To rubber or not to rubber

[sii1981]

i would be quite surprised if you ever walk fast enough to aquaplane on a puddle fritzl.

 

[Albern]

Originally Posted by Wes Bourne

That is my understanding. Alternately, if you bring in a new pair of shoes with fresh soles, they can simply rough up the soles with some sandpaper before applying the Topy.


^ Maybe we are, but not to that extent.

Makes sense. I didn't realize I was alone with such sartorial idiosyncrasies, please don't single me out.

Originally Posted by fritzl

you already gave the answer. also a good cobbler can read your gait.

from my personal experience:
i wouldn't "topy"(used as synonym for putting any kind of rubbersole on a shoe) a shoe in an aftermarket job again. retrospective, it is "always" a tradeoff, at least for me. if i need a shoe with a ruber sole, i buy one or have it made.

again just my personal experience:
the wearing of the sole is much more depending on the fit of the shoe, than the sole. imagine, i live in austria, in an alpine region. not much trouble with double leather soled shoes. certainly, under heavy conditions i have my boots with vibram lug sole and i am done.

urban myths:
a shoe is damaged after it is soaked through. not true, i do not recommend it, but it is not a tragedy
mold makes a shoe "unwearable" afterwards not true
rubber soled shoes are less slippery... not true, think of aquaplaning

if something else comes to my mind, i'll add it to the list

Thanks for the comprehensive list and the grammatical correction on "topy".

 

[youngScholar]

After finding a cobbler you think you can trust, I would put a Topy/Vibram/whateverBrand on them. The new sole itself should be both quite sleek and long lasting.

I just got these back today.

 

[fritzl]

Originally Posted by sii1981

i would be quite surprised if you ever walk fast enough to aquaplane on a puddle fritzl.

marble floor

 

[stylesmurf]

Is the rear rubber part always nailed in? I assume the front rubber piece is just glued?

 

[fritzl]

Originally Posted by Albern

1. Makes sense. I didn't realize I was alone with such sartorial idiosyncrasies, please don't single me out. 2. Thanks for the comprehensive list and the grammatical correction on "topy".
1. the sandpaper is correct... ...applied on a special machine. 2. was not meant as a correction, but topy is used as we in europe i.e. use "tempo" for a tissue, though it is just a brand name.

 

[Nick V.]

I prefer using Vibram because it lasts as long as Topy but "feathers" neater at the waist.

 

[kev777]

Originally Posted by Salsalocust

Don't topy...... add more shoes to your rotation instead.

If you 'need' rubber soles..... buy rubber soled shoes. There are plenty to choose from.

Regards,

Graham

+1

Shouldnt this be the end of the thread ?

 

[bigbris1]

Originally Posted by kev777

+1 Shouldnt this be the end of the thread ?
Precisely.

 

[RSS]

Putting a topy on my shoes is not my habit ... however I can think of several occasions when a topy would would have come in handy.

I remember walking -- well slipping and sliding -- on wet cobbles (very old and smooth ones) while wearing a brand new pair of leather sole shoes. I became so frustrated that I bought a pair of rubber sole shoes at a nearby department store. To hell with style ... staying alive is more important.

On another occasion I was asked serve as a reader at the funeral of an Episcopal priest. I had just bowed before the altar and was walking across the stone floor of the chancel toward the lectern when I went into a skid. Arms flailing, I managed to recover my balance and continue on ... no thanks to the leather soles. I can only imagine that All Saint's, Beverly Hills would have preferred a more restrained performance with less body movement.

Perhaps that last occasion explains why I sometimes mistakenly call a topy a tippett.