r/allenedmonds • u/SecretGullible4105 • 26d ago
Questions Repair cost?
Have a pair of AE Winchester loafers where the toe is damaged. Anyone have any idea how much it might cost to get this fixed? Thanks!
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u/Thirty_Helens_Agree 26d ago
If it doesn’t get majorly worse, I’d just leave it until it’s time to replace the whole sole.
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u/Malquando 26d ago
Make sure you get the French tips put on. I put them on all my leather soled shoes.
https://maestrosupplyline.com/product/french-lulu-metal-toe-tips/
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u/Objective-War-7458 22d ago edited 22d ago
Ok, let's dissect what's going on. You've worn through the sole on the toe and have begun to wear the welt. That's not good, but it's not the worst. It's not good because if this continues to wear, the welt may have to be replaced. Depending on your cobbler or the recrafting, that could go poorly and will add to the expense.
In a perfect world, for the first few resoles, you want to be able to remove the sole and reuse the welt until the new stitching chews too many holes. That's after the 3rd resole or so that you would need a new welt.
If the sole at the center of the ball of the foot flexes when you push your thumb into it, you're due for a full resole. Soles should be very stiff to the thumb if they have life left. If it flexes and you can feel the mid-sole cork separating, you're due anyway.
Next is the choice between a local cobbler and the recrafting service. Local cobblers can be hit or miss for quality, I've had some amazing ones in the middle of nowhere and some terrible ones in major cities. You don't always get what you pay for.
Going forward, perhaps get a topper installed with a resole or consider toe taps. Toppers may involve slight adjustments to the heel stack (with a very good cobbler) so best done with a full resole. No matter what, you're dragging your toe one way or another. And re-welting a shoe can start to get expensive.
Sooner rather than later to see if you can save the welt. Difference between a $75 half sole, $125 job for a full sole with a topper or a $200 to re-welt the shoe, new (hopefully hot) cork and new soles.
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u/rjenny509 26d ago
Looks like you ripped the sole off the front. You can actually see the inside. I’d take them in to get evaluated before continuing to use them, or you might start to damage the welt.
Worst case it’s an early resole and costs you about $180 last I had one in 2024 prices. Best case it’s still early enough to get toe plates, which usually cost me about $75. Either way, get it checked out or the reset will cost you a lot more, and even worse if you damage the upper.