Man Made or Leather Soles?

[Mid-fogey]

I too use sole savers on my shoes...

I take my new shoes to my cobbler and have Topy sole protectors installed. I get the feel and look of the leather sole but enough grip that I don't have to worry about busting my butt.
Kevin

...and have for years. I've now reached the point where all my shoes have never been worn without them. They only add a little thickness to the sole, but make the shoes last forever. When you resole shoes you pull them in a bit, and to me the shoes never feel the same after. With sole savers they feel just as good and comfortable after they come back with new sole savers as when I sent them off.

I have one particular pair of shoes that are ten years old, and I wear them 1 or 2 times a week. They are on their third set of sole savers and still look new.

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

I tried insoles but they felt funny. My formal shoes are the only shoes with insoles. Here's the shoe I wear if anyone is looking to find a rubber soled wingtip shoe.

"Rockport Wingtip"

I can guarantee they will last you a long time, and they can get a great shine.

If only they had them in Brown.....

 

[Edward]

I prefer the traditional leather-with-rubber-heel type for wearing with a suit or formal dress. Casually, most of my shoes for a long time have been rubber. I do wish though that they could be more easily replaced - a good leather sole has a long shelf life with occasional reheeling and a thin rubber layer over the front half of the sole for grip and protection (usually I would have this applied for the first time along with the first heel replacement). I've grown to prefer a non-cleated sole for most purposes, so I tend more commonly to like leather over rubber. I do see non-cleated leather on pricier shoes.... I do like the Redwings above. I'm certainly not averse to adopting other materials should they in future give the same look as the leather and be as comfy but be more durable. I'm wary though with really expensive shoes of buying them with rubber soles that can't be reheeled or have a new rubber leather put on the front of the sole like you can with leather, as I've always found that it tends to be the sole that goes first, long before the upper if it is kept polished and treated well.

 

[Qwkslvr]

Dance

I only like leather soles for dancing, otherwise; I like a sole that can hold its ground.

 

[Mid-fogey]

Understand...

I tried insoles but they felt funny. My formal shoes are the only shoes with insoles.(

...we're not talking insoles, but nylon soles that go on the bottom of the shoe. I'm telling you, these things make your shoes last forever. It also helps a lot in the rain. The water doesn't soak into the sole.

 

[cookie]

Shoes and Heels

Lost of Euro shoes have this silly 1/2 leather 1/2 rubber heel . Dangerous if you hit a slope that's wet.

I toppy mine and have a full rubber heel but the shoes are definitely hotter after a bit of walking.

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

...we're not talking insoles, but nylon soles that go on the bottom of the shoe. I'm telling you, these things make your shoes last forever. It also helps a lot in the rain. The water doesn't soak into the sole.

Yes I know. I haven't heard of nylon soles. They sounds interesting.
I wear taps on my shoes, and they last an extra few months.

Something else I learned about these Rockport shoes I wear. The rubber soles are "sewn" on, not glued. Take that Allen Edmond!