Custom Shoe Making

Design Your Own Shoes - Freaky Shoes

"A year ago, I got a pair of Ralph Lauren wingtips for a whopping 800 bucks. I know—that's an insane amount of money for a pair of shoes. Except, in the past, I've paid at least that much (twice that, even) for suits, some of which I don't even wear anymore, because either they wore out or they were too trendy in the first place. These wingtips, though, they'll never go out of style. Bench-made in England, tobacco brown leather, the kind of hefty soles that would allow one to kick some serious ass if one had to. I put taps on them, I keep 'em in shape with cedar shoe trees, and I lather them up with a neutral polish every few weeks. Yes, I'm slightly obsessed with them. But here's the thing—if you invest in quality, it'll pay off. These shoes will last me a decade or longer. If I bought a pair of cheap rubber-soled lace-ups, they'd be in the trash in a year and I'd have to pony up another $150. I'm not a math guy, but that seems like a lot of cash over ten years. I'll stick with my $800 wingtips and bet that over the long run, I come out ahead."—_Adam Rapoport, _GQ style editor

The most worn item in your wardrobe—that pair of quality leather-soled dress shoes you regularly wear to the office—requires the most attention. We asked Joe Rocco, third-generation cobbler and owner of Jim's Shoe Repair on East 59th Street in Manhattan, to talk parts and service. Plastic is quieter, metal more durable. Either will prevent the soles (and heels—be sure you remember the heels) from grinding away. Taps typically wear out or fall off after about six months.

Walking on warped soles can ruin a good pair of shoes and even cause back trouble. Start checking your soles after a year or so, and be sure new ones are sewn on, never glued. New heels every couple of years are a good bet, and the right cobbler can adjust them to fit how you walk. Most shoes have shock-absorbing rubber rears to save your soles (and ankles). Have a cobbler replace them before they wear down to the leather soles themselves.

You know how you buy a nice pair of shoes and they're laced straight across? You need to call b.s. on that. They're impossible to loosen and tighten; it's done purely for display. So take out the laces and start over. The most important step is the first, inserting the lace over (not under) the bottom eyelets. Like so.

There was a shoeshine man who used to make the rounds at 745 Fifth Avenue, the building where I worked my first year in New York. He was fond of saying that a true gentleman didn't feel properly dressed unless his shoes were freshly shined every morning. I always liked the sound of that—even if it did feel more than a little self-serving—but after he borrowed $50 from me (and countless other soft touches throughout the building), never to be seen again, I decided that shining my own shoes once a week was gentleman enough. I love the ritual: the careful laying out of newspaper, and the round tin of Kiwi polish with the built-in wing-nut-shaped turn-key opener—a damned near perfect piece of industrial design. After enough applications, the old T-shirt that I use becomes a work of art in its own right, a poor man's Matisse. And my dad's horsehair brush (with the Good Housekeeping Seal branded into its hardwood handle) is the very same one he taught me with. First, I brush the shoe well, cleaning it of any dust or dirt. With the rag wrapped tightly around my first two fingers, I apply the polish in small, tight swirls. By the time I'm through applying wax to the second shoe, the first will be dry and ready to brush, and that's all I do.

I have a closet full of nice shoes but wear the same ones practically every day—a size 13 cordovan (color and leather) plain-toe lace-up. With this particular shoe, I use a black cream every third or fourth polishing instead of cordovan paste. It makes them the same deep aubergine as a perfectly ripe eggplant. They go with everything I own, and they're as comfortable as a bare foot in sand. I've had them resoled twice already, and I'm told a well-made, well-cared-for cordovan will outlast its owner. I aim to find out—just not too soon, I hope.

Yes, if you want your shoes to last, you need shoe trees. Ones made from cedar. They'll preserve the shape of your shoes, prevent them from developing deep creases, absorb moisture, and even make them smell better. They're a no-brainer. Wearing boots with a suit achieves two things: It says you understand that uniforms look best when they're messed with, and that when it's raining or snowing, your Ferragamos should be left in the closet. It needs to be the right suit—slim and stylish, and preferably cut from a durable, wintry fabric. The boot itself ? Leather-soled military-style ones like these are ideal. They're like dress shoes, only a hell of a lot tougher.

**A. **One tin of black wax polish and one tin of neutral. The black for your black leather dress shoes (obviously). And the neutral for your brown—because you essentially want to moisturize the leather, not color it. **B. **An old T-shirt or towel will do the trick for applying wax. But if you buff your shoes post-brushing, invest in a nice soft chamois. **C. **Don't skimp on the brush—you want a wood handle and horsehair bristles. And for when you're running out the door and just don't have time for a full polish, keep an instant-wax sponge in your kit for a quick touch-up.

"Many Americans have this idea that if you put on a dress shoe, it has to be black. But Italians—and I myself, especially—very rarely wear black shoes, except for very formal occasions like weddings and funerals. I'm almost always in brown shoes, because they just work with everything. If you're in a pale gray sweater and khakis, you choose a light brown shoe; if you're in a navy blazer and dark gray pants, chocolate brown loafers. The one rule I have is that your shoes should match your accessories. Don't try to wear a deep brown watchband and a black belt and caramel-colored shoes. That won't work. But the beauty of brown shoes is that all the different shades let you communicate something about your personality—you tell the world you have a sense of play and character just by putting something on your feet." "The penny loafer's got a fusty reputation, but so many designers these days are doing it in this modern, streamlined shape; instead of making your feet look stubby,a loafer by Bass or Prada will actually make them look longer. And a black penny loafer takes on the character of any outfit—when you're in a business suit, it's formal; when you're in a polo and jeans, it's casual. Consider it the perfect in-between when you don't feel like putting on a pair of sneakers or dressy lace-ups."—Jim Moore, GQ_ creative director_

The question I'm asked most is "What color socks should I wear?" How boring. Wear a color you feel like wearing! A more interesting question is "What color shoes should I wear?" Dullsville is a place where they only wear black and brown shoes. White shoes light up the summer. Spectators and saddle shoes signal an adventurous spirit. Bucks are good not only in white but in tan, gray, and blue, too. Colorful shoes are not just for women. I've been wearing Belgian Shoes in colors for years. I have brown and black, natch, but also blue calf and green suede. They even come in wool tartans: My Black Watch pair matches my wallet. Scared? Nobody ever gave Charles Oakley lip for his purple alligator loafers. Designers like Paul Smith are getting hip and doing color for men. I see desert boots lately in all sorts of colors. Take a walk on the wild side. If you're sitting at your desk reading this, stop for a second and cross your right leg over your left. When your pant leg rides up, exposing some dress sock, ask yourself this: Do you like what you see? You should. Your socks should have as much personality as—if not more than—the rest of your outfit. You've got two ways to go.

You can tell a lot about a guy by glancing at his ankles. Is he a stick-to- the-rules type—the kind who dutifully matches his socks to his pants every morning? Or is he the type who understands that dressing well often means dressing with a rebel streak? We think you can pair a boldly patterned or colored dress sock with pretty much anything—a sharp suit, elegant pants, or, say, a pair of dark jeans. Just look for stripes or colors that complement your look up top (maybe matching your shirt or tie) while contrasting with your pants or shoes. And don't worry if you break a rule or two—that's the point. Socks this bold work one of two ways: Either they pop against a completely neutral outfit (white shirt, dark suit and tie), or they complement what's going on upstairs. Could be a red tie, could be a yellow oord.

"I used to think that keeping a bottle of talc around was like reaching for hair tonic or witch hazel—you know, old-guy stuff. But then this magazine—and pretty much every fashion designer and J.Crew mannequin—started telling us that we've got to go sockless (see right) in the summer months. Looks cool, feels cool. Except, that is, when your feet are a swampy, sweaty mess. So now, suddenly, I'm one of those guys who use talcum powder obsessively. I give my wingtips or boat shoes a dusting with it every morning before I head to the office. My feet slide right in, and they actually do feel cool. Of course, one dusting doesn't completely keep me from sweating on brutally hot and humid days; the stuff's not magic powder. That's why I keep a stopgap bottle in my desk drawer."—_Adam Rapoport, _GQ style editor

No matter your pace during a race or workout, it’s fun to feel fast. Whether you’re doing short intervals on the track or racing up to 10K on the roads, you’ll want a shoe that can help you unleash your top gear. This used to mean lacing up the lightest-weight pair you could find, since the fastest options typically offered just a stiff sole with tread or spikes to grip the track. But, serious innovation in recent years has radically changed what speed shoes look like; even road-racing models with thicker midsoles and tall stack heights are well-suited for your speedwork sessions.

Going sockless is a quick way to invigorate everything from a trim suit to short-cropped khakis. But there's a sensible way to pull it off. Do you really want to walk around all day not wearing socks with nice leather shoes? Thought so. Besides talcum powder, consider loafer socks—they're so low-cut they're essentially invisible. We like the ones from Bananarepublic.com. Buy a bunch and wear them all summer lo

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For serious racing and training on the track, you’re still best served by a pair of track spikes—extremely lightweight, stiff-soled shoes that envelop your feet and have spikes (aka, “pins”) attached underneath the forefoot. Track spikes for sprinters feature multiple pins under the forefoot and minimal structure in the heel, while spikes for middle and longer distance have fewer pins and thicker midsoles for a bit of comfort. The pro of track spikes is that there’s no faster footwear for track running. The con is that no, you can’t wear them anywhere else.

Racing flats, which are lightweight shoes meant to maximize a race effort, are more versatile than track spikes—you can wear them to run and race both on the track and on the road. Unless you’re a pro, even lightweight running shoes will work just fine on the oval, though they’re not quite as fast around the turns as track spikes. The biggest benefit is your legs (especially your calves) don’t get beat up as badly in road shoes. We hit our local track on a rainy afternoon to see how these spikes performed at fast speeds in wet conditions.

Between our staff and a 250-runner-strong wear-test team, we laced up every single pair of the 15 spikes and road racers below. We hit our local tracks to see how they performed in both wet and dry conditions during demanding speed sessions including ladder workouts, wind sprints, and 400-meter repeats. On the pavement, we evaluated the spike-less options on this list for their fit, cushioning, and comfort during longer tempo runs and in real race situations. In addition to our on-foot impressions, we also considered the data we collected from mechanical tests in our RW Shoe Lab to determine the best use for each model.

Another crazy new shoe from Nike, the Dragonfly looks more like a conventional spike, albeit one with an exceptionally thick sole. That’s made possible only by the use of ZoomX foam. The result is a shoe that takes out the sting of running hard but doesn’t slow you down. Most of that foam, however, is centered right behind the ball of your foot—you feel a noticeable bulge there, and then the padding drops off at the heel. So, it’s not for easy-paced runs. Our testers all raved about the accommodating yet locked-down fit; the shoe has a square toe box, almost like a normal trainer, which makes it comfortable for long distances. Tip: Go sock-less. The mesh is smooth against your bare foot, and a hole at the back of the shoe wraps around your heel, acting like a flexible heel counter to keep you securely locked to the sole.

The MetaSprint is wildly different from your usual track spike. The entire outsole is made of a carbon-fiber plate, but the forefoot doesn’t include any metal pins. Instead, there’s a honeycomb pattern of jagged edges that bite into the track. Beyond the traction component, the shape of the sole is novel, too. The plate is curved and forces your foot to roll inward on toe-off so that you’re pushing off directly over your big toe for maximum propulsion. It’s a noticeable effect that feels off initially, but smooths when you turn on the speed. Footwear tech has been under scrutiny in recent years, and the MetaSprint calls to mind Puma’s “brush spikes” from the late ’60s. Those had dozens of tiny needles on the bottom for grip, helped runners set world records, and were banned. Current World Athletics regulations stipulate a maximum of 11 pins on the sole of a track spike. It’s unclear how they count a shoe like the MetaSprint—which has eight clusters of raised hexagonal shapes—but it’s been approved for competition by World Athletics.

The most futuristic track spike on the market today is the all-new Victory. It uses a combination of a two-piece Air unit and springy ZoomX foam, plus a stiffening carbon-fiber plate to help you rocket around the track. The shoe feels entirely weird the moment you step into it—its tippy, and you notice two distinct bulges under your foot. As you run, it comes alive. However, the sensation isn’t springy, like you might expect from ZoomX, a Pebax-based foam (the same used in the Vaporfly) that’s extremely lightweight, well-cushioned, and has boatloads of energy return. Instead, you feel tension build and the shoe load up as you press your weight down into it, then launch forward with toe-off. The sole isn’t soft in the general sense, but it’s less punishing than a conventional track spike without being slowed by cushioning. Finally, unlike the fit of long- and skinny-like spikes of old, there’s a little bit of a flare that squares up the forefoot to accommodate wider feet.

 Thanks to a carbon-fiber plate plus a snappy outsole plate, this spike has a springy feeling at quicker paces. Carbon fiber’s strength-to-weight ratio and ability to bend and rebound is especially noticeable, making the shoe’s forefoot stiff and ready to rip. Brooks updated the plate to cover the entire forefoot, with extra ridges and cutouts to save weight. But compared to the previous version, the upper is where this shoe really shines. Brooks also upgraded the v5 to the exceptionally fine woven fabric it’s used in shoes like the Hyperion Elite with great success. It keeps the upper extremely thin yet provides outstanding strength and locked-in support without requiring additional reinforcements—it’s the kind of shoe we would have worn without socks back in high school and college. We noticed the v5 runs a little long and narrow, but none of our testers reported any pinching or discomfort.