Leather or rubber soles?

[Icarium]

Originally Posted by bigbris1

.... protect you in the event you get struck by lightning, but that's it.
I love arguments like this. Entertains me while I'm at work. Anyway, to further everyone's entertainment and to avoid getting myself embroiled in this, I will refute the statement that rubber protects you from lightning. Note that this includes car tires! It is the METAL in a car that protects you believe it or not. Your rubber soles or tires would simply become puddles of rubber goo after getting hit. from NOAA.gov "Rubber-soled shoes will not protect you from lightning. While rubber is an electric insulator, it's only effective to a certain point. The average lightning bolt carries about 30,000 amps of charge, has 100 million volts of electric potential, and is about 50,000°F. These amounts are several orders of magnitude HIGHER than what humans use on a daily basis and can burn through ANY insulator (even the ceramic insulators on power lines!) Besides, the lightning bolt may just have traveled many miles through the atmosphere, which is a good insulator. Your 1/2" (or less) of rubber will make no difference."

 

[bigbris1]

Sweet, cause I would deserve to be fried if I had on rubber soled dress shoes

 

[Doc4]

Lee Travino gave the best advice for avoiding lightening strikes: just hold a 1-iron aloft ... 'cause not even God can hit a 1-iron.

 

[JLibourel]

Originally Posted by Douglas

Leather soles may be the single most overrated thing on SF. They're great, and I do prefer them for formal shoes, but there's little wrong with a well-executed Dainite rubber sole. It's not terribly obvious when someone's wearing them on a welted shoe, unless you're looking specifically for it. And to suggest they're definitely more comfortable is just silly, particularly when, as even these folks have noted, leather soles tend to slip on certain surfaces, making walking more difficult.

Some people have convinced themselves that leather soles are so critical that they must be superior in every way to rubber soles, as opposed to just in many ways. I liken it to people who have actually convinced themselves that chicken or turkey breast actually tastes better and has more flavor than the dark meat, which is just patently not possible given the relative fat contents.

Probably the most sensible post in this thread. I've got dressy shoes in both styles. I think anybody sensible about his shoe wardrobe will. Ceteris paribus, I think leather-soled shoes present a dressier appearance. For some situations, they are the only appropriate choice. However, it has been very stormy here today. The wet conditions would be both hard on my leather soles, and I would run the risk of slipping. Consequently, I am wearing a pair of chukkas with commando soles. I am unapologetic for what I consider a sensible and attractive choice. At times in the course of my work I have had to tour factories with oily floors while I was in coat and tie. I was glad to have been wearing rubber soled shoes whenever that came up.

 

[Erikht]

Originally Posted by nordicstyle

No, not really. I don't like how they look and I think it's impractical. I have noticed a lot of people walking around with brightly colored galoshes these days, so I'm guessing the overshoes are "in vogue" this season.

These doen't look half bad, though.

http://kalosjer.no/

 

[wetnose]

I live in Toronto Canada and oh yes, we get nasty weather for at least 4 months of the year. Combined with the liberal amounts of salt used for sidewalks, nice leather shoes are not recommended if you walk a lot. It breaks my heart to see salt stains on my fancy leather shoes.

I keep my nice leather shoes in the office and wear a doc marten boot (say what you want, but the leather is amazing for what it can resist, plus it's disposable) for my 20 minute walk to work. Quick clean with some tissue when I get in and polish once a week. Then I change shoes in the office to my nice ones. When it's really cold, then I use my insulated North Face boots.

 

[Azure]

I´m tired of geting my feet and socks wet when I walk on the street and it?s wet from the street cleaners.


What should I do? some spray? I mean on leather soles, of course

 

[DocHolliday]

Originally Posted by JLibourel

Probably the most sensible post in this thread. I've got dressy shoes in both styles. I think anybody sensible about his shoe wardrobe will. Ceteris paribus, I think leather-soled shoes present a dressier appearance. For some situations, they are the only appropriate choice. However, it has been very stormy here today. The wet conditions would be both hard on my leather soles, and I would run the risk of slipping. Consequently, I am wearing a pair of chukkas with commando soles. I am unapologetic for what I consider a sensible and attractive choice. At times in the course of my work I have had to tour factories with oily floors while I was in coat and tie. I was glad to have been wearing rubber soled shoes whenever that came up.

I'm wearing chukkas with Dainite soles. I wouldn't buy black bals with rubber soles, but my more casual shoes are a mix of leather and rubber soles. I find the SF prejudice against the rubber/Dainite/etc. baffling. It's not as though leather soles are attractive after being worn.

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

I'm wearing chukkas with Dainite soles. I wouldn't buy black bals with rubber soles, but my more casual shoes are a mix of leather and rubber soles. I find the SF prejudice against the rubber/Dainite/etc. baffling. It's not as though leather soles are attractive after being worn.
Same here. I have a few boots and shoes with Commando or Dainite soles for wet or slippery conditions. They are practical and go unnoticed by most people.

 

[Siggy]

I've been looking for some nice Dainite soled shoes for the past two weeks because I'm sick of what the snow, rain, and the sharp little pebbles now spread all over the sidewalks are doing to my nice leather soled shoes. Plus last week my double-leather-soled shoes soaked through to my socks just from walking to work in some slush!

 

[Tarmac]

I like leather soles but I don't wear them out when it is raining.

If I could magically put a factory half commando or dainite sole on every boot I own right now, I would do it immediately. *zap*

 

[nordicstyle]

Originally Posted by Erikht

These doen't look half bad, though.

http://kalosjer.no/

Yeah. I might consider getting a pair of those.

 

[nh10222]

Leather soles may be the single most overrated thing on SF. They're great, and I do prefer them for formal shoes, but there's little wrong with a well-executed Dainite rubber sole. It's not terribly obvious when someone's wearing them on a welted shoe, unless you're looking specifically for it. And to suggest they're definitely more comfortable is just silly, particularly when, as even these folks have noted, leather soles tend to slip on certain surfaces, making walking more difficult.

Some people have convinced themselves that leather soles are so critical that they must be superior in every way to rubber soles, as opposed to just in many ways. I liken it to people who have actually convinced themselves that chicken or turkey breast actually tastes better and has more flavor than the dark meat, which is just patently not possible given the relative fat contents.

Many ways? Perhaps you were being diplomatic there, but I don't think there are many ways in which a good quality leather sole is truly superior to a good quality rubber sole. There are only about three I can think of, and several areas where they fall well behind rubber in my experience.

The only advantage of rubber to leather for a sole is grip. Maybe they will withstand water absorption better & protect you in the event you get struck by lightning, but that's it.

As detailed in other posts, I think there's a little more to it than grip, but I spend a lot of time on my feet and walk about 32 miles to and from work every week. Durability and (for me) comfort are probably the two biggest factors. That's assuming a good quality sole like Dainite rather than cheap, cemented rubbish.

Originally Posted by Jumbie

I once again pose my question - do you spend large amounts of time on your feet?

No

 

[DWFII]

Rubber outsoles prevent the shoe from "breathing"--from wicking moisture away from the foot. When moisture is held against the foot and the insole deterioration of the shoe is accelerated, and the health of the foot is affected. Shoes that smell to high heaven are more likely to be outsoled with rubber than leather.

Additionally rubber soles tend to spread and stay spread. This can accelerate the breakdown of Goodyear welted construction...which is fundamentally a cement job anyway.

Now, none of this may matter if you're buying cheap shoes--the insole may well be leatherboard or paperboard and most RTW is GY.

But even in...maybe especially in...the Trade rubber outsoles are a hallmark of lower quality--high end shoes seldom come with rubber outsoles, so perhaps it's a wash.

 

[RogerP]

Quote:
I can say that the above is categorically inconsistent with my experience over many years with multiple pairs of quality shoes - some with leather soles, some Topy'd, and some full synthetic. I have seen so insole deterioration or breakdown in welts, observed no apparent moisture retention, or bad smells (cedar trees in every pair). I have experienced no ill-health where my feet are concerned. And the shoes seem to breathe just fine through the upper - you know - the part that doesn't rest flat against the ground most of the time anyway. Either I am uniquely fortunate to have entirely avoided all of the dire consequenced you describe, or the risk of same is more notional than real.