That customer who told me my clinch looked like a train wreck really made me rethink everything

I had this older guy, been shoeing for like 40 years, watch me finish a set last Tuesday. He just says "son, your clinch is pulling the wall apart" and walks off. I was mad for a second, but then I looked at my work. He was right. I was pulling too tight before clinching. Now I leave just a little more hoof wall and seat the nail head better before I turn the clinch. Huge difference in how the shoe holds. Anyone else get called out by an old timer and had to eat some humble pie?

3 comments

3 Comments

rose_hart1mo ago

Maybe pulling too tight is just giving the shoe a better grip...

barbaraw471mo ago

Oh yeah, that makes a lot of sense actually! Sometimes you gotta really cinch it down to get that custom fit, almost like the laces are molding to your foot.

umamartin1mo ago

Gotta disagree a little here. Pulling too tight actually makes the laces dig into the top of your foot and pinch the sides weird. You end up with that numb tingly feeling after a few hours, or worse, blisters on the instep. I've found that leaving just a tiny bit of slack lets the shoe flex with your foot instead of fighting it. That custom fit comes from the laces being snug but not cranked down like you're trying to strangle the shoe. Otherwise you're just compressing the padding and ruining any chance of the tongue staying put.