Shoe Care and Repair

We get a lot of questions about how to best care for our shoes.  We do send a Care and Repair Guide with each pair we ship out, but we know that if you're like us, that piece of paper was recycled/lost/misplaced long ago.  For your easy reference, here's a link to our Care and Repair Guide.
 
And while we're at it, we should let you know that we've stopped recommending coconut oil as a leather conditioner.  There are many great options out there, but Dave recommends Otter Wax Saddle Soap for cleaning followed by their Leather Salve.

Shoe LOVE in 3 Cities

Talk about travelling shoes - Maki Aruga, who is from Japan and lives in NYC, sent us these photos from a series she did on Robert Indiana's LOVE monument.  Thank you, Maki! 

I went to Japan to see my family in mid Oct.  This time I also visited Taipei in Taiwan with my friend.  The three-city photos that I want to show you are Robert Indiana's LOVE Monument with my lovely Aurora Shoes in Tokyo and Taipei and New York!

Maki Aruga

Tokyo

Taipei

New York

Where have your Auroras taken YOU?

Boots

We've had a lot of questions about our boots and when they'll be available.  We had originally planned (hoped) for a fall 2013 release, but to be honest, we're not quite ready yet.  It's taken a lot of time and figuring to prototype, test, and manufacture a shoe that has the look, and more importantly, the comfort that we're going for.  We feel that we owe you, our loyal customers, a pair of boots that will be worth the hard earned money you spend on it.  We're still experimenting with stitch placement and other little details that might not seem like a big deal, but that can have a huge impact on how our boots feel and wear.

While we're not quite ready for your orders, we are currently working to fulfill a first offering order for our longest standing distributor in Japan.  Here are a few boot process shots from the shop yesterday afternoon.  Thanks for being such a good sport, Bill!

 

Next up:  

ASC in Ecuador and a Shoe Shine Warning (With a Happy Ending)

Hi!

I took the shoes I ordered a couple months ago (West Indian in Navy) with me on a month long backpacking trip to Ecuador. They did wonderfully: supporting me through hours of sightseeing. Despite my rheumatoid arthritis, I never had much joint trouble when I was wearing my Auroras: I'm now a customer for life! I took a photo of the shoes in Quito with your fun blog feature in mind: they're on top of a rooftop terrace with the skyline behind. The big church to the right is the Basilica de Voto Nacional. Earlier that day, I'd climbed all the way to the top of the spires (almost 400 feet) in them without even one slip (despite some rickety ladders). Thanks for making such wonderful supportive shoes!

Unfortunately, the story has a bit of a sad ending. Last week, when I was still in Ecuador, they were looking a bit dusty so I stopped at one of the ubiquitous shoe shiners. I told him that they were blue but he definitely put something black on them. I just got home last night and took them to the cobbler today only to be told there's nothing he can do. This probably sounds silly, but I had absolutely no idea shoe polish could change the colour of a shoe or that I was risking permanent damage by getting them shined. I never wear black and have light hair, so black footwear just doesn't work with my wardrobe, so the change effectively ruined the shoes for me. I'd never spent so much on shoes before, and I'm rather heartbroken that I only got two months of wear from them. I'm now saving up for a replacement pair but it was quite an expensive lesson to learn. Perhaps sharing the story will help some of your other customers save their shoes.

I'm thrilled to have found such a wonderful, ethical company that also makes such a wonderful, useful product. I cannot wait to have more Aurora shoes in my life, and from now on I'll know not to let shoe polishers anywhere near them.

Thanks,

Eva

p.s.  Eva wrote back a bit later and shared:

I have a happier ending to the sad shoe shining story.  Last night, figuring I had nothing to lose, I got a damp cloth and scrubbed the shoes.  A lot of whatever colour had been put on them came off and now they're looking much more like their original dark navy selves.  Yay! 


Phew!  So glad to know that they're back on your feet.  Thank you so much for sharing your story and travels, Eva! 

American Made Award

We are thrilled to be in the running for a Martha Stewart American Made Award.  Voting started yesterday and is ongoing through September 13th.  Each person who registers is given 6 votes per day.  We'd appreciate your support.   View our American Made profile, and please feel free to share!

Aurora Shoes in Lesotho

Leslie recently shared this photo from her daughter, Carrie's time spent in Lesotho, while serving in the Peace Corps.  Carrie (and her Aurora Shoes) spent three years in Qucha's Nek, Losotho.  She took this photo in the town of Roma. 

Tabo, with Carrie's shoes in Roma, Lesotho

 

Thank you Leslie, and Carrie!

Where have your Auroras taken YOU?

Happy Birthday, Dave!

For those who don't have the pleasure of knowing my brother, here are a few things you might like to learn about the Birthday Boy, leader of this company...

1.  He bought his first pair of Aurora Shoes when he was 13 and wore them everywhere.  In the lake, bailing hay, to church, for weddings, EVERYWHERE.   I think his toes actually busted out of the tips before he'd admit that his feet had grown enough to require a new pair. 


2.  He played rugby in college and made us all worry every weekend.  He made it out okay because he was fast!


3.  He's a really fun and hands-on dad and uncle.  The kids love to jump, snuggle and roll all over him.

 

4.  He's a pretty laid back and quiet guy.  In fact, this whole post might embarrass him a little, so I'll leave it there.

Happy birthday, David!