To sole gaurd or not ?

[DWFII]

Originally Posted by bloke11

Pardon my ignorance but AFAIK, moisture evaporates upwards, not downwards. Therefore I still don't see how a thin piece of rubber would hinder moisture from evaporating into the air on leather soles since it's at the bottom. Moisture doesn't have to reach the bottom of the sole in order to be evaporated into air, right?
I'm sure it will astonish you to learn that it doesn't really evaporate in any direction. It moves from high concentrations of moisture to to lower concentrations...it's like brining meat in that regard. Water is always seeking to migrate to areas where it is not. The foot produces moisture and it tends to move into the drier environment of the leather insole and outsole....and the linings and vamps, of course. From there it is forced by pressure, or by osmosis, towards the drier atmosphere outside the shoe.

 

[DWFII]

Originally Posted by NORE

I knew I could count on you to set things straighter

Just one man's poor and often inadequate attempt to bring the light of reason to the fountain of darkness and misinformation that is the Internet.

 

[bloke11]

Rightly said.

 

[fxh]

Many, if not most, Health and Safety requirements for jobs do not recommend leather soles - due to lack of slip resistance.

See here one - reasonably typical policy - http://policies.anu.edu.au/procedure...ty/procedure#A


I know there are some people that have an unusual foot sweat problem but surely for most people(not all) , most days (not all), clean feet, clean cotton or wool socks are going to absorb, and wick away, all the moisture that people sweat, before it reaches the shoe.

 

[Archivist]

^^This. Particularly wet surfaces.

 

[eg1]

I only topy chelseas and other boot-like/weekend-type shoes. I agree that they are better than leather on wet or icy surfaces.

 

[DWFII]

Originally Posted by fxh

I know there are some people that have an unusual foot sweat problem but surely for most people(not all) , most days (not all), clean feet, clean cotton or wool socks are going to absorb, and wick away, all the moisture that people sweat, before it reaches the shoe.
Makes no sense...what happens to the moisture in the sock? Especially if you take into consideration that moisture will always move to a drier medium if it can. Cotton and wool are good for wicking moisture away from the foot...that's nearly a given. But it doesn't just magically disappear. Either it stays in contact with the foot or it moves into the leather. Take my word for it...or don't. But I have many years of acquaintance with this exact scenario. I don't care what sock or what fiber you use in the sock, if you wear them in a plastic or rubber shoe, your foot will be damp all the time.

 

[DWFII]

Originally Posted by Archivist

^^This. Particularly wet surfaces.
I know I cannot convince those with their minds made up...and I suspect it doesn't really make any difference. But I have worn leather soled boots and shoes daily for over forty years...in rain and snow and ice. I live in cold country. My experience is that many people who think that rubber confers better traction than leather on ice and wet surfaces simply don't know how to walk or correctly distribute their weight as they walk. It is not my intention to condemn or diss anyone by making that statement...people often get into bad habits---many people don't know how to breathe correctly either. Again, if you look rationally at the mechanics of traction and consider what happens when two non-porous surfaces come together you can't come to any other conclusion. And again, I have even money that says when it comes to driving on ice with studded tires or non-studded, you all know this principle intimately...even if it is at a level you've never thought to examine.

 

[apropos]

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