Introduction

I’ve had my Crockett & Jones Pembroke (black grain derby) and Coniston (black rough out suede boots) long enough to resole them. They both have Vibram lightweight lugged soles which have served me well, but I love the feel of leather soles so much I replaced them with old stock JR soles. I’ve also got double soles on both. Now my entire shoe inventory is leather soled shoes. The current leather soled shoes that I have are the nicest soles I’ve tried so far.

Current Shoes

note - I’ve emailed Ichigo Ichie on what they used for their ready to wear shoes and they said they used a vegetable tanned leather similar to J&FJ Baker and JR. I think they wear slightly faster than the JR soles but the feel of them is very nice.

• Ichigo Ichie Tobacco Suede Oxfords (Vegetable Tanned Leather)
• Ichigo Ichie Reverse Burgundy Loafers (Vegetable Tanned Leather)
• Twinkima G Black Calf/ Wool Boots (New JR by Kilger Sole)
• Twinkima G Dark Brown Suede Single Monk Straps (New JR by Kilger Sole)
• Twinkima G Black Balmoral Oxford (New JR by Kilger Sole)
• Twinkima G Dark Brown Balmoral Oxford (New JR by Kilger Sole)
• C & J Black Pebble Grain Pembroke (Old Stock JR double sole)
• C & J Black Rough Out Suede Coniston (Old Stock JR double Sole)
• Brooks Hiking Shoes (pretty much only used for exercising)

Leather Soles in Seattle

I honestly think I can get away with leather soles even during mild rain in Seattle as long as I can break in my new soles while it’s not raining. What I’m more worried about is if the sidewalk and road freezes over like it did in December 2022. Even my Vibram soles couldn’t help me from almost slipping so I probably need those spikes that you wrap on your feet in if that ever happened again.

Leather Sole Treatment

Leather sole treatment is overlooked by shoe collectors because they have so many shoes that they never need to worry about sole care and never plan to actually resole. Others don’t really feel that it’s necessary. However, as someone who has more shoes than a normal person, but not as many as a shoe collector, I do think sole care is worth it for a few reasons.

1. It maintains the nice firm feeling of leather soles for the life of the sole
2. Mold Prevention (For Some Products)
3. Makes Water Absorption Slower (For Some Products)

I can’t actually back up the claim that it extends the life of the sole with personal experience because I’ve never had my leather sole completely break or tear before. I also can’t say if sole oil/conditioner reduces breathability but I don’t really care about that aspect of having a leather sole.

Boot Black Sole Conditioner is definitely my favorite sole oil to use because it does make it more water resistant via the emulsified beeswax and the anti mold ingredient actually works because it is stronger than vinegar which is in the more popular Burgol Leather Sole Oil and the Brift H Sole Oil. Saphir Sole Guard also works if you want to maintain the texture of leather soles, but it doesn’t contain any anti mold or water resistant ingredients. Some shoemakers use neutral shoe cream instead of sole oil, but the conditioning agent is usually much stronger so you have to be careful of how much you add and it contains no anti mold agent.

How I Use Leather Sole Conditioner (Sole Oil)

1. Use a shoe cleaner like Boot Black Two Face Lotion and wipe away anything on the sole with a paper towel. Let the sole dry out for a few minutes.
2. Pour out some Boot Black Leather Sole Conditioner and apply to the sole with a cheap dauber brush dedicated for sole use. I do think because of the beeswax, the cheap dauber brush is the best tool for the job. Mostly focus on the parts where there is wear in the sole. You can use this on the heel but it’s not necessary.
3. “Stand” the shoes up on something so that the soles can dry out and absorb the conditioner.

Leather Sole Experiment

What I’m hoping to see is if proper shoe/outfit rotation and sole treatment every few months will allow me to get away with having only leather soled shoes. I think I might be able to get away with this in Seattle where there isn’t heavy rain most of the time. Chicago would be tougher. There is also concern about the soles being slippery in wet conditions. The only place where the floor is really slippery for me is in building lobbies which usually have a pad to wipe away my feet. I’m also hoping to lean on my double soled shoes during the rainier seasons. If this fails I could add more rubber soles on the next resole. The Twinkima G Boots with half rubber sole and both C & J with the old Vibram Lightweight Lugged Sole is probably the perfect balance. I think the Vibram Lightweight Lugged Sole is the only rubber sole that is as comfortable as leather soles when standing for a long time. They also last a very long time compared to the other Vibram variants.