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

DWFII

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There are so many variables that enter into this. When we make a pair of shoes to the Traditional standards there is a prescribed thickness and temper for insoles and for outsoles. These are the kinds of things that are passed on from master to apprentice but go missing in a factory situation...and ultimately forever.

Cheap shoes will more than likely have cheap outsoles (which will wear away quickly) but they might also have cheap and/or thin insoles which will allow the shoe to flex more readily.

When good quality insoles cut from the proper areas of the hide are paired with good quality outsoles, there is a resistance to flex that is created. That's why a shoe feels stiff when it is new or has just been resoled.

Too much resistance...such as when a double sole of good quality outsole is matched to a good quality insole...and the prospects for wear at the toe increase. This toe wear may or may not (but probably will, although to what extent I cannot say) decrease with successive re-solings and as the insole and mid sole break in.
 

Quadcammer

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Originally Posted by DWFII
There are so many variables that enter into this. When we make a pair of shoes to the Traditional standards there is a prescribed thickness and temper for insoles and for outsoles. These are the kinds of things that are passed on from master to apprentice but go missing in a factory situation...and ultimately forever.

Cheap shoes will more than likely have cheap outsoles (which will wear away quickly) but they might also have cheap and/or thin insoles which will allow the shoe to flex more readily.

When good quality insoles cut from the proper areas of the hide are paired with good quality outsoles, there is a resistance to flex that is created. That's why a shoe feels stiff when it is new or has just been resoled.

Too much resistance...such as when a double sole of good quality outsole is matched to a good quality insole...and the prospects for wear at the toe increase. This toe wear may or may not...but probably will, although to what extent I cannot say...decrease with successive re-solings and as the insole and mid sole break in.


This is an interesting point.

On my AS premiers, which to me are the stiffest when new, the wear was the worst. As I understand it, as the shoe breaks in and flexes more easily, the toe wear will likely slow down a bit, correct?
 

miurasv

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I bought the Graftons because they are double soled thinking they should last up to twice as long as a single sole but alas in my case they lasted no time at all. I wanted to like those shoes so much and I had thought they were the ultimate brogue but I haven't heard anyone else complaining about them so I may have got a duff pair.
 

DWFII

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Originally Posted by Quadcammer
This is an interesting point. On my AS premiers, which to me are the stiffest when new, the wear was the worst. As I understand it, as the shoe breaks in and flexes more easily, the toe wear will likely slow down a bit, correct?
Probability approaching unity!
biggrin.gif
This is why I suspect long toes as well...and many of the chisel-toed lasts and European shoes are cut longer than the Traditional "two full sizes" beyond foot length. The foot doesn't come far enough forward in the shoe to control and flex the toe consistent with the rest of the shoe.
 

Archivist

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Originally Posted by DWFII
There are so many variables that enter into this. When we make a pair of shoes to the Traditional standards there is a prescribed thickness and temper for insoles and for outsoles. These are the kinds of things that are passed on from master to apprentice but go missing in a factory situation...and ultimately forever. Cheap shoes will more than likely have cheap outsoles (which will wear away quickly) but they might also have cheap and/or thin insoles which will allow the shoe to flex more readily. When good quality insoles cut from the proper areas of the hide are paired with good quality outsoles, there is a resistance to flex that is created. That's why a shoe feels stiff when it is new or has just been resoled. Too much resistance...such as when a double sole of good quality outsole is matched to a good quality insole...and the prospects for wear at the toe increase. This toe wear may or may not (but probably will, although to what extent I cannot say) decrease with successive re-solings and as the insole and mid sole break in.
Now that's pretty interesting. I have noticed that (for me) toe wear tends to happen right at the beginning when I am breaking the shoes in, and then slack off. Tends to not get any worse past a certain point. Now, I could chalk that up to wearing off the bit that was going to wear off, and that's done, but I'd expect that it would either not happen (much), or if it's because of how I walk, it would keeping wearing down. With my metal plate experiment, I have definitely noticed that when I was breaking the shoes in, the plates scuffed and wore a bit. Now that the shoes are broken in, I've been noticing, and have been curious about, the plates not really wearing any more.
 

IBJanky

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I get all my leather soled shoes Topy'd
IMG_0825.jpg
My cobbler does an excellent job and who the hell cares what the soles of my shoes look like anyway? I find that Topy significantly increase the grip and traction of the shoe, without any changes in its flexibility. It's also so thin anyway that you don't notice from the side profile. myke
 

Quadcammer

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Originally Posted by IBJanky
who the hell cares what the soles of my shoes look like anyway?

myke


Quite frankly, I do.

I love the look of the leather sole, even when worn. Something classy about it.
 

IBJanky

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Originally Posted by Quadcammer
Quite frankly, I do.

I love the look of the leather sole, even when worn. Something classy about it.


Good thing I aim to please myself and not other people
wink.gif


myke
 

Quadcammer

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Originally Posted by IBJanky
Good thing I aim to please myself and not other people
wink.gif


myke


I'm not sure what about my post made it seem like I care about others?

as we all know, the vast majority of people wouldn't know a leather sole from a filet of sole, so its kind of silly to think anyone other than I care.

That said, I feel like leather soles look classier
 

Marcellionheart

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Definitely something to the 'incorrect' way of walking. I bounce like crazy when I walk and walk very quickly. My toes wear out abnormally fast. It's not just on leather soles, though, it's on everything. I find stuff with treads helps correct my walk. The stuff that wears out bad are the soles with no treads like leather soles or the indy boot neoprene sole. This is why I prefer rubber soles. If I lived in a city with a cobbler who could put in flush toe taps, then there would be no question as to preference.
 

Wrenkin

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I wear through the toe tip quite quickly"”exacerbated when I lived in a wet, hilly city. Just get blakeys on the toes"”All of £2. They're invisible when walking, and you rarely notice you're wearing them. Problem solved.
 

Quadcammer

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whats a blakey?

if its one of those nylon nail on toe taps, no thank you very much.
 

Jay Gatsby

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Ok -- thanks for all of the great input. Here's what I'm going to do. I have a new pair of AE Player, a popular shoe on this forum. I'm going to go without Topys, and keep track of how many times I wear them. I'll record any issues of interest here.
 

ThatGuy

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This
Originally Posted by IBJanky
IMG_0825.jpg


vs

This
2ykgdqg.jpg



I think I'll pay for my shoes to be resoled rather than cheapen a leather product with rubber.

On the longevity side of things, the only noticeable difference is that leather looks worse after a few wears than the rubber. However, once all scratched up, it pretty much looks the same. The top-tip only wears down if you aggressively push down through the toes when you walk/ kick something by accident.

I seriously think some of you need to take lessons in walking
wink.gif
 

pebblegrain

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Originally Posted by ThatGuy
This


vs

This



I think I'll pay for my shoes to be resoled rather than cheapen a leather product with rubber.


con-*******-gratulations on that decision
 

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