• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Trouble with Topys

furo

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2009
Messages
6,197
Reaction score
242
Maybe I got shoddy work done, or maybe it's the way I walk, but many of my topys are peeling away from the tips of the sole at the toe.

I've even taken them back to the cobbler and he applied more bonding, but the same thing happens again after maybe 10 wears.

Is this a common topy problem? Or was the work just poorly done? Or perhaps it's the way I walk, I dunno
 

JamesX

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2010
Messages
1,031
Reaction score
18
I think it is the way you walk. You probably twist the toe section of your shoes. You will probably do better with Top-taps.
 

Son Of Saphir

Distinguished Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
Messages
1,556
Reaction score
853
Originally Posted by furo
Maybe I got shoddy work done, or maybe it's the way I walk, but many of my topys are peeling away from the tips of the sole at the toe.

I've even taken them back to the cobbler and he applied more bonding, but the same thing happens again after maybe 10 wears.

Is this a common topy problem? Or was the work just poorly done? Or perhaps it's the way I walk, I dunno


Work done poorly.
he probably take short cut and only sand sole of shoe,
he need to also sand topy so it attach proper,
many shoe repair don't sand topy so it lift.
Find another repair place.
 

upnorth

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2007
Messages
1,497
Reaction score
16
Originally Posted by furo
Maybe I got shoddy work done, or maybe it's the way I walk, but many of my topys are peeling away from the tips of the sole at the toe.

I've even taken them back to the cobbler and he applied more bonding, but the same thing happens again after maybe 10 wears.

Is this a common topy problem? Or was the work just poorly done? Or perhaps it's the way I walk, I dunno


Does the cobbler tell you to come back again at least 24 hours later?

I was in a rush for a flight once and told him I needed it within 2 hours and that was the only time it separated. He said you need time for the adhesive to set, or they will separate.

Once it is separated, it would be best to remove the entire piece, sand the thing down and bond them again rather than just to work on the affected areas.

If this is not the case, then you probably need toe taps in addition to topy.
 

bengal-stripe

Distinguished Member
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Mar 23, 2002
Messages
4,621
Reaction score
1,280
I have stopped years ago having Topys added, as I used to have this problem all the time. As a matter of fact, I do not lift my feet very well and I always kick on pavement stones and the like; the left foot is worse than the right one. I know, as a child I should have listened to my mother and grandmother: "Lift your feet, boy.". It's to late now to change my walk, so I'll have to live with my shortcomings (don't we all).

I have learned through bitter experience and I will no longer wear any rubber-soled shoes, where there is not an additional row of stitching holding the soles. That rules out not only Topys, but many Vibram-type soles which rely on the glue connection: the shoe might be stitched, but that stitching goes only down to the middle-sole which then provides a platform for the cemented (glued) connection.
 

DWFII

Bespoke Boot and Shoemaker
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Jan 8, 2008
Messages
10,132
Reaction score
5,714
Originally Posted by bengal-stripe
I have stopped years ago having Topys added, as I used to have this problem all the time. As a matter of fact, I do not lift my feet very well and I always kick on pavement stones and the like; the left foot is worse than the right one. I know, as a child I should have listened to my mother and grandmother: "Lift your feet, boy.". It's to late now to change my walk, so I'll have to live with my shortcomings (don't we all). I have learned through bitter experience and I will no longer wear any rubber-soled shoes, where there is not an additional row of stitching holding the soles. That rules out not only Topys, but many Vibram-type soles which rely on the glue connection: the shoe might be stitched, but that stitching goes only down to the middle-sole which then provides a platform for the cemented (glued) connection.
^+100 And you'll forgive me if I add "doh!"
facepalm.gif
to the general concept.
 

furo

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2009
Messages
6,197
Reaction score
242
Originally Posted by bengal-stripe
I have stopped years ago having Topys added, as I used to have this problem all the time. As a matter of fact, I do not lift my feet very well and I always kick on pavement stones and the like; the left foot is worse than the right one. I know, as a child I should have listened to my mother and grandmother: “Lift your feet, boy.”. It’s to late now to change my walk, so I’ll have to live with my shortcomings (don’t we all).

I have learned through bitter experience and I will no longer wear any rubber-soled shoes, where there is not an additional row of stitching holding the soles. That rules out not only Topys, but many Vibram-type soles which rely on the glue connection: the shoe might be stitched, but that stitching goes only down to the middle-sole which then provides a platform for the cemented (glued) connection.


This is an interesting point. I guess we are both "toe draggers" then.

I also noticed that a pair of triple soled shoes with a bottom sestriere rubber sole are breaking away between the bottom and middle layer, right at the tip of the shoe. I noticed immediately after catching the toe in a crack in the floor as I drug my toe, a typical "toe drag" for people like you and I.
 

IBJanky

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2009
Messages
923
Reaction score
39
I have Topy put on all my leather soled shoes and have yet to run into the problem you're describing.

Maybe poor work?

myke
 

Salad

Distinguished Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2006
Messages
1,046
Reaction score
540
I've been using topys for years and yeah, if you stub your toe on a step or something it may break the glue bond. Answer...glue it back down and your done. Contact cement, crazy glue, whatever.
I've actually worn right through a pair and have had them redone. All my soles are the same thickness as they were when new. I'll never resole leather soles again.
 

fritzl

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Apr 19, 2006
Messages
12,266
Reaction score
268
Originally Posted by upnorth
I was in a rush for a flight once and told him I needed it within 2 hours and that was the only time it separated. He said you need time for the adhesive to set, or they will separate.

you're in a rush and you think about applying topys to your shoes, that's next level ****...
 

Cobblestone

Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2008
Messages
15
Reaction score
3
Have your cobbler taper the edge of the topy at a 45 degree angle. It should eliminate it pulling away when you walk. Also, a toe plate on top of the topy is another way to protect the very front of the sole. Both the sole and the topy needs to be sanded and using a premium cement will hold the bond much better than the cheaper cements available to the trade.
 

bengal-stripe

Distinguished Member
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Mar 23, 2002
Messages
4,621
Reaction score
1,280
That's the way to protect Topys:


silly_walks_small.jpg


IMPORTANT NOTICE: No media files are hosted on these forums. By clicking the link below you agree to view content from an external website. We can not be held responsible for the suitability or legality of this material. If the video does not play, wait a minute or try again later. I AGREE

TIP: to embed Youtube clips, put only the encoded part of the Youtube URL, e.g. eBGIQ7ZuuiU between the tags.
 

srivats

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2008
Messages
3,907
Reaction score
52
You need something like this (image courtesy Nick V from B.Nelson)

dCCUs.jpg


I got one pair done similarly with inset metal toe-taps and topy and I really like the combo. Nick did a great job.

Originally Posted by Harrydog
I just had Nick put taps on four pairs. I dropped them off on Monday and picked them up on Friday. Outstanding job. Better than the ones Edward Green put on a recent MTO I did. For some reason EG used rounded head screw instead of flat screws. Had me worried about my wood floors until I wore them on pavement to wear them down a bit.

Nick's shop did a great job. I dropped off five more pair when I picked up the first four. Will follow that up with another five or so and that will pretty much take care of my main rotation. Having some wear does not seem to prevent the installation of the taps.

I don't find them loud at all. They save from wearing the toes. They look very neat and clean.
I find the nailed on teflon or metal taps to be very unattractive. Compare:

A new G&G with nailed on taps

p1010581.jpg


To a pair of EG Nick just did:

img0881f.jpg


img0882sa.jpg


Granted, the G&G are new, but once worn, the inset taps will look much more finished and refined. If you are going to pay 1K+ for shoes, why cut corners with a cheepo installation on the taps. I suspect that many people don't have access to a place to have it done well.

Now we have Nick!
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 35.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 60 38.7%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 27 17.4%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 28 18.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,180
Messages
10,579,214
Members
223,889
Latest member
berniceconley
Top