He often do you re-sole your shoes?

[carrotsandtomatoes]

I feel like I always need to resole shoes. It’s a faff and pretty expensive so I can’t help wonder whether most people do this? In particular when people buy cheap shoes, do they just wear them until they get thin on the sole/ugly on the toe/ground down heels and then throw them out?
I buy good shoes and it kind of annoys me that they need to be re-soled so quickly. Not the thick lug soled shoe or boot but leather soled flats or heels.

Not for about 30 years.
I used to in my teens and 20s, but now the upper part of my boots or shoes wear out before the soles.

This is true. Leather soles aren’t designed to be hard wearing. Your going to have to keep resoling them or have a rubber half sole put on for longevity.

In the early days of my career when I lived in court shoes or thin soled boots I was always taking things to be re-soled or heeled. Then I had some boots a few years ago that I had done a couple of times. But then I developed plantar fasciitis and together with the trend for casual workwear I live in Birkenstocks, chunky boots and trainers now and so rarely wear courts or similar that they don't wear out.

Can you give an example of the types of shoes you have to get resoled? I have never had a pair of shoes resoled / I mostly wear DMs, Chelsea boots, trainers or pumps. Trainers and pumps get replaced if they wear out and DMs never do :)

I have never re-soled a shoe but I wear pretty cheap shoes tbf.

DH bought a pair of Churchers shoes in the 90s and they cost £400 then so he has had them re-soled about 3 times. He's just told me that he now gets a thin rubber sole and glues them onto the bottom which helps stop them slipping also. (He's a bit of a DIY guy).

This sort of thing, @Peaceandquietandacuppa

https://www.grenson.com/fleur-womens-loafers-in-taupe-suede/

Scroll to the photo of the leather soles.

But the chunky soled boots I’m sending back to be repaired have these soles. (Not these particular boots!)

https://www.grenson.com/arabella-womens-triple-welt-boots-in-brick-rub-off-leather/?setCurrencyId=1

And this gives an overall idea:

https://www.grenson.com/search.php?search_query=Repairs

There’s a fabulous photo on their instagram of a boot chewed by a dog and subsequently remade.

Throughout the later 80s into the 90s I lived in Ferragamo Vara shoes and gave them really heavy wear. If I remember correctly the leather soles were really quite slippery, so it was a toss up between risking my neck on steep stone staircases and wet train platforms, or getting a rubber (?) sole added at once - which did take away from their beauty.

And I have some handmade flat clumpy leather soled slingbacks from a now defunct shoemaker that I’ve been wearing and resoling for well over a decade.

(For the avoidance of doubt I have absolutely no connection to any shoe brand!)

I had one pair of boots resoled a few years ago. Other than that, never. I nearly always wear trainers and chunky soled boots these days, never heels or anything with a delicate sole.

Interesting thread, I hadn’t realised leather soled shoes were so uncommon now although I don’t like or wear trainers so maybe that explains it.

To answer the op, typically about once a year. Absolutely worth it.

I once had DM soles replaced, many years ago. I probably wouldn’t do it now though as the uppers/stitching wear out first.

Does anyone get metal tips put on their shoes / boots ?
I wear my soles really unevenly as i walk very heavily on the outside of my foot. But i am not sure if tips would work on my work ( cat ) boots

I used to put Blakey's heel segs on shoes and boots but that was on very hard soles/heels. I'm not sure how they works when on rubbery-er ones @ScottBakula

These are not my shoes. Just an example of the type of shoes that need re-soling

Ah my boot soles are rubber ( anti shock ) so I guess they wouldn't stay in place .

Now someone mentioned leather soles, I remember them from when I was a teen. I am 50. If you want to say I don’t wear proper shoes that’s fine. All my shoes are rubber soled. I have two pairs of DM from when my 20s and 30s. Then it’s all trainers, hiking shoes, crocs and Birkenstocks. None of them are cheap cheap. I can’t stand leather soles. I prefer thinking cushioning between my feet and the road. All of them last for ages with no resoling needed. Except my trainers which I wear everyday and needs changing more often.

Since my teens, I've lived in DMs mostly. I wear trainers for working out and I have some brogues I wear at work but I've even had them for over 5yrs and the soles are fine. Presumably, none of my shoes have leather soles. Most of them I've had for at least a decade, sometimes 2, some nearer 3.

If it's a leather soled shoe, I usually get a rubber half or whole sole added after a few wears. A few pairs of heels just have a rubber tip at the front of the sole as this is a particularly vulnerable part of the shoe and needs extra protection. Top pieces (the bit on the end of a heel) gets replaced when I can see a little glimmer of the silver of the metal (which the top piece sits on). With regards to metal tips, I only really have these added/replaced if they're already in situ when purchased. I think the only boots I have with metal tips are Miu Miu. I have a pair of Tracey Neuls boots which they (as in TN) will replace the leather sole as and when needed. It's part of the policy - they resole all their shoes free of charge.

I used to work with shoes so this is second nature to me and not a faff to do at all. It ensures the shoes longevity, so is a good investment. The cobbler I go to is excellent and always ensure the colour of the rubber soles match the original leather of the shoe. (On a practical note, a thin rubber sole gives more of a grip to the shoe when it rains. It also protects the sole itself from the rain.)

Most days, I see many women walking around without top pieces on their shoes. It's such an easy and cheap repair and will prevent the heel from splitting/leaning at a dangerous angle.