is hard enough to hold onto the metal pins that go into the tube of the stiletto heels. If we pound hard onto the stiletto heels, and the metal pin shows, that means we have a substandard heel material. We usually hand nail with blued (hardned) nails or use a brad tacker (like a stapler) to nail on the top lifts (heel material) If you do it by hand, you need an ice pick or steel awl to make a starter hole, so that the nail sets into the heel lift material, and when you hit the nail you hit the nail, not your thumb nail! You could use the leg of a metal chair to use as a jack last. you should use a piece of cardboard to protect the heel pad of the shoe. If you use Super glue instead, you don't need to worry about nails protruding out the side of the heels, or breaking, or bending. If you use super glue, make sure you have eye protection and nose filter because the super glue fumes bother some people/ have a rag and some Acetone avaliable to wipe your hands with in case you get some superglue on your hands. If you get superglue on your hands, use the rag and Acetone to clean your hands as much as possible. you may think about aborting the job until your hands are dry. The super glue will dry and peel off. Make sure you don't touch your eyes while wet. discard any rags into a box right away. make sure you don't touch the shoes while your hands are wet with glue. the glue will stick to the shoes and damage them I always use a piece of cardboard that I use under the shoes. I always have a few pieces of scrap leather, rubber, or cardboard that I use for an applicator and will discard after each use. You could use few pieces of cardboard, or popsicle stick to use as an applicator during the process. keep a box that you throw them into after each use, when you use one piece for a brush to apply the glue to the material, it gets hard and you can't use it again. I put the rubber material on the cardboard on the bench. I smooth the glue with the applicator across the entire heel material in one motion. Practice makes perfect. after I apply the glue, I throw the applicator away immediately into the box, makining sure I don't splash anything. Then I take the shoe (make sure not to touch the glue) and place the shoe holding it down onto the rubber material for about a minute. you could practice without the glue first to get the motion right. I usually line up the front of the heel (the part that faces the toes) so I don't have to trim that part. If you make the piece of rubber material too perfect you won't have any room for error. I would make it a bit big and trim the rest by hand or cutter, or tin snips or tree pruner. We have a tool that cuts it around and the machine trims it nicely. I hope this helps you understand that you may be able to do it, but maybe you will be more gratefull to the shoemaker who does this every day.

Sorry, I have been nursing some illlneses, so I didn't get a chance to reply from the shoemakers perspective. I hope I will give you your money's worth. Many of the plastic Heels are hollow and some are extremely hollow. Like Dr Shoe mentioned, either a nail, or a piece of plastic might be broken off and ratteling for you! If you take a flat prying devise, like a non sharp knife, or wide screw driver, go to the front part of the heel (the part of the heel that faces the toes of your shoe). We call that the Breasting. If you scratch the heel, it won't be as noticable in this place. Be careful while prying the heel off. Sometimes heels (the piece that is nailed to the bottom of your heel - many of them are plastic also and a corner might break off) Also, many of the heel lifts have molded tips that fit like "tinker toys" into the heel block. If you damage even one of them to the point where you can't push it back into the heel block for a tight fit, then you are in trouble and you may trip on it, and actually pull it off and damage it completely or lose it on the street somewhere! Even walking on that hollow heel for one day can damage it severly enough that we have to cut both heels down to the same level and nail new heel lifts on. When You have opened up the heel, shake the shoe and the offending piece of plastic or nail will be freed to bother you no more. Some heels have a wall in the middle or many walls, so you may have to remove the heel lift completely so you can find that rattler! Like I said, be careful when reinserting the tabs back into the holes. If you damage any of those pegs, then you may have to go to a shoe repairer and have them repair the heels. Many of us use a wood dowel to tightly fit into the holes, and then we have to nail into those pegs only, otherwise, we will be back to where we started, shaking, ratteling and rolling around the room in a fit of anger...... I used to work for a shoeman, who filled the hollow heel with some glue, and then nailed away. He figured the glue would catch and hold any piece of nail that missed, or any piece of plastic that might break off. I think that is cheating ?! Sometimes when we get an extremely hollow heel, we use an industrial grade super glue to just glue the heel lift on, so we don't get Rattled! It really works! I use that method when everything else fails.

I treat patent leather as I do vinyl leather. also if the inside parts of the shoe are different than the outside, they will stretch differently Patent leather is supposed to be a finish over leather. If so, use a wood shoe stretcher that fits the foot snugly to begin with, then after you wet the entire shoe with the stretch liquid, carefully turn the handles on the stretchers a couple of turns and let set...Repeat over 2 or 3 days for maximun effect. if you try to stretch too much, the finish might stretch, or wrinkle after or during the stretching process... Patience is a virture with patent leather shoes. If they are really vinyl, you could use a bit of heat from a hair dryer (take note not to burn the leather or vinyl, because when it is burnt, you ruin the leather, or viyl) allow the material to cool completely and dry completely... on a previous post, I show a page of stretchers and different purposes. (if you have high heels use a high heel stretcher, flat shoes, a flat shoe stretcher, etc...

you may have to search quite a while. the Wax polishes are limited to about 8 colors. That is why they went to creme polishes to expand the colors... Tarrago has a creme polish that seems to have a bit more staying power than some others....www.Tarrago.com

I can't remember if they have a pink.

It looks like you have a traditional hook in those boots and because the hook is so small, you really have to pay attention when you are lacing the boots.

I have two links of boots I have repaired with these two kinds of lacers. These are not fashion boots, but I have used them for fashion boots when customers have requested a different kind of lacer.

The First Picture below, (they look like "-D") a D with a metal loop wrapped around it which has a hole in it which is then riveted to the boot. Many hiking boots have this kind. You can leave the lace in the loop, but you can loosen or tighten them easily. These speedlacers come in black, brass, nickel, and antique. I have a picture of a motorcyle boot that has them on...If you look at the left picture, you can see the "D-Ring" lacer better: http://hartlandshoes.us/framebts.jpg

*this is a motorcyle boot that I installed an inch build up on for a customer for medical reasons.

The next picture shows a kind of speed lace that you see on lots of hiking boots which is basically a metal loop that can be riveted onto the boot. (imagine " >o ") The ">" has a hole in it for a rivet and the "o" is where the lace goes through ... Right now I can only get them in Black. See the picture in the link below, it shows the style I am talking about. Look at the boot on right, you can see the lacers better. They extend beyond the edge of the leather, so the lace easily goes through it. http://hartlandshoes.us/BatesBts3.jpg

*this is an army boot that I resoled.

I hope that you can understand my illustrations, however crude, the pictures are better.

hi there,

Is the question you would like a sole siimilar to the army boot to be put on the Tuck boot?

It looks like the tuck boot has a welt...If it is a real welt, you could remove the original sole, and build up from there.

( a welt is the leather strip that is sewn to the shoe or boot. It is either leather or rubber, and that is what a sole is stitched to. some of these boots are made with a fake welt, that is just glued or tacked to the boot)

(If you wanted to make the welt more tighter to the shoe (less wide) it would depend upon where the stitch line is. You can't make it narrower than the stitch line. If the welt is a fake, you could remove it and install a midsole, which could be trimmed to the width of the shoe, and then build up from that point.

We have orthopedic foam crepe that is very light weight and you could easily build up even 2 inches and not be very heavy. It could be shaped to make it like the army boot. After the platform is made, you could have a light weight lug sole material glued onto the platform to make it look rugged.

The price would could be expensive, depending on who does it. Some shoe repairs treat this like an orthopedic build up, and will charge alot for it. It depends on who you have do the job.

Below, see a picture on my website of a pair of harness style boots that came with a glued on molded sole that I removed, stitched on a midsole, and then installed a real leather heel block and a leather filler midsole, then put a small Vibram lug sole on top. This made it a suitable boot for motocycle application, instead of just street use

to accomplish what you are asking, I would do the same kind of procedure except I would make it higher like you asked.

thank you, I didn't think of going there, ...Patent leather has its own problems, however. It is funny, White shoes get black marks, and Black patent leather get white marks. Weird! huh? The wax polish method seems to work with patent leather, also. I have heard some people say they use petroleum jelly to clean them but I don't like to promote that idea, because it seems to attract more dirt again.

since my last reply on this subject, I have been using this idea alot more, because of all the "pointy" shoes out there. It really works!! (I used to use the "shoe goo" for this procedure, but it is too rubbery, and doesn't dry quick or hard enough.

I am re-replying to this because the old posts evaporated with the new pages. This is a usual problem that seems to surface in the summertimes, maybe because we see more of the shoe because of less clothes, etc. A trick I always use first in the shoe shop is to dip my finger into the Wax shoe polish(neutral first) and rub my finger with the wax across the black spot. Many times this erases the black mark. Then all you do now is use some new neutral polish and polish the shoe, and you are ready. The next step if the wax attempt doesn't work, is to use my spot remover product. I am careful, because it could erase existing shoe color, but that is what happens when you scuff the leather, sometimes the color comes off. The reason I didn't mention saddle soap, because those marks are not dirt, they are residue from the edge of the sole or heel that rubs off onto the shoe. It is some kind of sole edge dressing, so saddle soap won't touch it. When applying a spot remover, sometimes I end up wiping the entire shoe with it, and then after it dries, I repolish the shoe. If the shoe polish isn't enough, you maybe have to find some leather dye, or take them to the shoemaker and have them refinish them for you. Of course, these instructions are for smooth leather, suede leather is different. The suede cleaning block mentioned previously would be the weapon I would use first. Make sure the edge of the suede cleaning block itself is clean, otherwise you will be spreading dirty particles onto the shoe with it. I use my knife to cut off dirty edges of the block so I have a fresh piece of the block to use against the stain... Some people think this next idea is herrisy, voodo, whatever, but I sometimes use real smooth sandpaper. (the higher the number of the sandpaper, the smoother it is- I would suggest a number over 100) I use a brushing motion, or combing motion, always rotating the sandpaper so I don't use just one spot, because that part of the sandpaper could start getting dirty, and spreading the dirt around... Don't set in one spot and dig away, you will have problems. The Idea is to use equal pressure on all the edges of the stain and beyond to kind of blend in the clean area with the rest of the shoe. In rare cases with suede, I take a clean straight edge knife and carefully brush the knife with the cutting edge 90* to the surface and use a cleaning, brushing motion. As with the suede block, or suede brush, don't focus too much on just the spot, always go past it, blending in the fresh cleaned area with the other areas. Many times just cleaning the light colored shoes makes them look better. The biggest mistake is to try to cover it over.

the factors that influence the wear of your heels can be the height of your heels, the construction of your shoes, the fit of your shoes(boots) and how you walk(your gait)

Driving can be very hard on your HHs. It is advisable to have a normal pair of shoes for driving and have your HH shoes ready when you are finished driving.

Installing a small wedge of material under the heel pad of your shoe may correct the way you land your heels. Don't be ashamed to ask your foot doctor about it ifyou really go over. Sometimes we can install an invisable wedge inside your shoe, or a very thin wedge on your sole to correct the foot placement...

Gene

www.hartlandshoes.us

I looked up the shoes that you are talking about, but was at a disadvantage not knowing exactly your style

It seems that the sole and heel may be a unit construction.

Maybe Polyeurathane.... My only thoughts are to be care ful while grinding material away, the sole and insole can be part of the same, and you might be affecting the structure of the shoe. Just a thought, or warning.

Good luck

Jim

can you explain in better detail what you did?

did you grind off the edge of the insole?

Did you cut out a sink hole (inlay) area for parts of your toes to lay into?

I am just interested in what you meant.

the following is probably only something a master shoe man can accomplish or some one who has made shoes with lasts...

I have worked in a shoe factory and I have experiance in lasting shoes.

If the boot is constructed in a way that I can pull the sole off, Then I can make the insole area wider, by cutting a slice open in the front area of the insole, (with the sole opened up) then cut a new piece of insole to "jimmie" the open area more, glue it in, then glue a thin insole over the top of the area that is cut open to cover the construction.

I usually cut the insole in the widest part of the foot, from the ball to the little toe. The cutout with the jimmie installed might look like a rounded diamond shape. the covering can be a new insole or a cut out piece of leather. (depends on original insole)

As soon as I know the customer is satisfied, then I can reglue or stitch the sole back together.

I have done this for extreme cases like a Bunion or Hammer toe, to open the shoe more than stretching can...

(a less stressful idea is to remove the insole entirely. some of the vinyl insoles literally have to be scraped out because the foam comes out in pieces.)

sometimes when heels are noisey, it is not just the heel lift (the piece of heel at the end of the heel block)-

sometimes the heel is extremely hollow, and that also makes noise when you walk.

Certain materials are better at noise reduction, but listen to this suggestion. I take the heel cap/lift/heel off and take scraps of crepe (soft foam rubber) and cut them into sizes to fit into the hollow heel. Then I glue and pack as much of the material into the hollow heel as possible, and then use my sanding machine (finisher) to sand them flat to the surface of the heel block, then install the new "rubberier" heel.

*This is also advisable for the extremely hollow heels. They are more difficult to repair because they are so hollow, which makes the new heels are more difficult to nail on, so the extra surface the the foam provides, ads extra surface to glue the heel to!!!

This really works!!!!!

I am not speaking for all shoe men, but this is scrap material that eventually gets thrown away, and a small extra charge may be added, but once you have it done, you will always come back to have it done again, unless you like hollow noisey heels.

Some orthopedic shops have this liquid foamy stuff that they spray into a hollow area, But I don't recommend that because if it gets wet, it will disintegrate, because it is intended not to be exposed to the outside elements.

(In other words, if your heel starts wearing out, then moisture could get into the heel block and cause the blown in foam to disintegrate.)

Thanks, Bubba136,

I got it figured out...

It takes getting used to different bb's and how they link...

(Thanks for editing the link for me, and your help.

This is my website:

http://hartlandshoes.us

I have useful topics and links for people and shoe care and repair.

note to Bubba 136 Can you tell me how to make the link work? I am not trying to promote my business, but I just want to contribute information... So could you make that link work since I couldn't, so people can click on it, rather than the page taking up all that space? Thank you, gene

I made a picture of many kinds of shoe stretchers

http://hartlandshoes.us/StretchingSeminar.jpg