Epaulet Unfinished Horsehide Trainers Fall 2015 Preorder (& Styleforum Shell Cordovan Contest)

[Epaulet]

Sizing response....


On Jun 24, 2015, at 10:08 AM, wrote:

Hi there,

I am interested in these:

http://epauletnewyork.com/products/unfinished-horsehide-trainers-preorder-project

A couple of questions that I need help with:

- What size would you suggest if I wear Adidas Stan Smith in US size 9?
- What if the shoes don't fit? Can I return them for a full refund?
- What is the cost to ship a pair to Hong Kong?
​

Oh, in addition to Adidas Stan Smith US 9, I also take Camper Pelotas in EU 42.

Thanks in advance.


​

Thanks for your email!

In terms of sizing, I'm pretty confident that you would take a US9 / EU42 in our trainers. Most people consider the Stan Smith and Camper Pelotas to be true to size, so I'd advise getting the same size that you take in those. The shape of our shoes is very comfortable, and the sizing tends to work well for the vast majority of people who order.

These particular unfinished horsehide are cut to order and are final sale. After they are delivered, we cannot accept any returns or exchanges on them.

That said, we offer a 14-day return policy on all of our stock sneakers. You can see that assortment here:

http://epauletnewyork.com/collections/footwear/Sneakers

Any of these can be returned for a full refund or an exchange.

And our shipping cost to Hong Kong is $30. The sneakers will be sent via USPS Priority Mail International, and delivery takes about a week. When you place your deposit, please choose "Store Pickup" as your shipping option, and you will not be charged that fee now. You can pay it along with your balance in October when the sneakers arrive.

 

[Epaulet]

On Fri, Jun 26, 2015 at 12:22 PM, wrote:

Dear Sir,

I would like to seek your advice on the sizing for the sport trainers.
My Converse Jack Purcell and All Star are in US9 but the tag also shows EU42.5.

Which size would you advise, US9 or US9.5?

Thanks,
​

Thanks for your email! You're going to love these horsehide trainers. Overall, our lasts are consistent with US sizing, so I'd advise the US9 / EU42 for you.

Cheers,
Mike Kuhle

​

 

[Epaulet]

Cross-post from the Epaulet thread. We've got two more days for preorders!

They are looking great! Question, Mike --- what prompted you to use pure mink oil on the unfinished trainers rather than say, Lexol or Bick4, etc.? Is it for accelerated "tanning" purposes?

Well, I researched how people were aging their unfinished wallets and small leather goods - and that came up. It's great stuff, and it will accelerate the patina quite a bit.

I found two different paths to take:

1) I just wore the Sport Trainer samples, day-in and day-out, for about three months. They darkened to a beautiful deep caramel, and the overall tone is pretty irregular. The mudguard and formstripe is noticeably darker than the side panels. They're the darkest overall too.

2) For the Full Court's and Tennis High, I wanted to get them darker as soon as possible. I started by leaving them out in the sun for three straight days. This will darken it dramatically all by itself. The color after sun-tanning is absolutely beautiful - kind of a rich reddish light tan. Great contrast with the gum sole.

After that sun-tanning, I applied liquid mink oil, and the effect was really dramatic. Check this out:

Here's the mink oil that I used. Cost about 8 bucks on Amazon:


Sun-Tanned Tennis High in the background, freshly mink-oiled Tennis High in the foreground. The color got a bit lighter after the Mink Oil settled in, but it was still radically darker than before.





Raw, unfinished horsehide vs. Sun-Tanned (on top) and Sun-Tanned + Mink Oiled (on bottom)

 

[Sparky1500]

Great results from the sun and mink oil! I have Obenaufs Heavy Duty LP leather protector on hand already. What is your take on using that instead of mink oil on the horse-hide sports trainer?

 

[Epaulet]

Great results from the sun and mink oil! I have Obenaufs Heavy Duty LP leather protector on hand already. What is your take on using that instead of mink oil on the horse-hide sports trainer?

Very cool! I've got the Obenauf's ready to go as well. I originally intended to use it right after the mink oil dried but the post-oil look was so good that I held off.

It will be really interesting to see how the shoes darken according to where you live. They'll be delivered in October, so the wear-in season for the contest will be the Fall-Winter.

On one hand, sun exposure definitely darkens this leather a lot. I'm not sure if it stops after some point, but it's clear that leaving them in the sun and wearing them in the sun will have a strong effect.

On the other, you'll definitely see darkening and aging with oils and water exposure. I think that getting the best patina will require all of the elements. And just wearing them a ton.

Either way, you guys will be absolutely delighted with how this leather feels. For a relatively thick skin, it's really incredibly supple and comfortable. Outside of the aging and contest and this whole brouhaha, these would be a very comfortable and attractive sneaker to wear.

 

[Sparky1500]

Pardon me, I wasn't quite clear with my question. Is Obenaufs Heavy Duty LP leather protector recommended for use on the horsehide sports trainers, or would you recommend using mink oil only, or in combination?

 

[jigsawrecords]

6.5EE on Barrie
7EE on a pair of Allen Edmonds I have
Have some Nike Killshots in 8 and Vans in 8.5
(good luck with this set)

Looking to preorder the the sport trainers.
HELP and thank you!

 

[andywildman]

Mike,

Ordered these back in July, still super stoked for them to arrive.

Curious what the timeline for arrival is.

Thanks!

 

[Sparky1500]

Epaulet

Ordered some unfinished horsehide trainers via preorder in July, expected delivery in October. Would someone at Epaulet be so kind as to find out when these might be delivered? Looking forward to receiving them! Thanks

THEY ARE READY TO BE SHIPPED! SEE THE NEXT POST.

 

[Sparky1500]

This was posted by Mike in the Epaulet Shop Affiliate Thread today:


Hey guys!

I landed back in the States yesterday. Good lord, we are going to have a few crazy days. Here's what came in:

- All the horsehide (unfinished & oxblood) and shell cordovan sneakers

- Bunch of new sneakers and the PTB's

- New England Tweed Overshirts in OUR fit. Shape on these is perfect, it's a bit more relaxed than the usual EPNY fitting, so you can wear your normal size over a normal shirt.

- Walt and Driggs dress pant restocks (including Grey hopsack) and two new flannels

- Nutzo heavyweight camo Rivet Chinos - an exact match to the field jacket that ships this week from LA

- New OTR Individualized shirts

In addition, we've got three promos for the "Proper Kit" Trunk show: (1) the crepe sole Chelsea in NINE leathers, (2) new fabrics and price incentives for Individualized MTO and (3) the LONG AWAITED Luigi Bianchi MTO launch - with three days of a 10% discount.

I got back into the States last night at 8PM. We're doing a video shoot with the Rachel Ray show at 9AM on our women's trainers. And then the sneakers are getting delivered around noon. Going to be bonkers today! I'll be in touch and @EP Sam and @EP Dylan are going to assist with posting the new stuff.

 

[studio253]

I just got mine in the other day. They look great. Thanks