Men's Clothing Forums banner

Experience with Blake Stitched Shoes in Rugged Weather?

5886 Views 10 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  Prof Ray
Gentlemen,

This is my first post, and before I begin, I'd like to thank everyone who contributes to this forum. I've learned a lot over the past few years, and much of my sartorial knowledge comes from the advice you've provided and the experiences you've been gracious enough to share.

I'm currently looking for shoes/boots that will see a lot of use next spring - I'll be doing a lot of outdoor walking in several northern European cities and expect to encounter a fair amount of rain and probably at least a little snow. I have my eye on several candidates, and recently ran across a few pair that are blake stitched. Initially, I dismissed them.

But now I'm really curious as to whether anyone has actually had adverse experiences wearing blake stitched (not blake-rapid) footwear in wet conditions. I own multiple pairs of shoes of varying quality and construction and have never noticed my blake stitched shoes to be less waterproof (at least, my socks never have become damp!), but I also don't wear them for long periods of time in wet or snowy weather. I suspect that the material from which the sole is made (rubber or dainite vs. leather) is the critical factor, but would love to hear about others' experiences.

Am I courting disaster? Should I just move along to a nice, solid, pair of goodyear welted shoes?
1 - 1 of 11 Posts
https://www.heddels.com/2018/05/all-the-shoe-constructions-around-the-world/

Blake stitched shoes are sewn through the sole, upper, and footbed. With a leather sole, they're bound to get water inside if worn in extreme conditions. There are basically tiny holes through the sole all the way into the inside of the shoe.

If you have a blake stitched shoe (or a handsewn) with a leather midsole which has a rubber sole cemented to it (ie, the rubber sole is not sewn through), it would be just fine in wet weather. The holes are covered up.
1 - 1 of 11 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top