# What exactly is a crepe sole? ...



## speedmaster

In some pics I've seen it almost looks like gray felt, though I imagine it's not. ;-)

What's the material? What's the history behind it?

Thanks very much!

Chris


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## Andy

Crepe rubber is a crude form of natural rubber that is relatively inexpensive to produce and can be used for several applications.

Crepe is a crinkly lace rubber, obtained when coagulated latex or any form of field coagulam(tree lace, shell scrap, and earth scrap etc.) is passed several times through heavy rolls called crepers and the resultant material air dried at ambient temperature. 

Most often, crepe rubber is used to construct shoe soles as well as boot soles, like the traditional sole of Chukka Boots:


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## Packard

My mom used to complain about my crepe shoes. I wore them in shop class and bits of metal would get embedded in the sole and would act like Velcro and lift up tufts of her carpet.

Crepe is very, very soft. It is not very hard wearing. As I recall the shoes had a soft foot strike. 

These were never on "high quality" shoes; always on workers shoes and boots.


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## eagle2250

^^
The crepe rubber soles on Alden's All Weather Walker and considerably longer wearing than the plantation crepe soles on my Clarkes Desert boots and Wallabees. The Alden soles don't seem to accumulate that greasy looking, black coating that seems to build up on the Clarke's soles. The Alden's are also much more solidly constructed!


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## MF177

i think one of the ideas behind them is easy on the feet..soft to walk on


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## speedmaster

Thanks, all!


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## jamgood

Mr. Andy omitted the part about "brothel creeper" - didn't want the distaff readers to blush in outrage.

Chewing freshly tapped rubber tree coagulum will keep your teeth pearly white and your mouth chlorophyll fresh!


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## Sufferable Fob

I have a pair from, I think, the 1970s, that I officially declared cannot be worn with ANYTHING.

The soles themselves are less comfortable than any leather-soled shoe I've worn, but it could be because they're really thick and inflexible (I've never worn shoes with leather soles as thick).


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## Blueboy1938

*Graphically . . .*

. . . here's a YSL number that shows the crinkly - or crepe - sole:

Particularly effective are the translucent versions, which I've seen in kind of an amber color. Initially, you have a fair amount of traction because of the "crinkly" surface texture of the rubber, but a sole made of that is just as likely to wear to a "bald" state, like a worn tire, thus neutralizing that traction and making the sole as likely to slip as that worn, or "bald," tire to skid.


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## Memphis88

I'm not big on crepe soles. I wore Wallabees in middle and high school and would randomly trip while walking down the hallway because the crepe sole would grip the floor too much or something.


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## turban1

*bless you, good sir!*



jamgood said:


> Mr. Andy omitted the part about "brothel creeper" - didn't want the distaff readers to blush in outrage.
> 
> Chewing freshly tapped rubber tree coagulum will keep your teeth pearly white and your mouth chlorophyll fresh!


they are not the most comfortable, I concur, but at Lulu's in the West End, I find that I can walk down the hall to the conveniences without disturbing the other paying customers.

my harley street dentist, who grew up in the malay highlands, always keeps a complementary bowl of rubber tree coagulum on the front counter for his patients. actually he provides several types of _coagula_ but one hates to sound pedantic. the mint-flavoured kind is quite refreshing.


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## eagle2250

LOL...and if we are not, conveniently finding ourselves at the Dentist's office at the point at which our breath sours, might we not just pull off our trusty Wallabees...and gnaw on the soles a bit to polish our teeth and freshen our breath, prior to reentering the young beauty's room?


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## KCKclassic

I have a pair of knock-off wallabees with the crepe sole. I actually find them very comfortable, and quiet....kinda like ninja shoes. The only real complaint from me is the previously mentioned black gunk build up. Pretty nasty.


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## Memphis88

Yeah, but you can pull that stuff off and flick it at people. At least that's what we did in middle school.


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## Flanderian

jamgood said:


> Chewing freshly tapped rubber tree coagulum will keep your teeth pearly white and your mouth chlorophyll fresh!


To say nothing of what it does for one's mood! 

As a boy I had many shoes with crepe soles and they all wore poorly. But perhaps 30 years ago I had a pair of casual J&M shoes (When J&M were still pretty good shoes and U.S. made.) They were brown calf with natural color, fairly thick crepe soles. The soles wore like iron! Never showed much wear though they were soft and plush. (Though they did soil and discolor.) Wonder what process or material was added to produce this result? Anyone know? Would very much enjoy another casual shoe with a similar type of sole.


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## Packard

Aparently crepe soling material is available in different thicknesses and different durometer ratings (hardnesses).

See: https://www.kingsleymfg.com/KMFGSto...97-12768DA55715&product_id=83ICN&advmode=True


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## culverwood

Another here who finds crepe soled shoes most uncomfortable. Mine were relatively thinly soled desert boots bought in the 70's from Bata somewhere in Africa.


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## NoVaguy

I have a number of crepe soled shoes, and they definitely come in different grades of quality and hardness.

Also, be careful about thrifting or buying NOS/deadstock crepe soled shoes - I have found that the older stuff tends to wear down faster and can split. I have a pair of Lloyd & Haig's that I got in virtually new condition, and they've cracked and split across the ball of the foot. Additionally, the crepe is hard, and the heels are wearing down at a much faster than average rate.

I also have a pair of Polo Made in England crepe sole suede bluchers (presumably C&J or Sargent) in which the layers of crepe are separating from each other.

On the other hand, I also have a pair of Polo made in England crepe sole suede chukkas and they are among the most comfortable and flexible shoes I own.


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## StephenRG

Crepe soles can be very sensitive to solvents - e.g., if you walk on a patch of oil in the garage or some spilt petrol (gas) when filling up, the sole can start crumbling.


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## KCKclassic

Memphis88 said:


> Yeah, but you can pull that stuff off and flick it at people. At least that's what we did in middle school.


Even at 28 years old this thought still appeals to me. I now know how to harass friends during commercials on our (semi) weekly Thursday TV night. :devil:


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## wwbkmd

Is resoling possible for crepe soles? Can one get a leather sole put on a shoe that was originally crepe soled?

I'm concerned as I just bought these:

https://www.grenson.co.uk/productImages/5023_LEECH_235_bg.jpg


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## Packard

wwbkmd said:


> Is resoling possible for crepe soles? Can one get a leather sole put on a shoe that was originally crepe soled?
> 
> I'm concerned as I just bought these:
> 
> https://www.grenson.co.uk/productImages/5023_LEECH_235_bg.jpg


The manufacturers of the soling material sell it on their site geared towards cobblers. So I would say "Yes", it can be re-soled.


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## tda003

I assume that after it's formed into soles and especially after those shoes have been worn a few times, chewing the crepe soles won't provide the same refreshing mintiness?


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