Help me preserve my shoes!

June 21, 2010 7:05 AM

Love these new shoes, but wonder if I will ever be able to have their soles refinished once they wear out.

I recently pickup up a great new pair of Cole Haan summerish loafers made with an EVA sole. I have never owned a pair of loafers with this type of sole but am concerned that they will not be able to be refinished once I wear through them. Cole Haan already said that they can not re-sole them, but that the EVA is far more durable than a leather soled shoe. I don't doubt this, but I also don't doubt that the fine leather uppers will far outlast even the EVA sole. I am asking all you knowledgable "ask-MeFi'ers" to help me extend the life of my shoes after the soles are worn away. Thanks in advance and I know you won't let me down.

posted by tdalton to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (4 answers total)

Having looked at your attached picture, it seems to me that it would be possible at least to attach a new heel, although not a new sole. Soles can be repaired. They generally wear unevently, so if you have a depression or a hole in the sole (and it's better to fix it before it is an actual hole) you can fill in the hole with a kind of rubber cement called "Goop" which your local hardware store should carry. Goop comes in several varieties, including one specifically formulated for shoes called Shoe Goop, however, all varieties of Goop are quite similar and in my experience can be used interchangeably. Note that it will take 24 hours for the Goop to fully harden. Don't try to wear the shoes before the Goop is fully hardened.
posted by grizzled at 7:24 AM on June 21, 2010

I imagine you won't want to resole them after you've worn them that much. The top will likely be a creased mess.
posted by Dragonness at 7:41 AM on June 21, 2010

Resole

The best way to extend the life of your shoes is investing in shoe trees.
posted by cazoo at 8:51 AM on June 21, 2010

I was at a shoe repair shop here in the UK not long ago, and I spotted a big sheet of reddish foamy rubber that looks like the sole of your shoes, along with all kinds of other sole materials through the door in the workshop area. So, my guess is that it can be done, if you find the right shop
posted by Wroksie at 10:39 AM on June 21, 2010