Spears Specialty Shoe Company, Custom Made Clown & Theater Footwear Since 1983

Shoe Features

Please scroll through this page for information about the features of specific styles of our shoes, as well as details of construction shared by all styles.
To make navigation easier, here are some links to sections of this page that describe extra cost options:

Eyelets Lace-up Quick-Release Mary Jane Quick-Release Buckles

All Spear Shoes share the following features:

All leather uppers. Most of our leather is top-grain, glove-tanned cowhide. Most is also vat-dyed for durable colors, and finished with a water- and fade-resistant topcoat.
Leather lining. Our shoes are fitted over a last with an internal lining, which determines their size, so, while they look like your foot would flop around inside them, they fit like a regular shoe. All surfaces that come into contact with your feet, except the sock-liner (see below), are leather, maximizing comfort and breathability.
A cushioned insole (sock-liner). We fit our shoes with a removable athletic-style insole, giving an extra measure of comfort to the wearer.
Light-weight crepe soles. Not only do our soles add to the comfort, by virtue of their shock-absorbing effect and surprising lack of heft, they also add to the appearance of our shoes, by providing a splash of color on the bottom to complement the color of the uppers.
Heel stiffeners to promote good fit and add to the durability of our shoes.
Toe boxing. A hidden feature that will help to maintain the good looks of your shoes through years of wear and tear.
Solid brass hardware where applicable.

Most of our shoes also include the following:

Our own unique toe-filling. We've developed a process of shaping the toes of our shoes that is both durable and lightweight. (Street footwear doesn't include this)
A padded collar. All of our shoes (except shaft-style boots, like Santa boots) include our padded collar, adding to their comfort.

Stock Colors

These images show our stock colors. Please note that exact shades can vary from one dye-lot to the next. Rendition of colors can also vary considerably on computer monitors, due to many factors. Some of these include settings, manufacturer and age of your monitor.
We also maintain a large inventory of other colors, as well as prints and other specialty leathers.


White	Stock Yellow	Stock Red	Stock Green	Stock Blue	Black

Extra Cost Options

Eyelets

While not necessary for durability, we offer eyelets to those who want them for a small extra charge. See the order form for the current price of this option. Here's a picture of a shoe which includes them to illustrate their appearance.

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Lace-Up Hook-&-Loop Quick-Release

We offer this easy-in-easy-out option on any of our high- and extra-high-top lace-up shoes, and we offer a variation on this design on many of our shaft-style boots. See the order form for the current price of this option.

As the illustrations show, the hook-&-loop opening extends very close to the sole, allowing ease of access without having to tie or untie the laces, while the solid brass snap assures consistent fit and reinforces the grip of the hook-&loop fastener.

We stock hook-&-loop fastener in a wide variety of colors, allowing us to make our Quick-Release feature as discrete as possible. We also stock snaps in several different finishes, including nickle-plated brass and anodized brass. The location of the quick-release feature on the instep side of the shoe also helps to make it less conspicuous. The construction of the balance of the shoe remains unchanged, other than a slight shortening of the padding in the collar.

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Quick-Release Mary Jane Strap-&-Buckle Feature

We use a special Pull-The-Dot™ snap for our Mary Jane quick-release option. Pull-The-Dot™ snaps will only release when pulled in the right direction. In the case of our Mary Janes, you pull up on the leather tab at the end of the buckle elastic assembly (see the photos). This provides a secure attachment that will only open when you want it to, but will open easily then. Pull-The-Dot™ snaps have been approved and are in use all over the world in military applications where dependable, strong quick-release fasteners are required. See the order form for the current price of this option.

As the pictures illustrate, this arrangement can be used like a traditional buckle and strap, or you can leave the strap and buckle attached and simply pull the snap tab to release. When worn, this quick-release arrangement is hard to distinguish from it's non-quick-release cousins.

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