How much does it cost to put rubber sole protectors on your shoe?

[josepidal]

I met an old and very good local cobbler who charges $45 to put very good Pirelli rubber sole protectors on shoes. Might I take a quick survey how much this service usually costs?

 

[Leslierc]

I have "sole savers" and heel plates on all of my dress shoes. I had this treatment done on a pair of Ferragamos two weeks ago; cost for everything was $28.

 

[40kaas-nl]

Here in the Netherlands it will cost you around € 20,-

 

[Roger]

I think that by far the most common sole protector is the Topy. Here, they cost $25 - $30 (US) to have installed.

 

[Jovan]

Isn't this basically gluing rubber onto leather? Seems kind of... classless. I'd rather the shoe have a rubber tap to begin with. Tell me if I'm missing something here, I'm ignorant in all matters footwear if not for SF.

 

[Tomasso]

My guy charges $30.

 

[DNW]

Sounds about right. IIRC, the cobbler in Davis Sq charged me about 40-50 to put rubber soles on my boots a while back. He's very good thorough though.

 

[DGP]

Originally Posted by Jovan

Isn't this basically gluing rubber onto leather? Seems kind of... classless. I'd rather the shoe have a rubber tap to begin with. Tell me if I'm missing something here, I'm ignorant in all matters footwear if not for SF.


This covers almost the entire sole, and is good for grip and keeps you from having to have the shoes re-soled because it preserves the leather.

 

[whoopee]

I've been told by a shoemaker that Topys and the like prevent the leather soles from breathing and are ultimately harmful to the shoes. Re-soling can be expensive but is a good chance for the shoemaker/factory to rejuvenate the shoes by not only replacing the soles but also re-lasting them.

 

[WatchGuy]

Originally Posted by whoopee

I've been told by a shoemaker that Topys and the like prevent the leather soles from breathing and are ultimately harmful to the shoes. Re-soling can be expensive but is a good chance for the shoemaker/factory to rejuvenate the shoes by not only replacing the soles but also re-lasting them.
What does it cost to re-sole a leather shoe?

 

[josepidal]

Almost as much as buying a new pair.

Whoopee, could you explain further? I've never understood how a leather sole is supposed to breathe and why this is a big issue considering it's usually flat against the floor. The sight of a worn down leather sole is disturbing, I suppose.

 

[whoopee]

For Edward Green to re-craft the shoe will cost a US-based customer about $300 including shipping. The results are excellent; much more than a re-soling. It sounds like a large expense, and it is, but I would not hesitate to take that option with my more treasured shoes. For less expensive shoes like Crockett & Jones shoes, where the cost of re-crafting by the factory is close to a new pair, once the soles get worn down, I'll buy new ones. It usually is a once in a few/several year occurence anyway, given a reasonably sized shoe rotation and proper care. If I wanted to preserve my soles and stay dry in nasty weather I'd prefer rubber soles over Topys. To be honest I don't think rubber protectors are really that bad, and only a real abuser of shoes or disjointed shoe nut will see a significant difference between the two, both in terms of wear and looks. I don't like them, and all the better for me to have heard that they aren't best for shoes.

 

[Tomasso]

Originally Posted by whoopee

I've been told by a shoemaker that Topys and the like prevent the leather soles from breathing and are ultimately harmful to the shoes.

My shoemaker rolled his eyes and laughed when I inquired about the need for leather soles to breath.

 

[whoopee]

I have noticed that my feet stay drier in warm days in leather soles than in rubber soles.

 

[josepidal]

Hmmm. The figures reported in the how often do you have to reheel, etc. threads scared me though. But how is it exactly destructive to the shoe?