Leather Soles on nice shoes: to protect or not to protect?

[grimslade]

Originally Posted by Salsalocust

Leave well alone!!

If you want rubber soled..... buy rubber soled

Regards,

Graham


Spoken like a shoesalesman, Graham!

 

[Viktri]

Originally Posted by yachtie

Not my experience but YMMV. But i do only get 2 years out of heels so there may be a gait issue involved here. I've had recraftings done by the maker and had resolings done locally and they're both pretty similar ( but i do have a good local cobbler) There's no way I'd get as much mileage out of a topy as you say.

Is 2 years considered a short life-span?

I tend to wear out the heels (up to the rubber, not the leather) in a few months and the rest of the sole in a year and had to get them topy'd.

 

[Lel]

Get rubber overshoes instead...

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by Lel

Get rubber overshoes instead...
+1, especially during snowy weather.

 

[yachtie]

Originally Posted by Viktri

Is 2 years considered a short life-span?

I tend to wear out the heels (up to the rubber, not the leather) in a few months and the rest of the sole in a year and had to get them topy'd.

For shoes worn a couple of times a month, yep 2 years is pretty short. If I wore a pair every other day I'd blow heels in probably a month or two as well. I get a few years out of soles at my rate of wear these days.

 

[dsmolken]

I bike to work so I got rubber on the soles of most of my boots. Leather soles + modern bicycle pedals is not a good combination even in dry weather.

 

[AgentQ]

Originally Posted by dsmolken

I bike to work so I got rubber on the soles of most of my boots. Leather soles + modern bicycle pedals is not a good combination even in dry weather.

+1 I've really slashed some leather soles making this mistake (and realizing a week later).

 

[RatherAnOddball]

The last time I had rubber put on my soles was when I was in highschool. Not only was it too thick, but it also had less traction than the leather did. I might get it done again in the future, but I don't want to have the same issues. So can you recommend any specific instructions to give my cobbler? Brand names, "styles," number of mm's of thickness?

Thanks.

 

[JoelF]

Just starting to get into nice shoes here, but I love the look of a leather sole and could not imagine doing that. Kind of like putting slipcovers on to protect the furniture.

 

[A Harris]

Originally Posted by yachtie

Not my experience but YMMV. But i do only get 2 years out of heels so there may be a gait issue involved here. I've had recraftings done by the maker and had resolings done locally and they're both pretty similar ( but i do have a good local cobbler) There's no way I'd get as much mileage out of a topy as you say.

Definitely my gait bears on how much time I get out of a topy, I seem to barely wear soles or heels at all for some reason. Still though, when I compare the wear on a topy'd pair of EG's I've had for seven years and another pair of EG's without a topy that I've had for 5 years a clear difference emerges. Both are basics (black and tan captoes) that see frequent wear. The black shoes have at least 1/2 their wear left in the topy while the tan shoes are close to needing a resole.

For me, here are is the + / - breakdown. Plus:

1) Topy's are FAR more secure / less likely to slip in most all conditions

2) Topy's wear far slower than a bare leather sole and are much cheaper to replace by a factor of 3-10. Also you get to preserve the look of the factory welt.

3) Topy's protect your shoes in the wet. In my experience the wear a leather soled shoe sustains in one wearing on wet concrete equals at least 10 wearings on dry concrete or asphalt, especially if you encounter any loose aggregate. And leather soles repeatedly worn in the wet tend to lose their shape and 'round' easily.

Negatives:

1) Slight loss of transpiration which is harder on the lining.

2) Some makers will not resole a shoe after it has been topy'd.



I think you guys are crazy to avoid them for aesthetic reasons btw. If the proper thickness is used and they are properly chamfered you will only see them when the sole is off the ground. And worn leather soles are ugly, at least as ugly as a topy.

 

[penguin vic]

Originally Posted by fcuknu

How bout some taps.
Advantages: you can join any spontaneous river dance that may happen in your neck of the woods.

Thinking of adding taps to my next pair of shoes (hopefully arriving in a week from Herrings). Pros (aside from riverdancing) and cons?

 

[extempore]

Originally Posted by JoelF

Just starting to get into nice shoes here, but I love the look of a leather sole and could not imagine doing that. Kind of like putting slipcovers on to protect the furniture.

As though leather soles look fantastic after they've been walked on.

And the better analogy would be putting felt pads on the bottom of your furniture feet to protect them (and your floor). Virtually unnoticeable unless you look for them, and they prolong the life of your investment, It seems to me that many members here are repulsed by the idea of rubber/plastic on their precious leather shoes and are thus reacting emotionally, rather than actually having a serious sit-down and think about the proposition. Topys... 1. Extend the life of your leather sole - why spend all that $$$ on a resole when you can have another topy put on? Conspicuous consumption and impracticality rolled up in one IMO - resoles take weeks, and cost lots of $$$. 2. Are virtually unnoticeable, unless you are sitting cross-legged or have one leg up all the time 3. Are cheap 4. Are safe for you - greater traction can only be a good thing. And if you accidentally step on a sharp stone or glass, your Topy will help protect you. And your leather sole.

 

[Dewey]

Rubber sole protectors are great on R.M. Williams boots. I also keep them on a set of dress shoes that I draw from when the ground is wet.

 

[Jase_29]

Originally Posted by A Harris

1) Topy's are FAR more secure / less likely to slip in most all conditions

2) Topy's wear far slower than a bare leather sole and are much cheaper to replace by a factor of 3-10. Also you get to preserve the look of the factory welt.

3) Topy's protect your shoes in the wet. In my experience the wear a leather soled shoe sustains in one wearing on wet concrete equals at least 10 wearings on dry concrete or asphalt, especially if you encounter any loose aggregate. And leather soles repeatedly worn in the wet tend to lose their shape and 'round' easily.

Negatives:

1) Slight loss of transpiration which is harder on the lining.

2) Some makers will not resole a shoe after it has been topy'd.



I think you guys are crazy to avoid them for aesthetic reasons btw. If the proper thickness is used and they are properly chamfered you will only see them when the sole is off the ground. And worn leather soles are ugly, at least as ugly as a topy.

I agree absolutely. Though my only advice is to wear your shoes in before you get them Topy'd, rather than get them on brand new shoes. The rubber won't mould to your foot and gait like leather unless your shoes already have the correct shape before the rubber is adhered.

Some makers discourage using rubber soles on the grounds that they can upset the contruction and cause your shoes to fall apart - I've never had this happen on either glued or Goodyear welted soles, and I give them some pretty hard wear. In fact, the stitches are often the first things to wear on my soles if they are showing, which can cause part of the sole to come loose and flap about, even if there is still leather between foot and pavement - hence Topy's actually help retain your shoes' structural integrity.

The only major downside is the loss of breathability through the sole, but short of paying top dollar for factory re-soles, the only alternative is a potentially ugly re-sewing of the sole by your local cobbler (unless he is very good.

 

[dshell]

Originally Posted by A Harris

2) Some makers will not resole a shoe after it has been topy'd.

Which makers?