Johnston and Murphy Shoe Repairs:

Perhaps the most common shoes we see are Johnston and Murphy.  Johnston and Murphy produces both some of the best shoes we repair, and the most difficult.  You have to be knowledgeable to buy a good pair of shoes from this company, because they do an EXCELLENT job of making even the worst designs (for repair purposes) look like high-quality dress shoes.  A good rule of thumb is to avoid shoes with rubber, or synthetic soles, as these don't take glue, use a strange welt made from a substance resembling oiled cardboard that just falls apart when it gets old.. and is nearly impossible to replace keeping the original look.

Now, for the good news.  A good dress shoe made by Johnston and Murphy is on par or superior in quality to the likes of any other manufacturer out there.  They use outstanding materials on both uppers and soles, and construction methods on welted shoes are similar to the likes of Alden and Allen Edmonds.  Some Johnston and Murphy leather soled, welted shoes do require new heel bases when full soles and heels are put on, but fit and comfort should remain the same.

Pros: If you buy a welted, leather soled Johnston and Murphy, quality is top-notch! We fully recommend this shoe.

Cons: If you buy a rubber or composite soled Johnston and Murphy, don't expect it to be repaired more than once, and even then it can be a crap shoot. This shoe feels good, and the original sole will last a while, but it is not a good candidate for those wanthing a shoe to be repaired over and over. It's hard to tell what you are getting, as the cheaper offerings can look very similar to the better ones.

Bottom Line:  What you buy is what you get.  Don't let the name fool you, not all Johnston and Murphy shoes are created equal. All have great leather uppers, but where the rubber meets the road (in this case, sometimes literally) there can be a significant difference, depending which model your purchase. Stick to the leather soles.