Suffering from standard wear + tear, the Boss Orange suede slip-ons arrived at the Concierge with water damage around the toe cap and vamp area and some seriously worn-out soles. In fact, the outsoles were scraped to the seams, revealing the rubber cushion under the footbeds.

The cobblers stripped off what remained of the original soles, and created a fresh base, featuring a support panel modeled after the original style, above. The team applied fresh rubber soles to closely mirror the shoe profile, down to the exact color of the trim work. Many members of our #shoesquad tend to switch out leather for rubber for a more durable option.

Next, English heels – a blend of rubber and leather – were added to suit the original footwear design. Finally, the cobblers cleaned the suede uppers. Water damage can reshape and discolor skins, and ground salt only increases the weathering. To combat the elements, it’s important to let shoes air-dry and leave footwear to reform on shoetrees.

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