Shoe Trees


Chris H

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Has anyone ever attempted to make your own shoe trees?

I am getting pretty sick of buying new dress shoes for work every couple of months, and they seem to fail cosmetically before functionally.  I've had a couple pair of oxfords that I keep nice shoe trees in that are literally over a decade old at this point.  So I am correlating that success at least in part to the trees.  So I am looking to acquire a significant number of shoe trees to keep all my decent or better shoe in decent or better shape, longer.  However, at ~$20 a pair, that is a hard pill to swallow.  

So I am contemplating building my own.  However, a quick WTO and Google search didn't return much of anything from a DIY/woodworker perspective, which makes me think this is more complex than I am estimating.  Local saw mill carries aromatic cedar at reasonable rates, so the wood is easy. 

Any thoughts, links or experience would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

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Chris, do you just need something to hang your shoes on for storage, or do you want those devices that lever into the shoe to expand it and keep its form?

 

The storage trees I have seen in the past are pretty much just an inverted shoe-shine box platform, mounted on a post, that your shoe slips over, soles up.

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I bought a bunch of Cedar shoe trees from Bass. I think they were about $12/pair.

Also keep in mind that with shoes, the more expensive, usually last longer. I bought 3-4 Passos of shoes from kohl's or some other place like that for years experiencing the same thing. 

I got sick of breaking in shoes and bought a few pairs of nice Italian shoes.  I've been wearing the same 2 pairs of To Boot NY, and one pair of Delauns for 4 years now wroth only one resouling on one pair. 

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Chris, do you just need something to hang your shoes on for storage, or do you want those devices that lever into the shoe to expand it and keep its form?

 

The storage trees I have seen in the past are pretty much just an inverted shoe-shine box platform, mounted on a post, that your shoe slips over, soles up.

Good Question(s)

1) The top priority is maintaining the shape

2) Moisture Control.  Because of my climate and body type, my shoes are exposed to a lot of moisture, either eternally from weather or internally from sweat.  This is wear plastic trees just won't cut it.  

3) Odor Control.  As stated in #2, the benefits of the cedar are attractive.  I typically keep a few pair of shoes in my office during the winter months so that my boots take the brunt of snow and salt.  However I don't want my office to start smelling like a locker room either.

 

I do need them to be individual for each shoe so that they can travel with me.  

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If you're getting decent shoes, you're probably paying at least say $100 per pair...and you seem to be saying you've had at least 2 pairs that have died an early death...so that's $200 that has been wasted which would buy 10 pairs of trees at your stated price of $20 each...and I assume 10 pairs is more than sufficient for your needs.    Why is that pill so hard to swallow?

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Brendon and I have similar taste in footwear, it seems. Like he said, the more expensive shoes actually last longer. Not to mention the ability to have them reheeled and resoled greatly extends the $ per miles. I forget the quote or what text it was out of, but the author made an analogy about wealth perpetuating wealth and poverty doing the same. His analogy was a man can buy a $10 pair of boots and have them last for 2 years all the while with wet feet. The rich man can buy a $50 pair and have dry feet for 10 years. The point he was trying to make 100-200 years ago aside, it is true that spending more on footwear equates to savings in the long run. Ok, enough about spending hundreds on shoes.

 

How are your shoes failing? Are they coming apart or is the sole worn through? Shoe trees certainly help wick the moisture out of the leather and extend the life of the shoe. They don't help with shoe sole wear though. I would suggest spending the $20 and buying cedar shoe trees. I think I use the Johnston murphy cedar ones, because I like all my shoe trees to match. Those are $40 a pop though, but I cant see how I would make them for cheaper. I have aromatic cedar on hand, but that would be a substantial amount of carving and shaping to get them right. I say alternate between 2-4 pairs of quality shoes a week and use shoetrees. Don't forget all the conditioners, polish, wax etc.

 

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I just pulled a shoe tree out of one of my Whites.  The design is very simple, a front piece of cedar shaped sort of foot like and a straight piece in back.  The two parts are attached by a metal rod that is fixed in front and pivots in the back. The rod is held in place by pins.  My suggestion would to be to buy one pair, and use that as the pattern for your build. A rasp or spokeshave will make quick work of shaping the front section. While mine had a metal rod connecting the front and back, I think wood would work fine.  The suggestions about buying quality shoes make sense, but shoe trees are still a good idea, in fact maybe more important to  protect your investment. 

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If you're getting decent shoes, you're probably paying at least say $100 per pair...and you seem to be saying you've had at least 2 pairs that have died an early death...so that's $200 that has been wasted which would buy 10 pairs of trees at your stated price of $20 each...and I assume 10 pairs is more than sufficient for your needs.    Why is that pill so hard to swallow?

I totally agree that the investment is easy to justify, but it still feels steep for what the product is.  And heck, why buy it if you can build it?  Though perhaps the shaping will take significant effort.  

Barron, I do have a couple of them in other shoes already to copy.  I was just wondering if anyone else had built them or attempted to, to leverage their experience.  I have the tools, just would need the lumber.  I may try to make a sample out of scraps laying around and then if all goes well, then I'll go pick up the cedar. 

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Hmm...shoe trees.  Can't say it's something I've ever thought about needing in my entire life.  Thank God.

Here's a practical solution:

http://www.amazon.com/Olymstore-Practical-Adjustable-Length-Stretcher/dp/B00KL4UE6K/ref=pd_sim_201_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=41EQTYgb8nL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1GRKXQKJQVZMCYGZRCCK

...comes out to about $3.60/pair

At that price I might get some for my flip flops.  Gotta keep those bad boys tip-top.  Tip-top flip flop.

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