To sole gaurd or not ?

It's not just the COST of a full sole replacement on good shoes that Topy or Vibram allows you to sidestep. It's that a resoled shoe will not feel exactly the same as it did with its original sole. Sometimes it will feel very different, to the point of being no longer wearable.

I have a pair of shell cordovans in which I have walked literally ten or twelve thousand miles over fourteen years. They have never been torn apart to be resoled. I have changed the Vibram sole protectors counteless times. The weight and balance of the shoes has never been compromised. Left in their JR-leather-soled original condition they would have required five or six resoles by now and would probably be finished. As it is, I am looking forward to another fourteen years with them. I've also put sole protectors on bespoke Lobbs for the same reason (and because with those cost of resoling is very high as well). No one sees or cares how the bottoms of your shoes look, unless, as noted above, they have holes in them.

I buy shoes with stitched on leather soles because that's what I want. If I wanted glued on rubber soles, it would seem to me I could save a lot of trouble by just buying that to begin with.

I don't care whether someone puts topy on a shoe or not. I have no opinion, and little interest in, whether it looks good or bad. Well-kept made some telling points about a resoled shoe feeling different. Fair enough. I would add this caveat, however. A really well made shoe will not feel or look different if properly resoled. Despite all the apocryphal testimony and defensive claims, the fact that people do experience a different fit after resoling is indicative of the problems inherent in certain methods of construction. If the insole is good quality leather, if the shoe is (preferably) hand welted, or,if not, at least filled with something other than cork, it is highly unlikely that anything can change. All other things being equal, a hand welted shoe will never feel different when coming back from a professionally competent repair shop. It is mechanically and physically near impossible. Now all that said, you're paying more for the workmanship as well as the cost of materials when you buy a leather outsoled shoe. Where is the logic in nullifying the appearance and the cachet of leather with a sole guard? Nevermind...I know it is a personal preference thing and not only is it no skin off my teeth, I understand that I will never convince anyone to do any different. Nor do I really want to...I am just trying to present the another POV.

Originally Posted by DWFII

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I don't care whether someone puts topy on a shoe or not. I have no opinion, and little interest in, whether it looks good or bad.

Well-kept made some telling points about a resoled shoe feeling different.

Fair enough.

I would add this caveat, however. A really well made shoe will not feel or look different if properly resoled.

Despite all the apocryphal testimony and defensive claims, the fact that people do experience a different fit after resoling is indicative of the problems inherent in certain methods of construction.

If the insole is good quality leather, if the shoe is (preferably) hand welted, or,if not, at least filled with something other than cork, it is highly unlikely that anything can change.

All other things being equal, a hand welted shoe will never feel different when coming back from a professionally competent repair shop. It is mechanically and physically near impossible.

Now all that said, you're paying more for the workmanship as well as the cost of materials when you buy a leather outsoled shoe. Where is the logic in nullifying the appearance and the cachet of leather with a sole guard?

Nevermind...I know it is a personal preference thing and not only is it no skin off my teeth, I understand that I will never convince anyone to do any different.

Nor do I really want to...I am just trying to present the another POV.

I've read on SF that sometimes when shell cordovan is resoled, the leather is tightened such that the fit changes, becomes more snug. I've experienced this with resoled Aldens 3 times and had to sell them each time because of that changed fit. Was this indicative of a poor job? Just asking, I've healed from those incidents.

Originally Posted by DWFII

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That said, once you get going down this path the logical next step is to put topy on topy so that the topy never has to be replaced.

I've seen it.

Maybe I'm crazy, but to me a well placed Vibram sole in good condition is easier on the eyes than a used, half-worn leather sole.

Originally Posted by The Deacon

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I've read on SF that sometimes when shell cordovan is resoled, the leather is tightened such that the fit changes, becomes more snug. I've experienced this with resoled Aldens 3 times and had to sell them each time because of that changed fit. Was this indicative of a poor job? Just asking, I've healed from those incidents.

If they were re-crafted, something had to have changed in the last, the way the shoe was put together, etc. Cordovan doesn't have all that much stretch to begin with. If they went to a shoe repairman, it may have been a faulty job that came about as a result of inherent inadequacies associated with the original construction techniques (hard to blame the repairman, in that case)...or not.

Originally Posted by well-kept

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It's not just the COST of a full sole replacement on good shoes that Topy or Vibram allows you to sidestep. It's that a resoled shoe will not feel exactly the same as it did with its original sole. Sometimes it will feel very different, to the point of being no longer wearable.

I have a pair of shell cordovans in which I have walked literally ten or twelve thousand miles over fourteen years. They have never been torn apart to be resoled. I have changed the Vibram sole protectors counteless times. The weight and balance of the shoes has never been compromised. Left in their JR-leather-soled original condition they would have required five or six resoles by now and would probably be finished. As it is, I am looking forward to another fourteen years with them. I've also put sole protectors on bespoke Lobbs for the same reason (and because with those cost of resoling is very high as well). No one sees or cares how the bottoms of your shoes look, unless, as noted above, they have holes in them.

I've noticed that resoled shoes feel different, but its more of a new shoe feeling of some stiffness than it is an "unwearable" situation.

The difference is, I can't think of a shoe I'd want to keep for 14 years, worn out or not. If I've resoled a shoe to the point where it can no longer be repaired, I'll simply buy a new one.

Originally Posted by Quadcammer

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The difference is, I can't think of a shoe I'd want to keep for 14 years, worn out or not.
SRSLY? Sounds like you haven't found a great pair of shoes yet.

Originally Posted by well-kept

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It's not just the COST of a full sole replacement on good shoes that Topy or Vibram allows you to sidestep. It's that a resoled shoe will not feel exactly the same as it did with its original sole. Sometimes it will feel very different, to the point of being no longer wearable.

I have a pair of shell cordovans in which I have walked literally ten or twelve thousand miles over fourteen years. They have never been torn apart to be resoled. I have changed the Vibram sole protectors counteless times. The weight and balance of the shoes has never been compromised. Left in their JR-leather-soled original condition they would have required five or six resoles by now and would probably be finished. As it is, I am looking forward to another fourteen years with them. I've also put sole protectors on bespoke Lobbs for the same reason (and because with those cost of resoling is very high as well). No one sees or cares how the bottoms of your shoes look, unless, as noted above, they have holes in them.

I don't think I've ever read anything from well-kept that wasn't well thought out, reasoned, and contained great points

Originally Posted by well-kept

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Left in their JR-leather-soled original condition they would have required five or six resoles by now and would probably be finished.

that sounds excessive and shoes shouldn't be finished after only fourteen years. fwiw, that wouldn't be inspiring confidence.

I wear leather soled cowboy boots almost all the time now after wearing rubber soled and crepe boots for years. I like the leather because it is traditional, and it is good for dancing. Here in Texas, we slide our feet when we dance, so you want something that slides easy on the dance floor. My experience with leather and ice, however, is that the leather is more slippery. Of course, we only get ice once every year or two down here, so I could have just forgot. And I have seen boots with the rubber on the sole, but not extending to the edges like the picture posted earlier. I actually think a lot of the dress shoe technology for making them wear better may be pioneered by cowboy boot makers. Cowboy boots have to wear well when rode hard and put up wet. And then pulled out the next morning to go at it again. They gotta be durable. I've also noticed that you can get a lot more quality construction for your money in cowboy boots than you can dress shoes. I just wish I could get away with wearing my boots with a suit more often.

Originally Posted by fritzl

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that sounds excessive and shoes shouldn't be finished after only fourteen years. fwiw, that wouldn't be inspiring confidence.
well, I think that Alden/AE/C&J et al say that their shoes will only take a full resole 4 or 5 times. and they probably need it every 2-3 years (?) if they are in normal rotation. so I think that's how you get to math of 10-15 years of usable lifetime

Originally Posted by Lear

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Did these a couple of weeks ago. First time I've had a Topy fitted. I'm sold on the idea. You might see if from behind when a person is walking, going up an escalator etc. Could be noticed if you cross your legs when sitting. But no way is anyone going to see it otherwise. The side profile is really thin. It's not just about the cost. Sending these back to factory could mean a 2 month wait.

Hate to be an arse, but that looks cheap and tacky... if you are more concerned than waiting for your shoes to come back, or having them resoled, you are a small-timer. I can't comprehend why anyone would alter the balance and appearance of a shoe by sticking a piece of rubber over the sole. It's like gluing a water repellent layer of material underneath a crocodile strap to prolong its life. Very cheap and tacky... but you will get away with this one

I like shoes, so I notice things like this.

Originally Posted by DixieTexian

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I've also noticed that you can get a lot more quality construction for your money in cowboy boots than you can dress shoes.

You are probably just buying better boots than you are dress shoes. Are your dress shoes welted or glued?