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Express your opinion regarding the longevity of the leather sole and welt

Ich_Dien

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Originally Posted by Unregistered
I am so jealous of you, living in Venice.

That said, I didn't seem to have any problems during my week in Venice with leather soled shoes... even with the bridges!


When mixed with wine the problem seems to arise.
 

mktitsworth

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Originally Posted by Ich_Dien
When mixed with wine the problem seems to arise.
Wine is the great percolator of problems, but also the great solvent!
 

srivats

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Originally Posted by Blackhood
Leather wears out faster. But is more comfortable than a Danite sole. For me the comfort is a fair trade for durability.

This.

Nothing replaces the feeling of wearing leather soles. Danite (or other rubber) soles feel completely different on the foot, even on the same model shoe by the same maker. Leather might wear down faster, but to me the comfort of leather is more important than (perceived) longevity of rubber.
 

miurasv

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I love leather soled shoes and don't feel properly smartly dressed without them but the most comfortable shoes I've worn have had rubber soles. However, the studded Dainite soles feel way too hard and uncomfortable to me. Just my opinion of course.
 

pebblegrain

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not this **** again.

If you don't understand or believe the basic difference between a piece of leather rubbing on asphalt hundreds or thousands of times per day vs. a piece of vulcanized rubber, then stick to whatever is cheapest...
 

Geezer

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Originally Posted by pebblegrain
not this **** again.
+1 I have worn leather soles almost every day of my adult life and late childhood. And I do so every working day now in a historic building where many of the floors are a mix of stone flags and tiles. I think I have fallen over three times. Twice when very drunk. Once on sheet ice - wearing rubber-soled boots. If you know how to walk and have any sense of balance leather soles are not a problem. They certainly weren't for my - or your - father, grandfather etc who probably wore them every day. And this idea that leather soles fall apart after a few wears is just nonsense. They don't. When they finally do start to deteriorate, you have new ones put on. There may be any number of reasons (that I do not agree with) to avoid leather soles, but they are neither fragile nor inherently dangerous.
 

Patek14

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I'd say in about 1-2 years of 2x/week wear I can wear down a leather sole to the point where the stching is completely gone on high-wear patches.

I have 1 pair with large patches of stiching worn down to looking like 'dots' but the sole was also glued so no biggie. It was a cheap cole haan shoe and I don't suspect thier soles are very durable and probably look me about 10-13 months to kill the sole's edges

I think I'm 14 months in to my first AE shoe and there is a small patch where the stiching has worn away but nothing big. I expect maybe another year before the stitching is damange enough where I need a resole

but i dont walk on pavement alot but i have a very heavy step. Soles aside I WRECK heels, somethings in a few months on crappy shoes without a tap...so sole wear seems minor in comparison
 

DWFII

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Both the last and the shoe have a 'bottom radius'. When the foot is in the shoe some of that flattens but not all of it. On a well made, well-fit shoe, the radiused outsole will wear down faster in the center of the sole than at the edges where the stitching is. If you replace an outsole when is well worn but does not have a hole in it, you will never wear the stitches out. Never. Yes, sometimes, some people can wear the stitches through at the toe but generally speaking unless the shoe is too long you'll wear out the center of the outsole at about the same time. One other thing...especially on very well made shoes (I speak of bespoke in particular mostly because I don't know what manufactures do or use)...the thread that holds the outsole on is waxed. That wax forms a 'lock' deep in the leather and the seam. Even if you wear the tops of the stitches clean away the seam itself will generally still hold.
 

Quadcammer

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Originally Posted by DWFII
Both the last and the shoe have a 'bottom radius'. When the foot is in the shoe some of that flattens but not all of it.

On a well made, well-fit shoe, the radiused outsole will wear down faster in the center of the sole than at the edges where the stitching is. If you replace an outsole when is well worn but does not have a hole in it, you will never wear the stitches out. Never.

Yes, sometimes, some people can wear the stitches through at the toe but generally speaking unless the shoe is too long you'll wear out the center of the outsole at about the same time.

One other thing...especially on very well made shoes (I speak of bespoke in particular mostly because I don't know what manufactures do or use)...the thread that holds the outsole on is waxed. That wax forms a 'lock' deep in the leather and the seam. Even if you wear the tops of the stitches clean away the seam itself will generally still hold.


thats weird, because I abuse the toes of my soles (to nearly the welt in 3 wears), yet the shoes aren't too long (typical half inch or so of room)
 

DWFII

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Originally Posted by Quadcammer
thats weird, because I abuse the toes of my soles (to nearly the welt in 3 wears), yet the shoes aren't too long (typical half inch or so of room)
Well, such wear is not typical. The only explanation that I can come up with is that you're either buying really poor quality shoes or you have an 'abnormal' gait. I use the word "abnormal" with some reservation because in the Trade if a characteristic does not cause pain or impede locomotion it is considered "normal." But most people don't push off or wear their toes out so dramatically. This is why there is some currency to the notion that there is, if not a "correct" way to walk, at least an incorrect way to walk. If people could video tape themselves and see themselves walking from the side and from behind I suspect it would open a lot of eyes. Some people bounce terribly. No stability, no "quiet" in the upper body. Some walk hips forward, like R. Crumb "truckers." And so forth. All of that affects the way a sole wears and, just as importantly balance and stability, even on uncertain surfaces. You may notice that there are nearly as many who claim to have no problem walking in ice and snow with leather soles as there are who claim that death is near at hand if they do not have a rubber sole. The lesson we could all profit from here is that probably both experiences are valid.
 

Archivist

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I find that I can put about 500-700 miles give or take on a leather sole before it needs a resole. The toes get beat up a lot faster, but not to the point of damaging the welt. I don't like beat up toes, so I'm always interested in what can be done to alleviate that particular issue.

I'm trying recessed metal plates on a few pair as an experiment, to see how I like them. I definitely notice (feel them when I walk) them, but not necessarily in a bad way. I just got them a few months ago, we'll see what I think in a couple of years.

On shoes I've had a sole guard put on, the toe still gets "compacted" somewhat, for lack of a better description.
 

miurasv

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Originally Posted by DWFII
Well, such wear is not typical. The only explanation that I can come up with is that you're either buying really poor quality shoes or you have an 'abnormal' gait. I use the word "abnormal" with some reservation because in the Trade if a characteristic does not cause pain or impede locomotion it is considered "normal." But most people don't push off or wear their toes out so dramatically. This is why there is some currency to the notion that there is, if not a "correct" way to walk, at least an incorrect way to walk. If people could video tape themselves and see themselves walking from the side and from behind I suspect it would open a lot of eyes. Some people bounce terribly. No stability, no "quiet" in the upper body. Some walk hips forward, like R. Crumb "truckers." And so forth. All of that affects the way a sole wears and, just as importantly balance and stability, even on uncertain surfaces. You may notice that there are nearly as many who claim to have no problem walking in ice and snow with leather soles as there are who claim that death is near at hand if they do not have a rubber sole. They are not too big for me either. The lesson we could all profit from here is that probably both experiences are valid.
Church's Graftons after no more than 3 very short wears. None of my other shoes wear like this, either at the front or so quickly. The rest of the sole and heels are as thick as when new.

 

DWFII

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Originally Posted by miurasv
Church's Graftons after no more than 3 very short wears. None of my other shoes wear like this, either at the front or so quickly. The rest of the sole and heels are as thick as when new.
Too long or poor quality leather...I don't care how much cachet the brand name has...esp. if none of your other shoes wear similarly. PS....looking more closely...do any of your other shoes have mid-soles? As I think on it, I recall having seen this, not all that infrequently, on shoes that have a double sole. The shoe doesn't flex as much as the foot needs it to flex. And the result is increased pressure and leverage on the toe.
 

miurasv

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Originally Posted by DWFII
Too long or poor quality leather...I don't care how much cachet the brand name has...esp. if none of your other shoes wear similarly.

PS....looking more closely...do any of your other shoes have mid-soles? As I think on it, I recall having seen this, not all that infrequently, on shoes that have a double sole. The shoe doesn't flex as much as the foot needs it to flex. And the result is increased pressure and leverage on the toe.


Definitely not too long. I don't know about any of my shoes having mid soles. I do have a pair of Cheaney Nicky Monk shoes that may have a double sole but they haven't gone like the Graftons have but I've hardly worn them either tbh.
 

Quadcammer

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Originally Posted by DWFII
Well, such wear is not typical. The only explanation that I can come up with is that you're either buying really poor quality shoes or you have an 'abnormal' gait. I use the word "abnormal" with some reservation because in the Trade if a characteristic does not cause pain or impede locomotion it is considered "normal." But most people don't push off or wear their toes out so dramatically.

This is why there is some currency to the notion that there is, if not a "correct" way to walk, at least an incorrect way to walk. If people could video tape themselves and see themselves walking from the side and from behind I suspect it would open a lot of eyes.

Some people bounce terribly. No stability, no "quiet" in the upper body. Some walk hips forward, like R. Crumb "truckers." And so forth.

All of that affects the way a sole wears and, just as importantly balance and stability, even on uncertain surfaces.

You may notice that there are nearly as many who claim to have no problem walking in ice and snow with leather soles as there are who claim that death is near at hand if they do not have a rubber sole.

The lesson we could all profit from here is that probably both experiences are valid.


well, for reference this has happened to multiple shoes from AE to Cheaney to AS premier to C&J. Interestingly, my super cheap mezlans (which I believe are bolognese made) lasted about a year and a half without issue.

But you're right, I guess I do have an odd gait as I push off strongly with my toes and I walk NYC fast. that sure doesn't help
 

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