Tips from our Shoe Guru

How much can heels be lowered or raised?
Here is an interesting phenomenon. When asking about heel heights, the overwhelming majority of women are concerned with lowering the heel while the overwhelming majority of men is concerned with raising them.

Heel heights are determined during the design process. Generally, it is safe to say a heel can be raised or lowered by a ¹ inch. This may not seem significant but you will be surprised at how much this slight change will alter the balance and feel of the shoe.

The key to determining the correct height of a heel is in the toe spring. Let me explain: If you take your shoe and put it on a flat surface at eye level the distance between the sole (in the toe area), and the surface is called toe spring. When the toe spring is correct, you should be able slide a pencil under the toe of the shoe. With this in mind, take the heel of the shoe and slide it off the edge of the surface this will enable you to raise or lower the heel. Be sure the sole remains on the surface. Begin to experiment by raising or lowering the heel by, 3/8, inches etc.

You can see how different heel heights will affect the balance as well as the toe spring of the shoe. The lower you make the heel, the more the toe will shoot up. The more you raise the heel, the more the toe will point downward. Envision trying to walk with these dramatically altered heel heights. Now you can understand why I recommend raising or lowering by no more than a ¹ inch.

Lowering the heels:
Even after I demonstrate this to my customers, some of them still reply: " I don't care" or, "these heels are three inches high just cut them down one inch." In such cases, I explain the damage and effects that will occur. In addition to being very uncomfortable, the lower you make the heel, the more it will slant forward towards the ball of your foot. Now, imagine putting your weight on it. One of two things will happen: 1. The shank will snap. (The shank is a steel brace laminated between the sole and upper, its purpose is to support the heel.) 2. You will snap the heel itself. Also, if you make the heel to low, a gap will appear in the arch area between your foot and the shoe. This gap is caused when the angle of the heel is changed excessively.

TIP:
Today, many designers are interested in getting as much height as possible out of a shoe. This is strictly cosmetic. In such cases it may be possible to lower the heel by more than a ¹ inch, but remember, let the toe spring be your guide!

Raising the heels:
The same principle holds true for raising the heels. A ¹ inch is usually the maximum. Exceeding a ¹ of an inch will not necessarily damage the shoe, rather it may cause your foot to slide forward inside the shoe cramping your toes and making the heel of the shoe feel loose.

TIP:
Here is a safe way to raise the heels by an inch. Have Mr. Pronto remove the existing toplift, add a ¹ inch layer of leather and, put a new toplift on. Then have them make a ¹ inch lift out of cork (it should be wedge shaped and covered with leather). Simply attach some Velcro to the bottom of the cork lift so you can remove and place the new lifts in any of your shoes. Now you have a ¹ inch lift outside the heel and ¹ inch lift inside the heel for a total of a an inch. The lifts will not be noticeable and will not harm the balance of the shoe.

Tips on selecting fabric shoes and having them dyed

One of the most common mistakes sales clerks and customers make when selecting a pair of fabric shoes to be dyed is they assume if a shoe is made of white or light colored fabric it can be dyed. There are three reasons why this is not the case.

1. Most fabrics used today are synthetic. Many synthetics will repel rather than absorb liquids including dyes. The result will be a streaky or blotchy finish or the color will not "set" accurately.

2. If the shoe was not intended to be dyed, the manufacturer may have scotch guarded the fabric in order to protect the shoes from becoming soiled.

3. In the manufacturing process sometimes the uppers are cemented to the liners with clear cement. The cement tends bleed through the upper material.

The results of cases two and three will be the same as described in the first case.

The safest way to avoid these situations is to look for a claim from the manufacturer that clearly states that the shoes were made for the purpose of being dyed. DO NOT make the mistake of simply listening to the salesperson unless they would be willing to take the shoes back if they do not take the dye properly.

With the older and still most common dye system there are two swatch books. One is used for a flat or dull finish, the other for satin or shiny finish. If we mixed a unit of dye and applied it to a shiny piece of fabric and a dull piece of fabric you will see how the colors will differ. Now, lets assume that you are trying to match a dress that is one material, you are comparing it to a color swatch in the dye book that is a second material and the dye will be applied to your shoe that is a third material. Can you see why dying shoes can be tricky? The older systems have not added new colors in years, while designers are coming out with new shades every year.

Until recently their were no alternatives to make up for the short comings of the dyes. We had to constantly tinker with colors to get them as accurate as possible.

Here are some helpful hints:

• Always compare colors and swatches in natural daylight. Florescent lighting has an effect on color that will drastically distort shades.
• Fabric dyes are not waterproof and will stain if they get wet.
• When you purchase your shoes inspect both of them to be sure they are spotless.
• Check both shoes to be sure there is no glue on them. The dye will not take over the glue.
• Make sure the shoes are completely dry before taking them out of the repair shop.
• Dyed shoes can always be redyed a darker color. So if you find yourself with a pair of power blue shoes that you have no use for, keep in mind they can be redyed black, dark brown, navy, burgundy etc.
• The best way to maximize the life of leather uppers is also the least expensive.