Midas x Skolyx x Dr. Sole Moc toe boot natural semi veg tan

NOTE: See below for sizing guidance.

A new version of the classic moc toe boot model that we developed together with Indonesian Midas Bootmaker (the workwear brand for Winson Shoemaker), with acclaimed Taiwanese sole manufacturer Dr. Sole as a partner. Midas is a maker that has received a lot of attention in workwear circles for their extremely well-made handmade shoes at a very good price. This moc toe model is only available through Skolyx. Made on the Landshaker last with a high roomy toe box that is perfect for moc toes.

The leather we have chosen to use for this model is something very special. It's an all natural, undyed and untreated semi veg tanned leather. The leather is tanned with the two different types of tanning to get the best qualities from both, the amazing natural patina and character with veg-tanning, and the increased suppleness and finer creasing with chrome-tanning.

Initially the leather has a very light shade, but with use the leather will darken and get an absolutely stunning patina, which will be completely individual to each pair of shoes. You can control which way you want the shade to go, for example the more protective shoe cream and wax you put on the less it darkens, but you can also use pigmented cream to steer it in different directions. And if you only use Saphir Medaille d'Or Creme Nappa conditioner, which contains only conditioning oils and no protective wax, the leather will darken more and the patina will develop naturally.

Just like the pull-up leather, it was made by a friend of Midas's founder, who buys local hides and his own tanning agents, then travels to a tannery in Yogyakarta where he rents tanning drums and equipment for a short period, and stays there to tan the hides himself. Batches are therefore very limited, and when they run out it may be some time before he can go back to the tannery and make new leather.

The shoes are made entirely by hand (apart from the machine stitching of the uppers), they are lasted by hand, hand welted and have hand-stitched sole seams, which here attaches the leather midsole to which the super-lightweight wedge sole from Dr. Sole is attached. The Dr. Sole model used is called the Cushion Wanderer, made in durable but comfortable expanded cellular rubber, in their own factory. Taiwanese Dr. Sole has taken the workwear boot world by storm in recent years, with their historically-inspired soles made from the best possible rubber compounds.

We also have a higher specification than standard Midas shoes, choosing real leather for the heel stiffeners, which moulds nicely to the feett and can be reshaped if needed, made from the same type of veg-tanned "shoulder" leather as the insoles. The boots have a half so-called "gusset tongue", to resist moisture and snow better. 

Indonesia is one of the world's foremost centres for the manufacture of workwear boots, a tradition that dates back to when the country was a Dutch colony, but which has been developed and refined over the decades since the country became independent in the 1940s.

These are boots that are made to really be worn and put through the rigours, and which will really take on a unique, personal character over time.

See more detailed specifications below, and read more detailed information about the shoes and about Midas Bootmaker here.

Construction:
Hand welted with handmade sole stitch.
Heel and toe stiffeners are made of real leather, which conforms to the feet in the best way possible, and can be reshaped if necessary.

Sole:
Dr. Sole Cushion Wanderer lightweight rubber sole.

Size:
Comes in full EU sizes, so 6,6 mm in length between each size, so not directly comparable to UK/US sizes. See below for further sizing guidance. When in between sizes, we recommend choosing the larger size and also order a thin insole in leather. If you are still uncertain on your size, please e-mail ktj@skolyx.se for further guidance.

Care:
If you want the leather do darken and achieve a natural patina, it's recommended to use Saphir Medaille d'Or Crème Nappa conditioner (which is like Bick-4 but without silicone). If you want to keep the original look as much as possible, use Saphir Medaille d'Or Creme Pommadier shoe cream in neutral, you can also use pigmented cream to take decide in which direction the shade should go towards. We recommend using shoe trees in cedar wood to prevent cracks from excessive creasing and prolong the lifespan of the boots.

NOTE: See below for sizing guidance.

Listed below are the full specifications of these shoes, and how they differ from standard Goodyear welted shoes:

- Lasted by hand, using pliers and hand hammered nails. When the upper is pulled over the shoe last, this is done with two different machines on standard Goodyear welted shoes.
- Insole made of thick vegetable tanned shoulder leather where the holdfast for the welt seam is carved out by hand with a sharp knife. On regular welted shoes it's a slightly thinner leather insole with a canvas strip glued to it, to which the welt is stitched.
- The heel stiffeners are made from the same type of leather as the insole, where it's split into thinner pieces and these are then cut and skived by hand to act as stiffeners, which when attached by hand treated with starch-based paste which makes the leather stiff when dry. On regular welted shoes, the heel stiffener is usually made of celastic or leather board (leather dust mixed with glue) that is preformed, in some cases (as on TLB Mallorca Artista) of real leather but often also then preformed.
- Welt stitch sewn by hand, with awl, needle and twisted thread. When the leather strip that runs around the shoe is attached to the upper leather (lining in the case of Veldtschoen) and the insole, the seam on regular welted shoes is sewn with a Goodyear machine.
- Sole stitch sewn by hand. The seam that attaches the welt to the outsole, the one that is removed and remade when you resole the shoes (until the welt becomes too worn and needs to be replaced as well) and which is sewn with a McKay sewing machine on regular welted shoes.
- The bottom filling consists of a cork plate in the front part, instead of the cheaper cork mass usually used. At the waist is a metal shank covered with the same vegetable tanned leather as the insole is made of, otherwise often just cork mass is used here as well.
- The heel is built up layer by layer, and pegged by hand from both the bottom and the inside of the shoe. Almost all factory-made welted shoes use pre-built heels that are put on the shoes in one piece and pegged by machine.

Read even more about how the shoes are made and about Midas Bootmaker, and watch footage of the production, here.

Which shoe care products to use:
If you want to maintain a natural patina, it's recommended to use Saphir Medaille d'Or Crème Nappa conditioner (which is like Bick-4 but without silicone). If you want to keep the original look as much as possible or cover larger marks, use Saphir Medaille d'Or Creme Pommadier shoe cream in a matching colour. For more thorough yet gentle cleaning use Saphir Medaille d'Or Leather Cleanser. We do recommend using cedar wood shoe trees to prevent unnecessary creasing and extend the lifespan of your footwear.

Read more about how to use these products on the respective product pages, or in the shoe care guide linked below.

Basic shoe care:
- Don’t use the same pair for two consecutive days
- Brush / wipe the shoes off after use
- Use shoe trees and shoehorn
- Treat regular leather with shoe cream, treat suede and textile with waterproofing spray
Learn more on these steps in this guide.

Further shoe care info:
Read this thorough guide, which also includes video, on how to clean, nourish and shine leather shoes.