Shoes

[theoldesouth]

Seeking advice, please. Any thoughts on the advantages and disadvantages of Blake vs. Goodyear shoe construction?

I'm considering having shoes made by Aubercy in Paris. I've done searches here and recall reading only positive comments regarding them, but would appreciate any up-to-date perspectives on the quality of their service and work.

Thank you, in advance, and best wishes,
John

[ScarpeLombardi]

With the blake stitch, no welt is needed and all the stitches are inside the shoe. This means that the sole can be much thinner and cut closer to the upper, compared to a goodyear-welted shoe. I find that the shoe styles tend to reflect this difference; all my Blake-stitched shoes use thinner & softer leather all around.

The thinner leather means the shoes can be lighter, stretchier (shorter "break-in" period), and finer.

It also means that they'll wear a lot faster than shoes constructed with thicker leather. If not properly constructed, blake shoes can be much less waterproof than goodyear welted shoes. If you step on wet ground, the water can get drawn into the shoe via the stitches. Also, finding a cobbler may be more difficult, since blake-stitching equipment is less common in the US (but probably very common in continental western Europe).

Personally, I think that blake stitched shoes are better for warm days, light usage, and more formal occasions. Conversely, goodyear welted shoes are better for colder/wetter days, heavier usage, and occasions where robustness is preferable to dexterity.

[theoldesouth]

Thank you for the reply, SL, and for sharing your thoughts.

As M. Aubercy is enthusiastic about the Blake option and promises the best quality of workmanship, I'm inclined to give it a try. I have many pairs of shoes to rotate through, so no one pair will get much wear and I'd imagine rarely getting caught in the rain, but I do walk a lot whenever possible...

I very much appreciate having the benefit of your insight while I give it a bit more thought.

Cheers,
John

[J.S. Groot]

Technical pros and cons (which I know nothing about) notwithstanding I would advise also thinking in terms of aesthetics. I find that while Blake-stitched shoes can look wonderful on display, the lightness of the construction, visually speaking, often leads to the shoes collapsing under the weight of their wearer. Of course, with the craft of the Aubercy-team at your disposal I suppose you could get them to construct a more substantial look, but then why not go all the way and have the shoes welted? I would think, by the way, that Aubercy welt their bespoke shoes by hand rather than Goodyear machinery.

[theoldesouth]

Hi JS,

Thanks for chiming in.

Yes, Aubercy does Goodyear welts by hand. Xavier (Aubercy), however, assures me that his Blake construction is very sturdy and up to heavy use, including lots of urban walking and [reasonably] rainy conditions.

Based on his narrative, the Goodyear welt becomes more of a demonstration of his shoemaker's virtuosity, offering the wearer the added pleasure of a hand-welted shoe rather than necessarily offering an advantage in durability.

He uses a watch metaphor to help illustrate the difference. The Blake shoes are the elegant ultra thin, while the Goodyear shoes are the complicated timekeeper, say, a minute repeater. Both reliable, but offering the wearer different pleasures.

He sounds sincere and desirous of earning my ongoing business and he knows how I'm going to wear the first pair that he delivers. So, I suppose that I'll take his advice and go with the Blake construction for that first pair.

All part of my education...

Thanks, again.