Working Shoe for Young Exec - Part 3

nkapped

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I bought a good stock of black and brown flat laces from A Fine Pair of Shoes - just £2! They also sell Saphir products far more cheaply than most local merchants.

Can check anyone knows where to get flat laces?
 

wiz

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I topy mine but there are folks who have multiple pair of shoes everywhere, in the car, in the office etc and can swap out to rubber when required

yeah.. there are some folks on the style and fashion forums that think topys are nuts... frankly, in our weather, it'd be nuts not to have rubber soles..
 

urbanturban

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I am probably one of the few who almost never topy my leather sole shoes.
If it comes with Dainite or vibram when i bought them, fine.
But if i buy a pair of leather sole shoes, i like them that way.

It feels more comfortable, the shoes breathe better.

Yes, i risk slipping once in a while in an oily kopitiam or wet granite floor. But vibram will also wear out and become slippery too.

Anyone else go 'commando'?
 

arcfire

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I am probably one of the few who almost never topy my leather sole shoes.
If it comes with Dainite or vibram when i bought them, fine.
But if i buy a pair of leather sole shoes, i like them that way.

It feels more comfortable, the shoes breathe better.

Yes, i risk slipping once in a while in an oily kopitiam or wet granite floor. But vibram will also wear out and become slippery too.

Anyone else go 'commando'?

Raw is war man....

I prefer to topy... more of a practical man and slipping can be dangerous and not just embarrassing. Worn out topy can be replaced easily but resoling can be a big headache as not all makers will accept resoling, meaning you end up going to 3rd parties to resole and the result may not be good. Of course, for GYW shoes one can also argue that the filling will break down and will require a re-welt.
 

nkapped

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Yes, I go commando my friend. 💪

Leather is a natural material and should be allowed to breathe, considering how much moisture our feet are subject to. A layer of rubber is only going to impede that and IMHO, will lead to the structural integrity of the shoe being compromised in the long run. My only concession to ‘stability’ and ‘prolonged wear’ is getting metal toe taps attached - I try as far as possible to get this done when brand new and by the original maker.

If you really need that layer, go for vibram it dainite doles from the outset.

I am probably one of the few who almost never topy my leather sole shoes.
If it comes with Dainite or vibram when i bought them, fine.
But if i buy a pair of leather sole shoes, i like them that way.

It feels more comfortable, the shoes breathe better.

Yes, i risk slipping once in a while in an oily kopitiam or wet granite floor. But vibram will also wear out and become slippery too.

Anyone else go 'commando'?
 

All in a Day

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Raw is war man....

I prefer to topy... more of a practical man and slipping can be dangerous and not just embarrassing. Worn out topy can be replaced easily but resoling can be a big headache as not all makers will accept resoling, meaning you end up going to 3rd parties to resole and the result may not be good. Of course, for GYW shoes one can also argue that the filling will break down and will require a re-welt.

I am with arcfire on this generally. I usually wear the leather soles between 5-10 times before I topy..

Oak bark soles are really hardy though and I have yet to topy for this pair which I've worn probably over 20x.. but this is a good reminder that it is about time.
 

evangel21

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I am with arcfire on this generally. I usually wear the leather soles between 5-10 times before I topy..

Oak bark soles are really hardy though and I have yet to topy for this pair which I've worn probably over 20x.. but this is a good reminder that it is about time.

I find slipping happens to both leather or topy soles when walking on wet tiles or oily floors.
I go for topy all the time because my toe spring wears the front tip fast. Topy at least resolves that problem for me.
 

All in a Day

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I find slipping happens to both leather or topy soles when walking on wet tiles or oily floors.
I go for topy all the time because my toe spring wears the front tip fast. Topy at least resolves that problem for me.

Agree on slippery factor.

Call me a cheapo but rubber is more long lasting and easier/cheaper to replace than a re-soling. I have yet to experience (touchwood) the part about topy compromising structural integrity of shoes, which is probably the biggest concern that will swing me against topy.

And last but not least, you are not alone. I think most people wear out the front tip and heel fastest. Those are the weakest links IMHO.
 

urbanturban

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I have yet to need re-soling any leather sole shoes.....

Save on topy and re-soling..... Buy new shoes.
 

All in a Day

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Interested to know how long did yours last?

I think he belongs to the group that typically don't get a chance to wear a pair of shoes more than once a month by rotating through a healthy (or sick?) collection. :s13:
 

BallGag

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I am probably one of the few who almost never topy my leather sole shoes.
If it comes with Dainite or vibram when i bought them, fine.
But if i buy a pair of leather sole shoes, i like them that way.

It feels more comfortable, the shoes breathe better.

Yes, i risk slipping once in a while in an oily kopitiam or wet granite floor. But vibram will also wear out and become slippery too.

Anyone else go 'commando'?

This. I have slipped wearing dainite far more often than on leather.
 

wiz

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Haha ok point taken

If anyone knows, will be interested to know how long a pair of topy or leather sole can last.

I have a pair of EB on vibram, wore it for ~110 days. The sole looks still good but there is a small split at the toe.

I think he belongs to the group that typically don't get a chance to wear a pair of shoes more than once a month by rotating through a healthy (or sick?) collection. :s13:
 

BallGag

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Haha ok point taken

If anyone knows, will be interested to know how long a pair of topy or leather sole can last.

I have a pair of EB on vibram, wore it for ~110 days. The sole looks still good but there is a small split at the toe.

With rotation, I think leather soles should be able to last north of 5 years. I have pairs from 6-7 years ago that still do not require a resole. The thing is, it's really tough to quantify (for me at least), because I obviously wear some pairs more than others. It would also be dependent on the quality of the soles; I had to throw out 2 pairs of Ed Et Al because the soles just felt plain awful and I didn't think they'd stand the test of time.

That said, I used to wear my Alden 990 and 975 as beaters(from 2015 - 2018); sometimes they'd be worn on consecutive days for up to a week due to travel. While the double leather soles on both pairs are pretty well worn, I think they can last for another full year of abuse.

I've been wearing my doak Dovers at least 4 times a month since 2015 as well and I think those can last another 2-3 years, maybe.
 

wiz

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With rotation, I think leather soles should be able to last north of 5 years. I have pairs from 6-7 years ago that still do not require a resole. The thing is, it's really tough to quantify (for me at least), because I obviously wear some pairs more than others. It would also be dependent on the quality of the soles; I had to throw out 2 pairs of Ed Et Al because the soles just felt plain awful and I didn't think they'd stand the test of time.

That said, I used to wear my Alden 990 and 975 as beaters(from 2015 - 2018); sometimes they'd be worn on consecutive days for up to a week due to travel. While the double leather soles on both pairs are pretty well worn, I think they can last for another full year of abuse.

I've been wearing my doak Dovers at least 4 times a month since 2015 as well and I think those can last another 2-3 years, maybe.

Ah so the "higher" tier shoes will have better quality leather soles. hmm maybe I should try commando on my next pair. My experience was 4 to 5 months on 2 pairs of LLYR and they are slippery...
 

BallGag

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Ah so the "higher" tier shoes will have better quality leather soles. hmm maybe I should try commando on my next pair. My experience was 4 to 5 months on 2 pairs of LLYR and they are slippery...

I like to score new soles with a razor or penknife, or if I'm lazy, just drag my feet on asphalt for awhile.
 

jonleelk

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I am probably one of the few who almost never topy my leather sole shoes.
If it comes with Dainite or vibram when i bought them, fine.
But if i buy a pair of leather sole shoes, i like them that way.

It feels more comfortable, the shoes breathe better.

Yes, i risk slipping once in a while in an oily kopitiam or wet granite floor. But vibram will also wear out and become slippery too.

Anyone else go 'commando'?
+1. I like raw too.
 
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