My first shoes with Topy put on

Originally Posted by HitMan009

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Does anyone know of a place in the NYC that uses Topy? From now on, I think it's wise to have topys and metal toe taps.

do you know why you prefer Topy to Vibram?

B Nelson prefers Vibram. the one high quality local cobber around me much prefers Vibram as well.

Is topy really indestructable?

Originally Posted by Nick V.

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I have no reason to doubt your claim other than to say this:

I my 33 years of expierence I have never heard a claim even remotely close to your's.
Therefore, I must assume that something is wrong.
Here are some posibilities:



So Fritzl....if none of the above was the case for you, here is what I am willing to do:
I see you are located in Austria. If you are willing to pay the postage I will put on a pair of Vibram sole guards free of charge. When you get them back take a picture of them. Take another picture after 3 or 4 wearings. If they broke down at that point, I will forward this discusion to one of the top people at Vibram, post his comments and see what he will do for us. Plus at no charge, except freight, I will do a full re-craft using JR leather for you. Only one stipulation, that is the shoes you send me must have a firm sole on them. This way we are testing a product designed for it's entended use.

Again, I am not doubting your experience. I just have a hunch you were done wrong.



Yeah this is one of the best posts I've seen. Really, Im glad--this should be what the forum is about.

^another case of OCD. The truth is, choice is limited to what your nearest cobbler uses. My cobbler uses "Powersole", unknown brand to me but it features a slightly thicker toe tap unlike the Vibram or Topies from the pictures.

IMO sole quality should be the least of my worries, because there aren't much raw material choices for "rubber" soles. The glue-job is my primary concern.
Rubber soles can be made soft or hard, so it depends what you're looking for. PU is currently being marketed as a superior alternative. The shittiest choice would be recycled rubber, I think some1 had a nasty surprise

Originally Posted by makewayhomer

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do you know why you prefer Topy to Vibram?

B Nelson prefers Vibram. the one high quality local cobber around me much prefers Vibram as well.

From the pics, IMO, the Topy looks more refined then the Vibram with small wedges for traction.

At this point in the discussion I'll open the can of worms:
Vibram produces out of more than one factory. The one's I use are strictly the one's made in Italy. I never had a problem with them. I insist on them. By far New York's largest supplier to my industry is Kaufman. He doesn't sell Topy and, he won't. I understand why. Here's an example. A few years ago the owner of Topy came into my shop and offered to sell me direct. I declined because my supplier has always done right by me. As long as he continues to do that I will continue to be loyal to him. A few months ago I received a postcard from Topy stating their products are now available at Kaufman. When I called him to inquire he told me they do not and, that post card was sent without his permission. I see this as an underhanded attempt to strong arm him into selling Topy. Topy has done a good job promoting and marketing themselves. The way I see it they are trying to conner the market. Given my experience in their business approach I prefer not to deal with them. If they succeeded in cornering the market I'm concerned that prices would increase. What impact would that have on my relationship with my customers?
I'LL pass.........

Originally Posted by Nick V.

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At this point in the discussion I'll open the can of worms: ...

a man after my heart. well done, nick

Wow Nick, interesting. Thanks for that tidbit. Cutthroat businesses everywhere!

I have tried both the thinner vibrams and the thicker ribbed ones. Both performed well and I see no reason to change.

I have a pair of AE's that I'd like to preserve. Is there any point in using their recrafting service or resoling the shoes in general if I go the Topy/Vibram route? I assume if the rubber wears through they can just be replaced at the local cobbler without touching the original leather.

Originally Posted by wysiwyg

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I have a pair of AE's that I'd like to preserve. Is there any point in using their recrafting service or resoling the shoes in general if I go the Topy/Vibram route? I assume if the rubber wears through they can just be replaced at the local cobbler without touching the original leather.

Correct, thats one of the advantages.

Originally Posted by Nick V.

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At this point in the discussion I'll open the can of worms:
Vibram produces out of more than one factory. The one's I use are strictly the one's made in Italy. I never had a problem with them. I insist on them. By far New York's largest supplier to my industry is Kaufman. He doesn't sell Topy and, he won't. I understand why. Here's an example. A few years ago the owner of Topy came into my shop and offered to sell me direct. I declined because my supplier has always done right by me. As long as he continues to do that I will continue to be loyal to him. A few months ago I received a postcard from Topy stating their products are now available at Kaufman. When I called him to inquire he told me they do not and, that post card was sent without his permission. I see this as an underhanded attempt to strong arm him into selling Topy. Topy has done a good job promoting and marketing themselves. The way I see it they are trying to conner the market. Given my experience in their business approach I prefer not to deal with them. If they succeeded in cornering the market I'm concerned that prices would increase. What impact would that have on my relationship with my customers?
I'LL pass.........

Nick,

May I ask why you just use Italian Vibram not US?
BTW, I bought my JR sole and toplift from Kaufman too, they are nice guys.
I bought Vibram US directly from the factory. Vibram Italy via Singapore.

Originally Posted by Fish ball

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Nick,

May I ask why you just use Italian Vikram not US?
BTW, I bought my JR sole and top lift from Kaufman too, they are nice guys.

I bought Vikram US directly from the factory. Vikram Italy via Singapore.


We use several style Vibram sole guards. By far, the most popular style for men's shoes is the 2337. Several years ago a few pair came back because the sole guard was de-laminating from the sole at the toe. When I inquired, I was told that some were made in the U.S. and some were made in Italy. My supplier was awaiting a shipment from Italy and was using the U.S. made until the Italian made arrived. From that point on I have always used the Italian made. No more issues.

Around how much should I expect to pay a cobbler to put on Vibram or another material?

Originally Posted by wysiwyg

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Around how much should I expect to pay a cobbler to put on Vibram or another material?

$25 = install vibram, shave the edge, apply edge paint.