Wanted: leather soles. With leather on top.

April 4, 2007 10:49 AM

I want shoes. Specifically: women's plain, flat, black leather slides, with leather soles. I'll bend a bit, but the shoes shouldn't bend much -- I want leather soles. Who likely makes these?

I just want a few inches of a plain band of leather on the top, and a fairly flat leather sole on the bottom. A slight heel is okay, but just an inch-or-less stacked heel heel -- no kitten heels or other prettiness. Definitely no on platforms, or anything all 'rounded' and modern. I do realise that I may be slightly unfashionable. Black, but I'm also willing to look at nice browns...

I can find some okay-looking ones with rubber soles. No.

The leather sole is the stumbling block for these (and everything else; I also want -- well, lots of new shoes, eventually; pregnancy has made all my old ones unwearably tight). I used to swear by Joan & David, but that was before they sold the company and switched to making cheap shoes with non-leather soles.

Re. "cheap" -- I get twitchy when the ultra-plain things I'm looking for go over US$250. Under $100 makes me question the quality, though. I want something that'll last years and years.

So, general suggestions for companies that make leather-soled, classic women's shoes appreciated. Kate Spade makes some nice classic what-nots, but gets a bit pricy. Bernardo has occurred to me, but they don't have the sort of slide I want, and their leather is a bit too thin for the hard-wearing thing I have in mind right now. (Last pair of slides like this went a decade, with a few re-solings.)

These aren't too far off from what I want, but I'm balking at the toe thingy, and the "metallic" aspect to the leather. (Decor-wise, some thoroughly tasteful buckle might be okay, but.) Also not thrilled by the wedge aspect. Still, not bad.

Just looking for better. And general company suggestions.

In a perfect world, these are in, or mailable to, Canada. Maybe not likely, so I'll take a look at ones I can get a friend in the US to forward along, too.

And, sorry this is so long -- really -- but -- I know somebody will suggest having them made for me. Okay. NYC this is not. How might I go about finding somebody who'd do a nice job?

(Oh, and no friggin' elastic tops!)

posted by kmennie to shopping (14 comments total)

These?
posted by MsMolly at 11:09 AM on April 4, 2007

Does the bottom part of the sole have to be leather, or just the footbed?
posted by fionab at 11:11 AM on April 4, 2007

These are leather sole with pieces of rubber for traction. And their from Taryn Rose (stylish but orthopedic!).
posted by fionab at 11:13 AM on April 4, 2007

Kors.
posted by fionab at 11:16 AM on April 4, 2007

Does the bottom part of the sole have to be leather...

YES!
posted by kmennie at 11:17 AM on April 4, 2007

For me J. Crew has been a good source of leather-soled shoes I could get resoled over and over again, without costing an arm and a leg. This is the closest I could find in their current catalog in terms of leather-soled slides, although it might be too strappy.
posted by needled at 11:17 AM on April 4, 2007

Earth slide. Born (with rubber sole but leather footbed).
posted by fionab at 11:22 AM on April 4, 2007

Picture of the old ones (why didn't I do that in the first place?).
posted by kmennie at 11:22 AM on April 4, 2007

Here's another option. According to this shoe repair forum, you can pretty easily have good quality rubber sole shoes re-soled with leather. Perhaps if have/find a cobbler that you trust, you can take your shoes there and simply have them re-soled?
posted by theantikitty at 11:24 AM on April 4, 2007

If you have, of course! Sorry about that. Anyway, that should expand your shoe choices considerably!
posted by theantikitty at 12:33 PM on April 4, 2007

Not quite what you are looking for at the moment, but theatrical shoes generally come with leather soles, and definitely classic looking. Here's one source.

They also do custom shoes. A shop I used to work in did a custom order from them at one point, it was a small amount over the usual price and took about 8 weeks, all through the mail.
posted by yohko at 2:58 PM on April 4, 2007

Wait!! Those exact shoes that needled suggested I know 2 people who have bought them and both have had one of the shoes' straps break apart.

Don't buy them!
posted by liberalintellect at 4:05 PM on April 4, 2007

That was supposed to be "suggested-". Sorry about my lack of punctuation.
posted by liberalintellect at 4:06 PM on April 4, 2007

Good to know, liberalintellect, I was wondering how the straps would hold. One plus is that J. Crew has a liberal return policy.

I have several pairs of shoes from them, penny loafers, lace-up oxfords, boots, pumps, fisherman's sandals, you name it. Other than the penny loafers they have all been shoes I wore to work with suits. The penny loafers in particular are incredibly comfortable and make my feet look tiny, and I have had them resoled several times during the ten or so years I've had them. I also have an obscene number of Birkenstocks in unusual materials and hues
posted by needled at 6:36 PM on April 4, 2007