any experience with Crockett & Jones forays into different rubber soles?

[squalidozzi]

Hey all, happy Friday--

I've been thinking about pulling the trigger on my first Crockett and Jones and noticed that they seem to have expanded their offerings that aren't leather soled or Dainite soled - something that's a selling point for me. I know it's not style purism, but I don't like leather shoes for everyday wear. Not good in all weathers/surfaces, and not that great for a lot of time on your feet. I really dislike Dainite, I find it uncomfortable even after lengthy break-in. My goal is to reach the comfort of a good sneaker and preserve the look of a dress shoe. Eccos are as close to achieving that as I've got, but they're a bit on the clunky side.

So, enter C&J, a possible solution. I've been to the C&J in NY recently and they've started to roll out more models in permutations of rubber. They now sole their shoes in "city rubber" (i.e. Harvard II), EVA (Bradford), and Ridgeway rubber (Peebles).

Does anyone have any experience with these soles? How would they compare in terms of comfort, grip, durability to Dainite and leather? How about their profile-- how they look in the wild?

Cheers

 

[Blake Stitched Blues]

Hey all, happy Friday--

I've been thinking about pulling the trigger on my first Crockett and Jones and noticed that they seem to have expanded their offerings that aren't leather soled or Dainite soled - something that's a selling point for me. I know it's not style purism, but I don't like leather shoes for everyday wear. Not good in all weathers/surfaces, and not that great for a lot of time on your feet. I really dislike Dainite, I find it uncomfortable even after lengthy break-in. My goal is to reach the comfort of a good sneaker and preserve the look of a dress shoe. Eccos are as close to achieving that as I've got, but they're a bit on the clunky side.

So, enter C&J, a possible solution. I've been to the C&J in NY recently and they've started to roll out more models in permutations of rubber. They now sole their shoes in "city rubber" (i.e. Harvard II), EVA (Bradford), and Ridgeway rubber (Peebles).

Does anyone have any experience with these soles? How would they compare in terms of comfort, grip, durability to Dainite and leather? How about their profile-- how they look in the wild?

Cheers

I have no experience with the City Rubber sole but it's made by the same company (Harboro Rubber) that make Dainite so I wouldn't hold your breath for a comfortable sole with any degree of shock absorption. Ridgeway is much the same.

The EVA and Gumlite soles on the other hand, are supremely light and comfortable. Very soft feeling underfoot and easily as comfortable as any pair of Eccos. I have Gumlite on a pair of Sanders PTBs and they're my most comfortable shoes. The side profile is about as thick as a double leather sole.

 

[squalidozzi]

I have no experience with the City Rubber sole but it's made by the same company (Harboro Rubber) that make Dainite so I wouldn't hold your breath for a comfortable sole with any degree of shock absorption. Ridgeway is much the same.

The EVA and Gumlite soles on the other hand, are supremely light and comfortable. Very soft feeling underfoot and easily as comfortable as any pair of Eccos. I have Gumlite on a pair of Sanders PTBs and they're my most comfortable shoes. The side profile is about as thick as a double leather sole.

Hey, thanks for the info! Since my initial post I got a pair of Bradfords with the EVA soles and they are really nice (and comfortable too).

 

[jc848]

I have a pair of brown suede sydney loafers on the city sole and owned for nearly a year now, also own a pair of leather and Dainite from C&J as well. Personally I think it's the best sole that C&J produce, grippier than Dainite in the wet, far more flexible and comfortable compared to their Dainite, as flexible as leather and the added bonus that it is nearly identical in thickness to a standard leather sole. Only minor point is that it does seem to wear out a bit quicker than Dainite but no faster than a leather sole.