Is it just me???

[melia]

i am just ready to place an order for a couple of pairs of G&G shoes but need some advice before i do so.
I really like the oak bark sole, but have always had trouble with leather/wooden soles as i find them so slippery underfoot.
I usually wear C&J with a Dainite sole and find this a good solution, but the G&G's are such a good looking shoe i don't want to spoil the look of them in any way (although practical the dainite sole isn't the most attractive )
Does anyone else find this with fine shoes? is there a solution or should i just bite the bullet and watch my step ???
All input welcome.

[Chris Rimby]

You could have a cobbler apply a small, thin, clear patch of topy. I'm thinking about having this done to some of my shoes.

[Cantabrigian]

With soles that pretty, it would be a shame to go with Dainite (and I'm not even a shoe guy).

If you really have a problem with traction which I find I do as well, have a topy added.

[melia]

thanks.

what is topy??

[Chris Rimby]

It's a thin soft plastic covering that can be cut to any shape and then glued on to the sole of a shoe.

[melia]

that sounds just what i need.

thanks Chris.

[tteplitzmd]

I, too, find the leather too slippery. Tony agreed to put the thin rubber "protector" on the foreward part of the sole, and assured me I would not be committing any high crime or misdemeanor. (Buccleugh Polo Suede)

[melia]

I, too, find the leather too slippery. Tony agreed to put the thin rubber "protector" on the foreward part of the sole, and assured me I would not be committing any high crime or misdemeanor. (Buccleugh Polo Suede)

is that topy or something else?? does it spoil the look of the sole?

[tteplitzmd]

thin black rubber- like--sold under numerous names, known differently from place to place, "sole guard", European "half sole", decidedly does not ruin the appearance. I am not a 'shoe guy' nor do I play one on TV, but "shoe guys" sometimes say it does something untoward to the underlying leather/sole. Seems rather unlikely to me, I'd rather be steady under foot, as opposed to slipping and falling in style. Tony G. had no issue with adding it.

[melia]

would it be possible to post a picture of yours?

[edhayes]

personally, I am a shoe guy. in my opinion, I want style in shoes. I like comfort but they must have style. If it comes down to taking the risk of falling or wearing something that makes me look like I am afraid of falling down, I'll take my chances.

[tteplitzmd]

Fall risk increases with age. Mortality after a broken hip increases with age. After you break your leg, you won't have to worry about wearing shoes for a while. And when you can wear them again, they won't fit, owing to the soft tissue swelling.

As I write this, I am wearing a 15 year old pair of Bass Weejuns from Eljo's, 7 C, which alas is no longer made. The only reason I can still wear them is the sole protector, of black Vibram, over the foreward half of the sole. No one can tell what this sole looks like in the course of daily use.

On a serious note, regardless of style, I find the "Thames" sole on Edward Green's (which I believe Tony Gaziano brought to Edward Green) more comfortable than their leather sole. The Thames sole is some sort of synthetic, but different than the usual Vibram and Dainite. I am sure Tony could clarify.

[melia]

Fall risk increases with age.

Or how much wine is consumed......

[sammywaslow]

Not sure if I'm a "shoe guy". I certainly enjoy looking, buying and wearing, but I have never made, repaired or designed a shoe. Nevertheless, I have heard that adding a synthetic layer (topy, etc.) after the fact can throw out the 'balance' of a shoe, introducing stresses on the stitching and leather. Sort of makes sense - a well made shoe has just as many parts as the maker intended, no more, no less. (Reminds me of a line from 'Amadeus' wherein the Emperor complains that the newly offered Mozart opera has "... too many notes"). Also, synthetic soles do not breathe. Some, if not most, high-end shoemakers even avoid the use of glue completely in favour of stitching for this very reason. Ideally, when a hole in the sole threatens, the shoes should sent back to the original manufacturer who will unstitch the upper and then re-attach a new leather (or similar) sole. Happy to be corrected on any or all of the above if anyone thinks it's a load of old cobblers.
Definitely can be slippery though - I myself came a cropper once when trying the execute the deceptively simple manouvre of stepping up onto a roadside kerb. The beautiful suit, fine shirt, and well chosen tie didn't count for much that day!

[lancepryor]

I have never believed the assertions that a Topy would in any way harm a shoe. They are very thin, and I just don't believe that their presence would in any way affect the wear of the shoe (aside, of course, from extending the life of the sole). Remember, for example, that many shoemakers offer different soles made from the same last -- e.g. you can order an Edward Green with a single or double sole, yet they use the same lasts. So, would the presence of a Topy really affect the upper more than the presence of a double sole vs. a single sole? I just think that this story has been perpetuated by shoemakers who want to sell more shoes and resoling/recrafting. Finally, many shoes' outsoles are say 3/16 inch thick, which is much thicker than the Topy. So, as those soles wear down, would that not also 'stress' the shoe? I don't believe that anyone has run any controlled experiments to prove/disprove the assertions about the Topy's impact.

If one wants to be pedantic, one could legitimately assert that the presence of the Topy does change the effective heel height of the shoe, and thus the point where the forefoot strikes the ground; since a last is designed for a specific heel height, this could marginally affect the feel of the shoe in walking, as well as the wear of the shoe. However, in seeing how shoes are made, the degree of quality control exercised, and the shape of most last bottoms, I don't think the presence of the very thin Topy would have any significant or noticeable effect.

As for the arguments about the sole breathing, etc. First, ALL shoemakers do use plenty of glue in attaching the soles, notwithstanding the presence of the welt/outsole stitching. The glue is used to attach the filling, typically cork, that is present between the insole and the outsole, as well as attaching the outsole to that middle material/cork. Futher, I just doubt that much sweat/moisture makes its way out of the shoe by travelling through the insole, the cork, and then the outsole. Certainly the insole and the lining capture a fair amount of moisture, but I would imagine the vast majority then evaporates into the air or is absorbed by the trees when the shoes are off the feet. Perhaps in the case where the outsole is soaked due to rain, etc, then of course the outsole will have lots of evaporation. But, wouldn't the Topy prevent the intrusion of most of the water into the underlying sole in the first place?