Pictured above is the sole of my derby shoe that has reached its demise. And only just after one year of wear. What’s wrong with them? The toes have worn out. Almost completely.
Shoe heads can also tell that the sole’s blind-stitch is exposed. It’s the little flap sticking out. I expected that sooner or later, since I wear these shoes often. Plus, that thin slice of leather is normally held together with glue. Slight scraping would open that eventually.
But the massacred toes are due to the way I walk. I should have installed toe taps, but didn’t know they would wear out like that. Same with my heel stack. Not only that, but the wear has resulted in structural damage to the shoe. Part of the shoe’s good-year stitching has frayed away, which holds the shoe to the sole.
Now when I sit and cross my legs, the soles look very unflattering. It’s a costly mistake to an otherwise decent pair of shoes.
The solution? To replace the sole.
If you’re someone who cares for their dress shoes, I definitely recommend toe taps, whether you wear out your soles easily or not. They maintain the integrity of your sole and prevent unnecessary damage. When you buy a new pair of shoes, you can find a reliable cobbler to replace the soles with toe-taps.
