03/10/2026
Before & After
This was a really interesting repair on a very expensive pair of Church’s men’s shoes that the customer purchased second-hand.
The original footbed had moulded heavily to the previous owner’s feet, so the customer wanted them stripped down and restored so he could wear them comfortably himself.
To bring these back to life, I:
Stripped the shoes down and removed the existing cork.
Steamed the footbed to flatten and reshape it back towards its original form.
Fitted new cork to rebuild the footbed.
Added a 1.5mm leather midsole for additional strength and durability.
Fitted Vibram Eton soles, which are a significant upgrade over the original soles, providing improved durability and hard-wearing performance.
Carefully stitched the new soles, managing to stitch through the original manufacturer’s stitching holes.
The Vibram Eton sole not only gives these shoes a fresh new look, but also provides a much more durable sole for everyday wear, making this a real upgrade rather than simply a replacement.
