Tuesday, October 09, 2007

How To: Protect Your Shoes (Rubber Soles)

Awhile back, Candid Cool suggested that I get my "investment" (aka shoes) rubber-soled. I wasn't sure what that meant and my post to ask for tips didn't yield many results. I got a suggestion for a place where I could ship my babies, but I wanted to take them somewhere local. After some more research, here's what I found:

Getting your shoes rubber-soled will help them last longer and in some cases, look nicer (from the bottom, of course). When a shoe peddler rubber-soles your shoes, they'll apply a thin layer of sole material to the bottom of your shoe to prevent the original shoe part from getting scuffed or wearing down. I hear getting your shoes rubber-soled is good for all shoes with pretty bottoms or bottoms made of leather, but it's really up to you. Anywho, once you're ready to have your shoes soled (and you know 100% sure that you won't return them), ask the shop where you bought your shoes if they have an in-house shoe peddler or repairman. If they don't, ask where they tell their customers to take their shoes for repair. I got my shoes at Neiman Marcus and they told me to take mine to the place at Belk's. Wherever your shop is directing their customers to will, most likely (and hopefully), be used to taking care of the type of shoes you bought. Ask the repair person if they can rubber-sole your shoes. If they seem too confused, then this may not be the place for you, but a place that handles lots of Neiman's shoes should know what they're doing. Ask to see the soles they'll be putting on and also be sure to ask if they can shave down the sides so they don't show too much. Unless you ask them to, the soles should only cover the part of the shoe that touches the ground (not the arch). Here's what they should look like when they're done:


Shoes can be expensive so be sure to take care of your investment!

8 comments:

Diana @ So Fash'on said...

it's important to take care of them properly!
I don't know if you noticed, but I moved from dianabobar.wordpress.com to www.sofashon.com, and I would be happy if you could change the link on your blog! Thank you so much for taking the time.
Hugs and kisses, Diana

Shopaholic D said...

you got it!

:) D

Kara said...

If I sent you a photo of a dress I bought for a wedding would you give me your opinion? I told you I need a personal stylist!

Shopaholic D said...

you betcha! email me at shopaholicd at gmail dot com. If you want, I can post the picture so you can get feedback from some of my readers. be sure to let me know in your email if you want me to email back my comments or do a blog post so you can get extra feedback.

:) D

tosinpdx said...

wow, those are pretty shoes. :)
Could I link you up?
I really enjoy visiting your blog - I like your outfits. They're classic with a bit of edge. :)

Thanks.
Gracious

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tips!! I will try these tips on my shoes.

Anonymous said...

these are perfect….i need them

Meg said...

Okay, so I just bought a cheap pair of boots from Old Navy. The soles are a cheap foam-like material. I usually would not go for a shoe with a cheap sole like this, however these are the only pair of boots I have ever found that fit my calves (and trust me, I have tried everything). So I'd really like to get them rubber-soled, but I have no idea where to go. Do you have any suggestions? Do you think it's even possible on a cheap pair of boots such as these? Thanks for your help.