My first shoes with Topy put on

[DWFII]

Originally Posted by kylelovesyou

In my short life, I have never asked myself the question "what would I do if a beautiful woman asked me to dance?" That's kind of sad, actually.
Learn to dance...well. Hang out where dancing is going on. Sit by yourself or with a wingman to make it clear you're unattached. Ask one woman to dance one time. You'll get asked to dance by more women than you can remember in a night. Don't fawn. Problem solved...glad I could help.

 

[PorterInjax]

Originally Posted by RSS

When it comes to the topy ... what would I do if a beautiful woman asked me to dance? I really don't want to find myself in a situation where I'm forced to respond, "In these shoes? I don't think so."

Dig the late Kirsty MacColl reference

 

[RSS]

Originally Posted by PorterInjax

Dig the late Kirsty MacColl reference
I must admit ... I look for the opportunity to "borrow" it.

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[tnd]

where can i find a good cobbler in NY for this?

 

[aravenel]

Originally Posted by tnd

where can i find a good cobbler in NY for this?

Most cobblers should be able to do it, but B Nelson and Minas Shoe Repair are particularly well regarded.

 

[donjuan17]

Anyone know of a good cobbler in L.A?
Somebody you know from experience?

 

[teddieriley]

Walking in the rain I noticed that water seeped through the leather sole at the bottom of my left shoe into the inner foot bed of my EG Westminters such that my sock got damp. It's odd because while the sole has some wear, I don't think I've used them so much the soles need to be replaced. Maybe they do given the water seepage. But my question - can I go to a cobbler and just have them half topy the sole and the heel on the existing sole?

 

[emptym]

I think you could. DW has mentioned that it's best to topy soles when they're new, but I've topied a couple shoes with pretty worn down soles and they've been OK. All that said, are you sure the water came in through the sole?

 

[teddieriley]

Thanks M. I was walking in the rain and noticed at some point a weird feeling on the ball of my left foot, like something happened to my sock. When I got to the office, took off my shoe and the front ball area in the inner sole was damp/wet, and so was my sock. Not on the other foot. So unless there's another reason I can't think of, I'm assuming it soaked through the out sole.

 

[emptym]

Yeah, could be. I'm wondering if it came in from where the welt meets the uppers.

 

[Fifty150]

Anyone else rocking some Topy?

Try Vibram half sole next time, they are better than topy, IMHO.

I have both. And I've gotten them in different variants. Pre-shaped like a shoe sole. Sheets of rubber. From my activities, I cannot tell the difference. They have all worked the same. A piece of rubber provides traction. The rubber will also last a lot longer than the leather sole.

It just depends on what the local cobbler has in stock. Some cobblers have brand preferences for their inventory. Maybe that cobbler thinks that one brand is better than another brand. Maybe that cobbler gets one brand at a better price.

I pay somewhere near $30 here in the bay area,

A cobbler just quoted me about the same price....... a decade down the line....... I held firm. I told him that he only charged me $20 the last time. He started laughing. "That was before the millennium. And those are probably still holding up, because the shoes haven't been back in my shop!"

From a budget standpoint, it's a fraction of the cost of a resole. It's saving you from having to resole leather, which costs 5, 6, or 7 times as much. Imagine if the rubber is good for 10 or 20 years, then it still only costs another $30 for the cobbler to replace the piece of rubber.

I wouldn't do it if it weren't for the non slip benifits.

Imagine if you got shoes with a rubber sole, then took them to a cobbler to resole them to leather.

it's best to topy soles when they're new

It's weird to send brand new shoes to the cobbler. But that is the best time to apply the "sole saver". It's applied to save your leather soles from wear. It's not a resole to repair worn leather soles.

 

[Son Of Saphir]

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned ... and more than a simple venial sin. I have dedicated a pair of shoes to receive the infamous topy. But ... but ... so many of these men do it ... they can't all be evil ... can they?

Please report back on your experience Scott.
Does the topy make a shoe more warm inside?

 

[St1X]

Does the topy make a shoe more warm inside?

No, it doesn't. Why would it?!

 

[Fifty150]

Both of these shoes were bought at the same time. No science whatsoever, as there was no way in a 10 year timespan, that I was keeping logs or using any controls. Both were just worn whenever I felt like wearing them. I did whatever I did, while I wore them. I live in The City. Plenty of concrete. Running after buses. Stepping onto and into everything disgusting that you could imagine on a city sidewalk. Greasy floors in cheap, dirty restaurants. Spilled beverages, wadded up tissues, and whatever else may be on the dirty floor of a strip club. Never-cleaned carpets lining the halls of "single room occupancy" buildings turned into brothels. All while I engaged in the most vile and filthy acts of debauchery. Every degenerate activity which lowers my standing in polite society.


Are sole savers worth it? I don't know. You start off with leather soles. The cobbler has to grind off the finish and rough up the leather, in order to glue on a piece of rubber. Did you really "save" the leather soles? You immediately lose the tactile advantage of the leather soles. You gain the tactical advantage of the rubber sole. Years down the line, when the sole savers wear through, the cobbler still has to take the shoe apart to resole the shoe.

It appears as if the owner of these boots, had the best of intentions to help the boots last longer.

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[Fifty150]

On my own 1000 Mile Boots, I added the sole saver myself. An amateur hack job at best. But I wanted to see if I could do it. Of course, I had to buy a few tools and supplies. So the cost savings was offset by buying equipment. Now I know that I can do it. I'll be doing this myself in the future, and saving a few dollars in the long run.


I used an oscillating tool with a sanding attachment to smooth and level the bottom of the shoe.

Then I used a tool for roughing the leather.

The adhesion was with contact cement.