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PAST SOLES

Stories From the Sole

The shoes are the evidence. The story is the point.

A short documentary series about pairs people refused to throw away: where they have been, what they survived, and what came back.

The series

Pilot stories.

These are the story concepts the series launches with. Films publish here as they are completed, with the owner's permission on record.

Stories are marked as pilot concepts until the film is published and the owner has approved it. Nothing about a customer or their shoes is ever published without explicit permission.

The format

Every film follows the same seven beats.

A consistent structure keeps the focus on the owner rather than on us, and keeps the documentation honest.

  1. Meet the owner
  2. The history of the pair
  3. What happened to them
  4. The restoration plan
  5. The process
  6. The reveal
  7. Where they go next

Transformations

Same shoe. Same angle. Same light.

Every comparison is shot the same way at the start and the finish, so what you see is the actual change and nothing else.

Before: Worn black leather low-top trainer before and after a deep cleanBefore
After: Worn black leather low-top trainer before and after a deep cleanAfter

Black leather low-top

Leather

Smooth leather, rubber cupsole

Deep Clean

Colour depth and cupsole recovered well. Creasing left as it is, because it is permanent.

Before: Tan suede low-top trainer before and after specialist suede careBefore
After: Tan suede low-top trainer before and after specialist suede careAfter

Suede low-top

Suede

Tan suede, gum outsole

Specialist Care

Nap raised and colour evened. Two water marks reduced, not removed.

Before: Grey mesh running trainer before and after a deep cleanBefore
After: Grey mesh running trainer before and after a deep cleanAfter

Mesh runner

Mesh

Engineered mesh, foam midsole

Deep Clean

Substantial lift across the mesh. Faint permanent shadowing remains at the toe.

Before: Vintage canvas and leather trainer before and after conservative cleaningBefore
After: Vintage canvas and leather trainer before and after conservative cleaningAfter

Nineties canvas and leather trainer

Vintage

Canvas, suede overlays, aged midsole

Specialist Care

Cleaned conservatively. Oxidation and fine cracking are age, so they were left alone.

Before: Muddy trainer outsole before and after being scrubbed cleanBefore
After: Muddy trainer outsole before and after being scrubbed cleanAfter

Outsole detail

Soles

Rubber outsole, translucent panels

Deep Clean

Tread cleared fully. Tread wear itself cannot be replaced.

These comparisons show the portfolio format and the standards we work to. They are labelled as sample layouts until genuine client work replaces them, which happens as the first restorations complete.

Book a restoration

Got a pair with a story?

Tell us about it during your assessment. Sharing is always optional, and always yours to decide.

Start a free assessmentSee how it works

Manchester collection and return, by arrangement. Workshop address shared directly with customers once a restoration is confirmed.