Will metal toe taps make my shoes clunky?

Quote:

Originally Posted by fritzl 


i just wanted to be sure. yes, i have seen them here on sf. strangest thing was this guy with the ferrari, the mansion, 60+ pairs of shoes and the plastic heel taps.

also the TaT guy had them on his vash. ridiculous, imo.

they definitely ruin the balance and i suspect them as very slippery. agreed, that the metal taps need a bit of acclimatization. but i can assure you, it's not that bad as the stories about them here on sf. imo, it's more a matter of personal preference.
 

I agree with Fritzl here.

Deduct the cost of toe taps and heel taps and you have a good deposit on a resole.

I have a nice old pair of John Lobbs which are slightly too long for me so I asked my cobbler to put a small strip of vibram on the sole tip. It looks exactly like the steel toe tip except it is vibram and there is much less sole leather cut off the shoe.

Might not look so nice, but it is comfortable, it does not slip on airport floors and it does slow down the wear on the toe very well.

More importantly there is no risk of damage to the stitching between the sole and the welt.

I prefer practical to pretty anyway.

This will no dubt spark howls of outrage from the self-proclaimed purists, but a Topys outsole will also cure the thinned-out-toe issue, as well as providing better grip on slippery surfaces and significantly extending the life of the sole.

As for 'balance', I haven't yet seen or even heard of someone teetering about as a result of having toe or heel taps installed.  I agree that the sunken variety are vastly preferable if that is to be the route taken.

I bit crazy when you install too much segs on your boots. As a drill soldier on the royal parade we install two or three to protect the shoes front and Heel parts,It is unless to do this.