Cranky Franky

Meh , a non story . But having said that i am sure there are at least half a dozen yanks that have tried to eat them and probably triple that who have tried to insert them where the sun don't shine. Slipped and fell in the shower ? yeah right

Erica, You should look after your Birkenstock Boston as you would any suede shoe . Get yourself a brass suede brush . This freshens up the nap on suede and removes dried mud and other crap . From the very first i would recommend a water proof spray available from most cobblers . This is a spray on protector and water proofer . The basic method is to brush the shoe with the suede brush to fluff up the suede then spray the shoe with the water proofer . Its better to do 3 light coats rather than 1 heavy coat . What it does is makes water bead of the surface and not actually penetrate into the suede causing it to stain. Do it twice a year and you are good . There is also a suede shampoo available to freshen them up as well . Not necessary if you look after them . Suede doesn't really like water so they are not for rainy days . I repair and resole about 5 pairs a week ,they are quite sturdy but the sole wears with time but they can easily be resoled . Even the cork bed is replaceable . They usually wear out on the outer side of the heel first so before you start wearing into the cork take them in for a resole . I use 2 types of resoling material made for Birkenstock . one is 8 mm and the other is 10 mm . Both are of the same material so it is a matter of preference. I have seen some anomalies in them over the last couple of years mainly the sole comes unstuck from the foot bed . There is a common cause which may not apply to you . I live in Australia where it gets damn hot . Standing on a hot pavement reactivates the glue and can cause the sole to detach but also deform and harden the sole . Its very rare and seems to happen on 10 year old plus shoes . The in sole leather is very durable but can over time become hard and come unstuck. But this is also fixable by your cobbler . When you take them in for a resole the cobbler will glue the innersole as a courtesy. You will have many years of enjoyment from them . Don't ever be tempted to buy fakes or copies because all the one i have seen are total crap. Fun fact ( may offend some ) 25 years ago when Birkenstock first appeared in Australia they were the unofficial preferred summer foot wear of lesbians . Hence the Aussie term Lesbian thong . Then chefs started wearing them and now they are mainstream . I still have never owned a pair or even tried a pair on . I am a croc man . I have even been know to resole my Crocs with Birkenstock soles . Matter of fact i am wearing them now ."Birkencrocs" lol

Bren, Now that's thinking outside the square .How did you work that out ? what is the science behind it and what is the method ? I want to try it .

Being and Australian cobbler i repair about 20 -25 RM's a week, Probably 1000 per year . In fact i did my apprenticeship with RM Williams nearly 40 years ago. There are some inherent problems with them but it is mainly user abuse . When RM himself own the company the boots were bullet proof . The problem started when Louis Vuitton bought them and turned them into a "luxury brand" . They changed the upper material to Yearling leather which is thinner and softer as well as the sole material. The problem is what i would call a legacy mentality . Because they had a reputation of being a tough working mans boot people assumed they could treat the LV made ones like they did the originals . Wrong they are . They look like the same boot but they are not . The post RM boots are prone to cracking the leather on the sides both inner and outer . This is caused by lack of conditioner ,thickness of leather and too much polish which can make the leather brittle . On some occasions when the boots get wet people dry them out in front of a heater or fire . which causes the leather to dry out and crack . My conclusion is conditioner is king . But not any old conditioner . The RM brand conditioner is a lanolin ,neatsfoot oil and bees wax combination . It is good for the old RM's but not ideal for the new . It does condition but can if left on the shoes for a while form a cloudiness or whiteness to the leather . In most cases this can be buffed out . When they look like crap i clean them with saddle soap and use a Saphir cream polish to condition and restore colour . I also recommend a mink oil based conditioner like Saphir renovatuer . Kangaroo leather has its own nuances but can be treated the same as most RM's . I would clean the shoes using saddle soap if there is not to much wax build up . slow dry in doors with shoe trees inserted and then apply a coloured cream conditioner and buff . If there is too much wax on the boot then use Saphir renomat a day before saddle soaping . The best colour to use for the tan coloured RM;s is the cognac, whiskey or brandy quality shoe cream . Don't fear Kangaroo leather , it is the toughest leather for its thickness of any leathers . The best soccer boots are made from Kangaroo and can take a bit of moisture . RM's can but generally don't buff up super shiny at the best of times ,Its just the nature of the leather used . Good quality Northhampton shoes use a different leather and tanning process and take a shine really nice. For the price people pay for RM's you would think they would look after them better but they just don't . For what they are and the price people pay for them i would say they are over rated . I have a pair of RM lace up boots that i have had for 35 years and still going well . The quality equivalent to them would be the British brand Trickers Stow country boot which i love . RM Williams boots have a distinct look about them and if you love that look then fork out but any North Hampton chelsea boot would equal in quality . PS RM Williams is no longer owned by LV. but nothing has changed Except a $50 price increase sing Twiggy Forrest bought them . Going for $750 AUD Sorry for the long winded answer and i could go on about soles and linings. but i wont .

Does the motor have a capacitor. If so it could be that .

OH the Landis 12 , My nemisis . Landis machines get me so angry . They stitch perfect for one shoe and totally screw up the next . If i could pick it up i would have thrown it out the shop window years ago . Screw you Landis and curse upon your descendants .

I had the same dilemma , I bought a new motor that i believe is called a double wound motor . Depending on how you wire up the plug it can operate as either a 3 phase or as a 3 pin 15 amp. It runs exactly the same in either configuration .

Ugh , I have seen a better looking head on a hammer . I bet she has a nice personality though .

Hey Nic . Don't take it personally . 200 years of combined unfulfilled dreams, fussy customers , glue fumes , ugly fat wives and losing a cricket game to Afghanistan tends to make people cynical . I cant help you with the cream you are after however there is a product that may help you . Its not for your shoes but for your feet . Its called Gehwol fusskraft green . There is also a blue version . It's a cooling cream for feet . I use and recommend another of their products called Gehwol foot cream . It is made for hikers to stop blisters but very surprisingly it also gives relief for those that suffer plantar faciitis . Search the product on the net for a local supplier If you get some let us know how it goes . Coming into a scorching hot Australian summer i am considering getting some for my balls .

Hey Northern cobbler , My experience is that EVA glues well with just standard Yellow contact . I assume Renia would be even better . But that depends on what you are sticking to it , That material might require some primer.I did a job today that was a combination . They were Nike hikers ( didn't know they existed ) from the late 90"s the outer sole was a yellow rubber and the mid sole was EVA The outer sole had come unstuck and needed re gluing. I did 2 coats on the EVA and 2 coats on the outer sole . I attached the sole on while the glue was still wet to help me slide the sole in position . After about 2 hours i heated up the sole and put it in a press . Its seems to have stuck well . Lately i have been getting a lot of hiking boots in for gluing . Brands that i thought highly of have been failing . Scarpa , Merrell, Vasque and that sort of price range . When just the toes come unstuck my go to glue is shoe goo it sticks well to everything but is not a contact so it need to be held , Taped , clamped, or rubber banded until it sets . I recently started using Renia colle de colone and their 2 primers as suggested by some of the folk on this forum . So far i am impressed .

An update , My primer and glue arrived and I have used it successfully. Everything seems to have stuck well but i will wait 2 weeks before i can claim victory . I ordered both the green primer and yellow but i am yet to use the yellow . The glue states that it does not use toluene however it is a bit wiffy . I am going to experiment more but initial results tell me that this may be my go to glue for any rubber to rubber/ PU/ man made compound combinations. I breath a sigh of relief . Thanks to everyone who responded . Untill the next one .

This would be interesting to go and see ,But alas i am from Australia . The closest thing we would ever get in Australia is 2 cobblers in a bare knuckle fight out the back of a bush pub .An exhibition in its own right none the less .

Thanks for all the help gents . Some further question in regards to the primers . I know and understand that cross contamination can occur with the Renia primers if used with a brush in the bottle , therefore pour the required amount into a separate container and discard what you don't use . Is the brush used washable with thinners or water or is the brush then discarded after one use ? Can the primers be used with those difficult to stick plastic / rubber crap .( Not even sure what that stuff is) You know the stuff i mean . Soft one piece soles that you have to cut the heel off because it clogs the belts and gets hot . The stuff on cheap shoes I understand the Renia primers have a shelf life after opening .What is the real field use time frame ? I ask this so i don't buy 250mls and it goes off on me before i can use it all when i can buy 100ml bottles . Does keeping them in the fridge prolong life ? I am not familiar with 50/50 .Is it one of the bostik products shown above ? What is it good for . I will have to ask my suppliers if they carry the bostik . I have seen bostik glues in other forms but not specifically for foot wear . I am sure some one will have it somewhere . Generally we use a yellow contact for 90% of the repairs and pvc when required and my favorite stuff for work boots and hiking boots is shoegoo . Sorry to bust your chops guys but i want to get this sorted so i can be happy Larry not cranky Franky. ( not my real name by the way )

Thanks for the prompt reply gents . To answer some questions I use a flexible super glue from my wholesaler not the regular hardware store stuff . I wipe it on with a cloth . I have to be careful so not to burn my eyes from the fumes or start a fire with the cloth . I have tried thinners but it tends to glaze the sole after i have roughed them and intuitively i don't think it is a good idea The heels i usually use are a Svig brand . Normal run of the mill heel rubber however the Topy brand heel looks the same but is harder to trim . As a rule i try to match the softness of the original with the type i replace . I use half soles .The regular 2mm Topy with the fine grip and if the sole is a bit thin i use a 3mm Topy . The 3mm is of a different rubber ,Its thicker but softer . This 3mm seems to stick better . I have found i have a better success rate using the yellow rubber contact than clear PVC Our standard yellow glue is called Bondura . We don't have a good variety of full soles to choose from in Australia and the cost of repair exceeds the value of the shoes in the end .So we tend to just bodge them up and send them on their way . After reading the comments something KJ Holmes said got me thinking . I think i might tend to overcook the glue . I am ordering the Renia primer and glue in the morning and see how i go . To my utter despair Florshiem seem to favor the PU soles as standard now . Even the new imperials are not welt stitched leather soles . They may be in England but not here . I think because of our proximity to China we tend to get $hit quality shoes so people buy them instead of quality welted shoes . The exception is RM Williams I repair over 1000 RM'S a year however they are not exceptional shoes in relation to a Northampton factory shoe. I could do a 1 hour video on the problems with RM'S but they would probably sue me . Another question . I get a lot of Italian made shoes with glue down soles coming in for a re-glue. Not sure what glue they use but it is a consistent failure in both men's and women's shoes . I am only successful if i can manage to remove the sole and give both the shoe and sole a light sand . The glue in question is a tacky clear type but not like anything we use or can get . Do you guys have any tips to deal with that ? Once again guys thanks for the replies your advice was helpful

Hi there . I am an Australian cobbler and we tend to do things a little different here ,Mainly we are not as good as the Brits at repairing shoes . Cricket is another matter but I don't want to pick a fight . LOL Polyurethane soles are my nemesis and cause me endless grief . Although i specialize in high end shoes , Mainly R M Williams and Northampton factory shoes from England . However I do get my fair share of cheap crap where the repair often exceeds the cost of the shoe . The customer wants heels and Topy on polyurethane one piece soles . My problem is getting glue to stick to the PU not the Topy or heels . I have been priming the soles with super glue and it does work sort of but fails many times too . My question is what is the industry standard in Britain for dealing with this ? I have narrowed down my search to a Primer made by Renia PUR primer . Is this what you guys use ? Is there a better product ? Are there any alternatives ? Or does anyone have any tips to make better use of the Renia . Is there a perfect primer to glue combination ? My reps don't know $hit and all the old timers i ask have little or no knowledge about PU so it is with humble heart i ask advice from the Poms .

I have one that is not for sale and only show it off now and then just to watch cobblers drool .lol Here she is with her little bro both fully restored It is the only one i have ever seen and buying it was a no brainer . They are reasonably common in the US but also very sought after