Most people know about removable insoles, heel grips, tongue pads etc. to fix various fit issues, what some might not think about though is that if you go to a good cobbler you can have fix the same issues in an even nicer looking and better way. Here I highlight a number of fit modifications that cobblers can do. It’s very common that RTW shoes does not fit perfectly, but in many cases the modifications below can make it really good.
Read an article about the even simpler, self-adhesive fit correction solutions here.
Heel lining
Heel slippage is a common complaint on shoes that are a bit too long or have a heel that is too wide. So-called heel grips can help, but a good cobbler can attach a proper heel liner that is both better looking, more comfortable and more durable. The shoemaker simply puts in a thicker piece of leather which is skived towards the edges for a smooth transition. In the event that a lot needs to be added, one can use two leather pieces. This is not something that cost too much, usually between €30-50.
Nicely made lining in the heel, which reduce the size at the back by about half a size.
A skilled cobbler does this kind of work so that it is virtually impossible to tell that the shoe has been modified. Here the upper seam at the back is made by the cobbler, but you really have to study the shoes closely to discover that it’s not the original seam.
Previously, these had a bit of heel slippage, and didn’t close completely tight around the ankle either. After the procedure, they fit really nicely. I later put some shoe cream on the edge of the heel lining to hide it a bit more, although it’s not immediately visible when the pants are covering (the extreme fold-up is for the fit of the shoe to be visible).
Tongue lining
This is basically the same type of work as above, only that it’s done on the tongue instead. This is to correct if the instep of the shoe is too high. In this case, the lacing on the derby closed almost completely before, and there was also a bit of slack around the ankles. A piece of leather was not enough to fill in the space needed, as they were too thin, so the cobbler took a piece of natural rubber and put it under the leather to build-up more. This also usually costs around €20-50.
Apart from the fact that the tongue is now a bit stiffer than before, this procedure is hardly noticeable at all, except then that the shoe fits better.
The work on the stitches is not as nicely done by the cobbler who did this, but still it is nothing that is particularly noticeable.
With the tongue distance, the gap at the lacing was just fine, and the gap around the ankles was better, albeit not perfect.
Adding a permanent insole
Having removable insoles, especially if they’re all leather or leather and a natural material like cork, generally works pretty well if you need to fill out the volume a bit. Insoles can sometimes if they don’t match the shoes completely slide around a bit in the shoes, and sometimes you can even feel the edge a bit somewhere. All these small issues can be avoided if you have a cobbler attach a permanent leather insole. Also, you can make more specific modifications here, such as having a thicker layer at the back half if needed but you still want more room in the front, or similar.
A thin leather insole glued in can adjust the volume to perfection, without looking or feeling any different.
Adding in a filler just in a specific area, or extra in a specific area along with a full insole, is also an underrated way to get that last bit right for a perfect RTW fit.
Stretch shoes
To stretch shoes is a well-known intervention to make shoes that are a bit too small still workable. In fact, it’s possible to enlarge a pair of shoes quite substantially, up to a full width size. In particular, the width and to some extent the height can be changed, but not the length, as the stiffeners prevent this. The shoes are treated with a leather softener and then put in a machine that can put heavy pressure on large parts of the shoes or just a very specific area. These Crockett & Jones Connaught below were, for some reason way too small, despite being a size UK10 in the standard width that I knew would fit me in the 236 last. However, with two rounds of stretching, they then fitted nicely. The price range is generally between €15-30.
A good stretching of shoes should barely show at all. Many people think that seams have a hard time stretching, but in fact they can do it without a problem, it’s the leather that you have to be most careful with.
Here you can see the only clear sign that these shoes have been stretched out, the slightly diagonal creases just behind the toe cap seam above the sole edge. If you look closely, you can also see that the side extends a little extra over the sole edge.
Highly informative as usual, thanks!
Richard: Thanks a lot, glad you think so!
Great information as always. One comment on the heel slip is to have the thicker leather inserts stitched down either side of the shoe rather than all of the way around the back of the heel. Rather than pushing the foot forward, this allows the foot to sit back into the heel, keeps the joint of the foot and shoe aligned and neatly reduces the volume around the top edge for an improved fit.
STOCKINGS
Oh, and on the stocking polishing front a fine denier is better than a heavy denier which can strip the polish!
Deborah Carre: Cheers! Aha, haven’t seen that done, sounds like a good thing in some cases. But you don’t stitch on the side, no? Seems both difficult with the stiffener, and would create a rather dramatic change of the look.
On the stockings, personally I don’t like using fine denier socks, they get torn and droop more easily. IME what matters is that it needs to have at least semi shine fabric, then it can be thicker as well without a problem.
Thanks for the informative post. I ordered a MTM but my feedback was incorrect (I said there was too much space in vamp, enough to get a small pinch – but in fact, the vamp was fine when I stood up) and therefore I think the vamp of the shoes is going to be made too tight for my feet (they are nearly done making).. How much can the vamp be stretched? Is there anything you’d recommend?
Unfortunately this doesn’t address the problem I’ve had with every shoe: the sides of my heel not being clasped. I’ve had cobblers add padding to the back and all it’s done is force my foot forward, shortening a shoe that was the correct length and still not correcting the complete lack of grip on the sides of the heel. What can be done then?
Before anyone says, I genuinely cannot find a shoe narrow enough, but also long enough for my foot. Good luck finding a women’s US size 14 in a 2A width. I’ve also done the runner’s loop on every shoe I can with no luck.