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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Scottish Shoes in Trenches


Simon Birch

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19 minutes ago, Piper42nd said:

Knowing what they charge for B5's they won't be cheap by anyone's standards but I'm going to ask.

Harvey 

I understand, but I suppose it’s what is necessary nowadays when construction is in such a traditional way.  If your insistence is on authenticity then I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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I have a pair of current issue (well..... 80s issue) for comparison.

They can be picked up very cheaply and with spats over the top very little shows....

IMG_8720.JPG.8f4b1cbaee40c5946dadb1b68e432aea.JPG

IMG_8722.JPG.07a2d950fd866b77a637329c0a06f94b.JPG

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If Mr Lennon proves to be beyond my reach I'll try your approach 4thGordons.

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On 20/10/2023 at 16:09, Andrew Upton said:

............ an example of an original 1914 dated brogue to illustrate:

1914 dated Highland shoe-brogue.jpg

 

I've looked high and low for this photo Andrew ......... and failed ....... kindly add link.  Regards.  TA 

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6 hours ago, TullochArd said:

I've looked high and low for this photo Andrew ......... and failed ....... kindly add link.  Regards.  TA 

I can only direct you to the original thread. Being 16 years old and quite a few forum updates later all the pictures as originally posted are unfortunately now gone :

 

 

Edited by Andrew Upton
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8 hours ago, Andrew Upton said:

I can only direct you to the original thread. Being 16 years old and quite a few forum updates later all the pictures as originally posted are unfortunately now gone :

TVM Andrew.

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Unfortunately Lennon can't reproduce the shoe in Andrew Upton's photo.  I don’t know who else to ask so I'll probably take 4thGordons suggestion.  Maybe I could fill in all the little holes with shoe polish.  Just kidding. 

Harvey 

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1 hour ago, Piper42nd said:

Unfortunately Lennon can't reproduce the shoe in Andrew Upton's photo.  I don’t know who else to ask so I'll probably take 4thGordons suggestion.  Maybe I could fill in all the little holes with shoe polish.  Just kidding. 

Harvey 

I was waiting to see what the outcome would be.  The modern shoes highland (a post WW2 pattern) will be fine as 4thGordons suggested.  Filling in the holes is entirely feasible quite easily if you seek out some sticks/bars of cobblers wax in black.  These sticks are used by cobblers to cover the brown edge colour of any new soles that they add to shoes or boots so as to quickly and easily blacken them.  You simply melt using a candle and tin lid.  I had to do it to fill in the spur box hole in the back of some George Boots and it works perfectly.  That process will be ideal for your shoes.  Once it dries and solidifies you can just polish over it.  I don’t know if you can get the sticks online, but a traditional cobbler will have them still I should think.

IMG_0346.jpeg

Edited by FROGSMILE
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Here’s the one I used:

Cobblers Finishing Yankee Wax

Popular hand wax used by cobblers and shoemakers to finish footwear
High grade wax 

Description:

The hardness of the wax has been designed to be used with shoe finishing machines. Equally can be used for hand finish work. Simply warm the stick over burner and apply to the footwear. Using finishing irons begin to polish. No smearing or spilling. For best results use with felt or leather buffer of edge-iron.

IMG_0348.jpeg

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I ordered some so I'll give it a try.  I'll post photos (depending how it turns out 😁)

Harvey 

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4 hours ago, Piper42nd said:

Maybe I could fill in all the little holes with shoe polish. 

In a Highland regiment I've also seen beeswax used to fill brogue holes many times. Taking it a stage further you can also trim off the pinking to get that straight edge on the original with a sharp blade cutting onto a steel rule to protect the shoe.......then blacken the raw edge with sole edging (or a big chunky black marker)

I am sort of relieved, on behalf of your wallet, that you are considering the later Shoes Highland!

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Another option may be to ask a firm like Sanders & Sanders (who already supply military footwear, including the more fancy brogues) if it's possible for them to essentially make a simplified version of what they already supply. I suspect it's likely a no, or expensive again even if they will, but... 

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2 hours ago, TullochArd said:

In a Highland regiment I've also seen beeswax used to fill brogue holes many times. Taking it a stage further you can also trim off the pinking to get that straight edge on the original with a sharp blade cutting onto a steel rule to protect the shoe.......then blacken the raw edge with sole edging (or a big chunky black marker)

I am sort of relieved, on behalf of your wallet, that you are considering the later Shoes Highland!

The cobblers wax sticks I described are essentially, proprietary colour-infused beeswax, so we’re on exactly the same page.  The sharp blade is a good idea too. 

Edited by FROGSMILE
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On 20/10/2023 at 16:30, FROGSMILE said:

There is a surviving traditional heavy working shoe maker (one of the very last in England)

Nice pun Frogsmile...

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18 minutes ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

Nice pun Frogsmile...

?…. I don’t know if there are any surviving in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland that match the old school aspects of Lennons in every regard Dai. 

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1 hour ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

Nice pun Frogsmile...

Having grown up in boot and shoe country (Northants) I got it.... :)

 

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8 minutes ago, 4thGordons said:

Having grown up in boot and shoe country (Northants) I got it.... :)

 

Flown over my head I’m afraid…🤔

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36 minutes ago, 4thGordons said:

Kerching…penny dropped!  I don’t know why I completely forgot about the last and the central place it took for a cobbler 👍

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I can't recall his surname, but the sole surviving maker of lasts active in Northampton back in the 1980's, Bob .......  Drove a van which carried the logo:-  'The Last Man in Northampton'.

Mike.

 

 

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