# Shoe Sole and Heel Protectors



## walterb (Dec 24, 2006)

I have recently purchased a few pairs of fairly expensive new shoes. Two pair are shoes that I had hand made in Italy and the other is a pair of BB cordovan wing tips that I bought at the friends and family sale. On one of the pair of Italian shoes, the maker put on a steel plate to protect the toe of the shoe, otherwise the shoes have leather soles and leather/rubber heels. I have heard of Topy and seen shoes with various protective plates for the heels and soles but never used any of these products myself. I am wondering what the shoe experts and lovers of AAAC think of the various products and whether they are pro or con using them. I have not seen this topic addressed here before. Thanks!

WB


----------



## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

I always have the rubber toe and heel tip protectors installed on my good dress shoes. This is because I have discovered from experience that without them I will wear down those critical areas with disconcerting speed.

Just about any shoe-repair shop should be able to do the job; fi they're not busy they'll often do it while you wait; costs about $10/pr. I get a #6 on the heel and a #5 on the toe.

Periodically the tip protectors will grind down or come off (they're held on by rubber cement and 3 small nails each). It's always a good investment to keep them fresh, IME.


----------



## Mike147 (Jan 15, 2006)

+1... I don't like Topy on leather soles. You can try heel and toe taps and replace them as they wear out. They will certainly lengthen the life of your shoes.


----------



## marlinspike (Jun 4, 2007)

Wear them for two or 3 weeks to get them good and worn in, then have Topys put on. Your shoes will still look like leather soled shoes as long as you aren't looking at the bottom, and yet the soles will last forever. I am just now needing to replace the soles on a pair of shoes I bought 4 years ago and have worn 2-3 days/week.


----------



## sia (Apr 27, 2007)

My favorite strategy for having shoes last longer: buy more, increase your rotation!:devil:


----------



## fullgrain (Jan 5, 2007)

This is one of those neverending and happily unresolveable AA debates, but I'm in the slap on a topy/vibram camp. They look no worse than scuffed up heels from the bottom (which you shouldn't be showing to folks anyway:icon_smile, protect your soles, are much cheaper than regular resoles, and keep you from slipping on wet/smooth surfaces.


----------



## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

I was looking at the Edward Green MTO options and the shoes are extremely elegant and seem to be begging for a leather soul. Has anyone gone the Dainite route, or got a double leather sole or gone for any of the other durable options - does it work?


----------



## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

On a number of pair I have used the nylon toe and heel taps and have found that while they definitely prolong the life the soles and heels, the toe taps on my shoes seem to come loose with frustrating regularity...don't know why but, perhaps it's just the way I walk. I've used Topys on only two pair of my shoes and have been very pleased with the results. They wear like iron and your soles remain as if they were brand new.


----------



## Rocker (Oct 29, 2004)

I have rubber toe taps put on my shoes - but I just can't bring myself to put a topy on the sole. For some reason, though I love the idea of not having to re-sole shoes, or at least, less frequently - a topy, to me, seems the equivalent of putting plastic protectors on a sofa or on a carpet. I tend to cross one leg over the other when sitting and if at a concert, theatre, seminar, or some such thing, I'd hate for someone to look over and notice sole protectors on my shoes - weird, I know.


----------



## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

I share your sentiment exactly Rocker. When I am sorely tempted by Edward Green and G&G, I think to myself that I should really go for Dainite or a thicker sole to ensure they last longer and wear better - and of course I realise that it would probably destroy the look of the shoe and, like you, I would be self-conscious of showing the sole by accident...

(And, yes, I know the real answer is to buy lots of different pairs and rotate but one must also monitor one's fiscal situation!)


----------



## Max Inseam (Oct 9, 2006)

Rocker said:


> I have rubber toe taps put on my shoes - but I just can't bring myself to put a topy on the sole. For some reason, though I love the idea of not having to re-sole shoes, or at least, less frequently - a topy, to me, seems the equivalent of putting plastic protectors on a sofa or on a carpet. I tend to cross one leg over the other when sitting and if at a concert, theatre, seminar, or some such thing, I'd hate for someone to look over and notice sole protectors on my shoes - weird, I know.


That used to be my view as well. Then I slipped once crossing the street in leather-soled shoes (I had to dodge to avoid a car that was threatening to run me over) and broke my nose. Since then, I've been convinced of the value of topies.


----------



## Fred Best (Apr 2, 2006)

How does one say, "topy"?


----------



## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

Bring along a pair of shoes with some mileage on them.The shop can better place the heel to match your pattern of wear. I have mixed feelings. I had this pair with iron toe and heel taps as a extra colour guardsman in President Ford's west coast support detail. I'm in San Francisco on a typical morning fog and light rainy day on one of it's famed steep streets. I started skidding downhill like Charlie Chaplin past a courier on roller skates and slammed into a rather tall working girl. I bought her lunch in thanks after the police cruiser drove off.


----------

