From the time we receive your shoes for retipping or reheeling the process may take approximately 10 days depending on our workload.

PREPARATION

We have to carefully strip back your shoes.  We remove the laces, insocks, straps and buckles before carefully sanding off or removing the tips and heels.  The shoes are then carefully taped up and covered in a protective sleeve to prevent damage occurring to the upper leather, sole and stitching.

THUNDER TIPS

Many people are under the impression that we have boxes of this tip at the ready and just bond these to the shoes.  the process is a little more complicated than that. The shoes are chemically prepped to go into our moulds where the secret formula for our tips is then poured as a liquid straight onto the shoes.  As the liquid cures over a 48 hour period it hardens and bonds to the sole.  It is then removed from the mould and shaped while not fully cured and left for additional time to harden completely.  The tips are then finished and the edges inked.

HURRICANE HEELS

Then to heeling.  Again our heels are prepared specially for each pair of shoes.  They are shaped by hand carefully for a good fit and the holes drilled for attachment later.  The heels and seat area of the shoes are prepped and primed and adhesive applied and allowed to dry.  Both adhesive surfaces are reactivated by heat and mated together and allowed to cool naturally for a good bond.  Then the heels are redrilled through the original holes and screws are forced through from the inside out for a secure attachment.  The excess of the screws are ground down to a flat finish. Then a final sanding of the heel block ensures a smooth finish.  Dye’s are then applied to the tip and heel edges as well as the shoe upper and allowed to dry naturally.

SUPER THUNDER TIPS

These tips are formulated from a material similar that that used in bullet proof glass and as such they are incredibly durable and have a bright, crisp acoustic signature.  The preparation of these tips is a long a laborious process where the material is cut into rectangular shape and then sanded down into a tip shape with a concave inner surface and convex outer surface.  The inner surface has to be cleaned, primed and cemented and allowed to dry.  The exposed part of the sole of the shoes undergoes a similar priming and cementing process.  When both surfaces are dry, the cement is reactivated using heat and then the two surfaces are mated forming a secure bond.  Once this bond has cured the tipped shoe is further sanded and shaped.  Inks are applied and the shoes are then allowed to dry.

FINISHING

All of the protective taped and sleeves are removed and the shoe leather is refinished to a perfect shine. Dyes are applied to the Tip and heel edges and allowed to dry. We can also replace laces, ankle straps and in-socks if requested at additional cost.  Please download the Retipping Order Form here.