Sole protectors - Page 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by tgt465 


Differences in walking gait are due to people having different shaped feet, different body weight and different mass distribution around the body. A 300 pound linebacker will walk differently than a 120 pound toothpick. It's a matter of physics, not of instruction.

Well sure - but the suggestion that the manner in which one walks may significantly contribute to the degree of grip offered by wet leather outsoles (as compared with rubber outsoles) is a little hard to swallow.  Right up there with the suggestion that the thin subber outsole - adhered to a thick leather sole, mind you - will somehow shift to conform to irregularities in the surface and not evenly distribute weight.  Some here seem fully invested in establishing that there is simply no rational justification for the choice of rubber outsoles - and they are prepared to go to quite irrational lengths to do so. 

Regardless of gait, rubber outsoles will offer better grip on wet surfaces.

Odd that rubber or part rubber heels are acceptable, while outsoles are anathema (to some).  It seems to me that the heel is playing quite a subtantial role in the whole walking process (my heels certaiinly wear faster than soles, yours?), yet use of rubber there doesn't entirely ruin the experience and transform an otherwise quality shoe into the tacky equivalent of plastic covered furniture.

Would like to see a separate post on this, with pix. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbhdnhdbh 


I take an intermediate approach suggested by Crownship. I add rubberized anti slip tape to my leather soles. I hope to get the longevity benefits of sole protectors at a lower price and without the insulating effects of conventional protectors. So far, so good, but way too soon to tell. To a significant extent, this is a hobby activity, so I value my time at zero, although it takes about 20 minutes to do a pair. The costs of materials is a bit under $2 per pair, while my cobbler charges $50 per pair to apply sole protectors.

If you search for "crownship" either here or on AAAC, you will find his explanation, with pictures.

The stick-on pads from Amazon seem to be the same material- anti slip tape- just cut into little oblong shapes. The crownship approach, which I use, lays the tape across the entire weight bearing surface of the shoe, not just a little circle in the middle. He pointed out that you have to prepare the surface by at least cleaning, and preferably lightly sanding, same as a cobbler would do for sole protectors. Then you have to use an adhesive, the stickiness of the tape is not nearly enough by itself. Crownship said he used rubber cement. I have been using the "new" blue Barge cement. As I said, so far so good. Crownship said this did not last as long as sole protectors, but long enough to be much cheaper.

I had a cobbler who would do sole protectors for $25, and I was happy until he trashed a pair of shoes deciding to do something not at all what we discussed. I then went searching for someone good, and found the guy I use now. He solved a real problem with a pair of vintage shells that would otherwise have been goners. So I trust him. If I did not mind the insulating effect and I wanted conventional sole protectors, I would have him do it, and accept the price. As it is, I get something that, to me, looks better, gives me something to do, provides, I think, all the protection I need, and is way cheaper.