Can I save my sole?

November 30, 2011 10:57 AM

I have some crazy shoes from Irregular Choice that have an adorable pattern on the sole. I haven't worn them anywhere yet, but I have a feeling that pattern will be completely destroyed the first time I do. Is there anything I can do to preserve them?

These aren't the shoes I have, but it's the same sole. I know that shoes are shoes, and soles aren't meant to be pristine. I'm not going to lose sleep over the bottoms of my pumps. But still... any tips?

posted by katillathehun to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (14 answers total)

Response by poster: Drat. My link didn't work. This is the picture I meant to post.
posted by katillathehun at 10:59 AM on November 30, 2011

Amazon sells clear half-soles. Not sure if that will work, but it's the only thing I can think of.
posted by yoink at 11:09 AM on November 30, 2011

I really don't think there's anything you can do, short of only wearing them on carpet. The half soles above are meant to go inside, and would likely fall apart fast if glued on the outside.
posted by OmieWise at 11:11 AM on November 30, 2011

You could try clear decoupage finish. Or maybe clear nail polish? You would probably have to reapply fairly often, though.
posted by Mchelly at 11:21 AM on November 30, 2011 [2 favorites]

Hmmm -- well, when my daughter had her "Dorothy" phase, I went through numerous pairs of Ruby Red Slippers from Target until I had the idea to coat the sparkles with clear shellac. Stopped the sparkle-shedding, and also saved the shoes from top-of-the-toe wear and tear from running all over the playground. I don't know if it would work on the *bottom* of a shoe, though. Might be slippery. Or possibly sticky. But it might work! (You could try a bit of clear nail polish to test it out.)
posted by mothershock at 11:23 AM on November 30, 2011 [1 favorite]

Best answer: You could try a clear sole grip, but I'd worry the adhesive on the grip might mess up the pattern. I think your best bet is to hit Yelp to locate a good local shoe repair business and consult a professional.
posted by EvaDestruction at 11:23 AM on November 30, 2011

I'd also be worried that anything (clear, probably, as you surely still want to see the pattern) that you apply as protection would quickly get scuffed and dirty enough to pretty much obscure the pattern anyway.
posted by xedrik at 11:37 AM on November 30, 2011

Best answer: I have these awesome Irregular Choice shoes, which I've worn out twice thus far. The first time I probably walked about 20 blocks, and spent a few hours at an art opening. The second time I walked maybe half a dozen blocks and spent a few hours in a bar dancing and watching a show.

The soles currently look like this. A bit scuffed, but not as bad as I thought they'd be.
posted by mollymayhem at 11:42 AM on November 30, 2011

You can buy Scotchguard cans and try spraying with that. But you probably need to be really careful about making them too slippery.
posted by raisingsand at 11:49 AM on November 30, 2011

Best answer: If you wear them a lot, they're going to get jacked regardless, eventually. That being said, I'd go to high-end shoe repair dude and ask if there's something they can do to slow down the process--- I have a guy who re-soles Louboutins in the original red (it's amazing; you'd never know it wasn't the original sole), so they may have something they can do to protect the outer soles in cases like this, too.
posted by Countess Sandwich at 12:16 PM on November 30, 2011 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Since handing them over won't specifically solve your problem, I second the high end shoe repair. Alternately, this place* makes custom shoes and I imagine they'd have some expertise in protective non-slip sole technology if such a thing exists. (Also, pix pls!)

*Cheesy website warning
posted by Space Kitty at 1:10 PM on November 30, 2011

Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions! I didn't even think about taking them to a repair shop. Good idea!
posted by katillathehun at 2:31 PM on November 30, 2011

Response by poster: Oh, and now that I'm in front of a camera, these are my actual shoes.
posted by katillathehun at 8:35 PM on November 30, 2011 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Based on mollymayhem's experience, I just went ahead and wore them without anything extra on the soles this weekend. I only walked a quarter of a mile-ish on pavement each way, but apart from some dirt that can be cleaned off, the soles are totally intact. They're tougher than I thought!
posted by katillathehun at 8:49 AM on December 5, 2011