Wednesday, August 30, 2017

TAKESHI OKUYAMA BOOT REPAIR

Update:

Hi
Really like all your boots and looks. Very inspiring.
Were those your role club boots that fell apart? Did you talk to Brian at role club? I have pair ordered from role club and curious about your experience.
Thanks

Hi
I talked to Brian and he did offer to repair them. This was an isolated incident, but I just wanted to have Takeshi work on another pair of my boots. This was by no means intended to be a dig at Brian -- never my style. I own two pairs of Role Clubs and have had two other boots resoled by him -- he's a fantastic boot maker and cobbler. Your gonna love your boots and don't be surprised if you contact him for another pair the moment you receive the first order.
Cheers!
John

What was intended to be a fun family outing ended up being quite a terrible vacation memory.

While walking from the car to a restaurant in Memphis, I felt something unusual on the bottom of my Engineer Boots. Did I step on a piece of gum? A food wrapper perhaps? When I looked down I was horrified to see that the leather sole of the right boot from the front to about the forefoot area had completely separated from the mid-sole and folded under the boot.

www.vintageengineerboots.com

I hadn't put the boots through any unusual stress -- just normal, everyday casual wear, so I was baffled as to how this could even happen. The welt stitching had literally just unraveled. I was disappointed and quite honestly, I was embarrassed.


Luckily, I always bring a variety of boots with me whenever I travel. I went back to the car and pulled out the ol' trusty Road Champ boots from my luggage.

After much consideration, I decided to reach out across the world to my trusted cobbler. Takeshi has been repairing my boots now for over five years -- he's been repairing boots since 2002 -- and his high-level of craftsmanship is second to none. I am totally convinced that the Japanese are just some of the best in the biz -- Fukurokuju and Brass Tokyo have become household names for their impeccable craftsmanship and keen sense of vintage American style.


The idea of sending a pair of boots across the world to have them rebuilt may seem a bit off-putting to a lot of folks, but the whole process is quite painless, the turnaround time is impressive and the price is unbeatable.

Takeshi initially said the work would take a month, but I told him I was in no rush and from the time they left my hands to gettin' the boots back was exactly two months (27 June - 28 August). And it only cost me $180 + $50 shipping. Show me another cobbler with this level of experience and reputation and I might consider a change -- not likely.

Fukurokuju Boot Repair Shop
1-13-8 Nihonzutsumi
Taitoku, Tokyo
111-0021
Website: Fukurokuju
E-mail: scip-evo@hukurokuju.com


Prices vary depending on the level of work and details, but I'm kind of over the fancy fluff "designer" soles/heels. I'm at the point where I just want my boots to be rugged and able to withstand daily wear without falling apart. Mister Freedom® and John Lofgren, have opted for heavy-duty composition rubber soles over reproduction Cat's Paw because they're functional and made to last. Thus the reason I chose to use Vibram #705 soles/heels for this (and future) repairs.


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