care of Dainite soles

[Guest]

I have a pair of Peal chukhas with the Dainite soles. Despite its hard-wearing properties, it does have some wear at the heal and toe. My cobbler put nylon taps on it, but I wondered if there is a more aesthetic way to maintain the soles, for instance can part of the heal be replaced? If you look at the sole, you can see that because of its deep treads, this is not so obvious as say, replacing the heal of a leather sole or flat rubber sole.

[bengal-stripe]

On a Dainite sole, sole and heal are two separate pieces. The heel has a rubber top lift that can easily be replaced. Every cobbler can fix a new pair of heals (only the top lift will need replacing, you shouldn’t have walked down to the leather underneath).

Here in the UK, where Dainite soles are quite common, every cobbler stocks the necessary spare parts. This might not be the case in the US. If need be, get in touch with the manufacturers (either C&J or Sargent) and ask them to send you a pair of top lifts in the right size and color, they come in black and brown. (My Dainite heels come size marked, they are 3 5/8”.) Equally, a qualified cobbler should be able to replace the tips with a matching piece of rubber.

Here is the menu of a Japanese firm of cobblers. It shows you all the options they offer. (Dainite heel is the 7th down).
http://union.tvst.com/f_repair.html
(No, I’m not suggesting you should send your shoes to Japan for repair).

Rolf