So it's okay to wear leather soles on pavement? ...

[cmeisenzahl]

I'm new to leather soles, please bear w/ me. ;-)

My two new AEs w/ leather soles show a great deal of wear (compared to rubber soles) after only a couple weeks. I'm in a carpeted office but of course walk through parking lots, sidewalks, etc.

I can see how running or dragging one's feet w/ leather soles would greatly accelerate wear. But is this just normal for owning leather soles? Thanks!!! ;-)

 

[ManofKent]

Originally Posted by cmeisenzahl

I'm new to leather soles, please bear w/ me. ;-)

My two new AEs w/ leather soles show a great deal of wear (compared to rubber soles) after only a couple weeks. I'm in a carpeted office but of course walk through parking lots, sidewalks, etc.

I can see how running or dragging one's feet w/ leather soles would greatly accelerate wear. But is this just normal for owning leather soles? Thanks!!! ;-)

Yes, but different soles different quality of leather and tanning. A good pair of oak tanned soles will last longer than a cheap pair. Wear does slow down as grit and so forth get embedded in the sole.

 

[gnatty8]

Yes, this is normal. If it concerns you so much, have topys installed, or even toe and heel taps. You can send those shoes back to AE for re-crafting when they are worn, or simply do what many of us here have done, which is to keep expanding your shoe collection until its so large, you only wear each pair once a month or less. That oughtta reduce the wear..

 

[Cary Grant]

Good points above- if you wear them every day or just about, you'll certainly face more frequent resoling- but daily wear on any shoe will drastically shorten lifespan.

 

[ohm]

The only time I've ever had an issue with leather soles is when I wore them twice in a row on two rainy days. That absolutely shredded the leather soles, but other than that I've found walking on pavement is just fine.

 

[whiteslashasian]

I sure hope it's ok, or else I'll have an issue with my 10 pairs of leather soled shoes!

All kidding aside, it's perfectly fine and as the others before me have commented, the wear seems to lessen after the initial break in period. I find that rotating the shoes regularly (more shoes help with this) will keep the sole wear to a minimum. Also try not to walk on pavement too much with wet leather soles (overshoes or a "beater" pair of shoes helps to prevent the issue), this generally will cause them down more quickly as well. FWIW I walk about 1.5-2 miles per day on sidewalks/pavement in NYC and at least a mile or two per day throughout the office (huge office and I have to walk a lot...) on carpeted and tile floors. My leather shoes have held up nicely. I previously had a rotation of 3 pairs of rubber soled shoes, each had blown out completely after 6-8 months.... Enjoy your AE's!

 

[cmeisenzahl]

Great info, makes sense, thanks!!!

And I bought a pair of rubber Totes to keep the shoes dry on rainy days. ;-)

 

[whiteslashasian]

Originally Posted by cmeisenzahl

Great info, makes sense, thanks!!!

And I bought a pair of rubber Totes to keep the shoes dry on rainy days. ;-)

That will help immensely. It's a good idea to eventually, depending on personal situation, add more shoes to the rotation as well. The variety keeps things interesting and prolongs the life of each shoe, provided that proper care is taken.

 

[otc]

I find that they do OK until they get wet. Once a leather sole gets wet, you gotta be careful about scraping them on the pavement.

I have a pair of admittedly kind of ugly rubber soled shoes in my cube that I can wear if I discover the weather has changed dramitically or that I can wear if I bike in so that I only have to carry a shirt and pants (the shoes are black so they are acceptable with most everything).

 

[MLIW]

The Title of this post made me laugh, a lot.
If shoes are going to wear out redicloulsy quickly why buy them in the first placE?!

 

[emmanuel]

Dont wear leather soles in the rain or snow or in any kind of harsh condition. They can take it but it drastically drops their life span.

 

[sho'nuff]

ok to wear leather soles on pavement?

yes

 

[bc78]

+1 to the suggestions of beater shoes on rainy days. It will keep your other shoes in good repair for much longer.

 

[IUtoSLU]

NEVER wear leather soles on pavement as it will completely ruin the shoes. You should always wear "transporting" shoes for walking between your car and the office. If you want your shoes to last then you must do this.
*sarcasm*
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Why do people ask such idiotic questions? I hate to be harsh, but seriously... THEY ARE SHOES. They protect your feet. If you are so worried about wear-and-tear, then don't wear them at all.

 

[lee_44106]

Originally Posted by IUtoSLU

NEVER wear leather soles on pavement as it will completely ruin the shoes. You should always wear "transporting" shoes for walking between your car and the office. If you want your shoes to last then you must do this.
*sarcasm*
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Why do people ask such idiotic questions? I hate to be harsh, but seriously... THEY ARE SHOES. They protect your feet. If you are so worried about wear-and-tear, then don't wear them at all.

+1.