Shoe help..confused a little

[Jkhan82]

Hey,

So I've been really using these forum to help me build my wardrobe and I've learned a lot.

Now I have some shoe questions. I've searched the form and its a bit confusing.

I was under the impression leather soles and heels are the best investment, lately shopping around for shoes I've been seeing heels that are half leather and half rubber. Are these good? does the heel wear out?

Also if I made the investment to pick up the baics, black, brown for work and maybe something dressy. What maintenance would I need on them? Topy? Toe taps? I also read I use alternate between the pairs and use shoe trees.

Sorry if its a lot of questions, I've been checking the forums for a while and really couldn't find anything clear.

Well Thanks in advance!

Amir

 

[Quadcammer]

Amir, I haven't seen many high end shoes that have a leather/rubber combo.

I'd stick with all leather soles if you can. The heel will wear out in the sense that the rubber portion on the rear will wear down and need to be replaced fairly regularly before you get into the stacked leather heel itself.

Maintenance would be regular polishing/conditioning/cleaning. Topys are personal preference that I don't prefer. Toe taps I've used cause I wear out toes quickly, but i don't love the look.

Definitely use shoe trees daily.

 

[arc]

By half-leather, half-rubber, do you mean like this?

 

[Jkhan82]

Originally Posted by Quadcammer

Amir, I haven't seen many high end shoes that have a leather/rubber combo. I'd stick with all leather soles if you can. The heel will wear out in the sense that the rubber portion on the rear will wear down and need to be replaced fairly regularly before you get into the stacked leather heel itself. Maintenance would be regular polishing/conditioning/cleaning. Topys are personal preference that I don't prefer. Toe taps I've used cause I wear out toes quickly, but i don't love the look. Definitely use shoe trees daily.
So go with all leather soles. Check! ah my concern was if the rubber aspect on the heel was replaceable.. I've seen some shoes that seem to be all leather on the heel. So I was thrown off. Can you explain the " before you get into the stacked leather heel itself. "

Originally Posted by arc

By half-leather, half-rubber, do you mean like this?

Yes, that's what I meant, is that standard? I was concerned if that's replaceable if it wears..etc Thanks for the quick replies!

 

[Quadcammer]

the hell being half rubber is normal, I thought you mean the sole itself.

Basically, the rubber is replaceable.

The actual build of the heel is stacked leather on nicer shoes (i.e. bunch of layers of leather).

You want to replace the leather before it starts to wear out the leather in the heel.

 

[ktrp]

My non expert answer:

Topy is personal preference (I hate it). You may want to think about what you'll wear in rainstorms -overshoes are a possibility, so are shoes dedicated to that situation.

I had never seen toe taps before coming here. If you drag your feet and wear the toe out much faster then anything else, it might be an idea. I put the most wear on the end of the heel and the ball of the foot.

You should regularly clean, condition and polish your shoes. How often? Conditioning at least monthly even if they are taking no wear is apparently a good idea. But you'll need to do more depending on how often you're wearing them and in what conditions.

I live in Toronto, Canada, where we get snow and they use masses of salt on the sidewalks all winter. I alternated two pairs of ankle boots, brushed them off when I got to work and home, and polished both with 2-3 layers of polish every 7-10 days. I expect I'll get away with less during the summer.

I own both cream polish and wax. The cream I find easier to provide colour coverage, the wax better for building a protective layer.

If you are taking good care of the outside of the shoe, and resole when required, its from the _inside_ out that they may eventually be destroyed (by moisture).

You can make them last longer by drawing out all the moisture between wearings. That's why you use shoe trees, and that's why its better to alternate wearings. I'm hoping to build to a weekly rotation this summer, and then gradually add to that in the future.

 

[Jkhan82]

Originally Posted by Quadcammer

You want to replace the leather before it starts to wear out the leather in the heel.

Do you mean, replace the rubber before it starts to wear out the leather on the heel?

Thanks for the help

 

[Jkhan82]

Originally Posted by ktrp

My non expert answer:

Topy is personal preference (I hate it). You may want to think about what you'll wear in rainstorms -overshoes are a possibility, so are shoes dedicated to that situation.

I had never seen toe taps before coming here. If you drag your feet and wear the toe out much faster then anything else, it might be an idea. I put the most wear on the end of the heel and the ball of the foot.

You should regularly clean, condition and polish your shoes. How often? Conditioning at least monthly even if they are taking no wear is apparently a good idea. But you'll need to do more depending on how often you're wearing them and in what conditions.

I live in Toronto, Canada, where we get snow and they use masses of salt on the sidewalks all winter. I alternated two pairs of ankle boots, brushed them off when I got to work and home, and polished both with 2-3 layers of polish every 7-10 days. I expect I'll get away with less during the summer.

I own both cream polish and wax. The cream I find easier to provide colour coverage, the wax better for building a protective layer.

If you are taking good care of the outside of the shoe, and resole when required, its from the _inside_ out that they may eventually be destroyed (by moisture).

You can make them last longer by drawing out all the moisture between wearings. That's why you use shoe trees, and that's why its better to alternate wearings. I'm hoping to build to a weekly rotation this summer, and then gradually add to that in the future.

Thanks! very informative.

 

[Quadcammer]

Originally Posted by Jkhan82

Do you mean, replace the rubber before it starts to wear out the leather on the heel?

Thanks for the help

correct, that was a typo. You don't want to wear down the actual heel material.

 

[Jkhan82]

Originally Posted by Quadcammer

correct, that was a typo. You don't want to wear down the actual heel material.

Thank you sir! ::: tips hat :::