G&G MTO

[bry2000]

No, the mohagany and non-mohagnay were quoted at the same price. I got the non.

[SouthPender]

Great thread. One very interesting incidental detail: when G&G were asked by Manton for partial rubber covering on the soles, they put Topys on. Yes,,,that's right, the oft-maligned Topys. Those, if you'll recall, are the thin sole coverings that are said to prevent the shoes from breathing, ruin the soles underneath, upset the balance of the shoes, etc. And here we have the two pairs pictured in this thread having Topys! If it's good enough for G&G, boy, it's good enough for me. Actually, I've been using Topys for 25 years now, and have never encountered any of the problems so often cited. Urban myths?

[kolecho]

Topy soles are not uncommon amongst top makers. Here is one from Vass.

[bengal-stripe]

Gaziano & Girling, made-to-order.

[dopey]

Great thread. One very interesting incidental detail: when G&G were asked by Manton for partial rubber covering on the soles, they put Topys on. Yes,,,that's right, the oft-maligned Topys. Those, if you'll recall, are the thin sole coverings that are said to prevent the shoes from breathing, ruin the soles underneath, upset the balance of the shoes, etc. And here we have the two pairs pictured in this thread having Topys! If it's good enough for G&G, boy, it's good enough for me. Actually, I've been using Topys for 25 years now, and have never encountered any of the problems so often cited. Urban myths?

I agree that many of the cautions against Topys are silly. Certainly, the idea that the leather won't be able to breath is nonsense (though it is true that shoes that are soaked will take longer to try with Topys than without). But I don't think they are suitable all the time. In particular, they throw off the look of a delicate single soled dress shoe. I say that from experience having a pair that doesn't look as good with a Topy as it did without. It is just a bit clumsier. On the other hand, there are many shoes I am quite comfortable using them on. The only cautionary advice I ever got about Topys that seemed sensible was the advice from Moulded Shoe. They suggested that I wait a bit before installing them so that the leather soles would have a chance to flex a bit first. That would be harder to do, they said, if I had the Topys put on right away.

[manton]

I have not noticed any breathing problem with Topys either. But then I find that cordovan is too warm for summer, and others disagree.

I do not find that Topys make a single soled dress shoe look clumsier. I have shoes on which the Topys were put on by the maker, and shoe on which they were put on by a repair shop. In every instance, looking at the shoe from the side, you can't tell it's there.

I think Tony G's main objection to Topys is that he thinks his soles are real purty, and the Topy uglifies them.

[dopey]

. . . I do not find that Topys make a single soled dress shoe look clumsier. I have shoes on which the Topys were put on by the maker, and shoe on which they were put on by a repair shop. In every instance, looking at the shoe from the side, you can't tell it's there. . .

If I didn't know you, I wouldn't believe you, but since I do, I do. I will have to get the name of your shoe repair shop so I can try them out. I thought my guy does a pretty good job, but the work is definitely visible from the side.

[couch]

Dopey, if by "delicate single-soled dress shoe" you mean a shoe for wear with dinner or evening dress, I can just see this. And I wouldn't want a Topy on a shoe I might have the opportunity to dance in; I'd fear pitching on my face if the shoe didn't slide. I've only used the Vibram version of this tap sole (and only on Park Avenues, which are not delicate to start with, even on my narrow feet) which are a bit thicker than most Topies, as I understand it. Are there, as I gather, more than one thickness of Topy? If so, that might explain some of the discrepancy . . . .

[kolecho]

There is only one Topy thickness AFAIK.

My Topy-ed shoes are all applied by my cobbler, not the factory. He shaves the rubber layer thinner where it meets the leather sole. The leather sole is also shaved a bit at this point. The end result is an almost flush junction between the Topy and leather sole. The Topy does add a bit of thickness to the sole, but this is not noticeable from the side unless one scrutinizes up close.

I like the surefootedness that I feel when wearing Topy-ed shoes, but I can't bear to see Topy on the super sleek half black soles like those on EG top drawer and GG bespoke. It is an aesthetic issue more than anything.