Feasablility of getting these boot heels LOWERED.
January 21, 2017 3:32 PM   Subscribe

These are the boots in question. They look fierce on, and they're very comfortable in the foot, but the heels are a bit high for extended wearing. I prefer a heel about an inch high. These are about 1.5 inches high. Of course I'll be taking them in to my trusty cobbler for consultation, but I would like the opinion of you all beforehand, to steel me for bad news if it can't be done.
posted by BostonTerrier to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (15 answers total)
 
It can't be done. Your foot would be tilted upwards.
posted by DarlingBri at 3:44 PM on January 21, 2017 [12 favorites]


No, but, there are cowboy boots that have rounded under heels, so the strike point is about 1/2 inch earlier than the perpendicular heel. You could probably loose 1/4 inch at most, but the rounded under heel feels lower. This is what I mean by rounded under, maybe they make them in a softer material to match the cushion of your sole.
posted by Oyéah at 4:01 PM on January 21, 2017


It's entirely possible I don't understand DarlingBri's and Oyéah's answers, but I don't see why your cobbler couldn't simply peel off the rubber tread on the heel, remove half an inch of the underlying material, then glue the heel tread back on.
posted by jamjam at 4:21 PM on January 21, 2017


The reason it can't be done is that the entire sole of the shoe is molded to be that height. It wouldn't just nicely flatten out if you put on a lower heel - your toe would be pointed up weirdly (and incredibly uncomfortably).
posted by brainmouse at 4:27 PM on January 21, 2017 [15 favorites]


Maybe a skilled cobbler could bend and reshape the sole after the heel shave to preserve the correct angles.

But what I'm picturing would be both extremely expensive and risky, so probably most cobblers would just say no to keep their lives simple.

I'd vote to sell and buy different, or be ready to gamble on some expensive mix of pro work and DIY.
posted by SaltySalticid at 4:35 PM on January 21, 2017 [2 favorites]


Try emailing Timberland to see if they make a 1" version.
posted by rhizome at 4:41 PM on January 21, 2017 [1 favorite]


Maybe you could also ask about making them into wedges? That would make them easier to walk in and seems like an easier solution than changing the height.
posted by taskmaster at 4:41 PM on January 21, 2017 [2 favorites]


Place the shoes on a counter so the heels hang off the edge. Lower the heel until the back the flat bit for the ball of the foot of the foot touches the counter. Any of the heel that hangs below the edge of the is theoretically removable any more than that & you end up with the problem others have mentioned. I had this done with shoes for my wedding, they had a stiletto heel though & weren't boots with a wide heel so it may be different for them but this is what my cobbler did to work out how much she could take off.

With the heel of the boot being way wider than the heels I had done they may need to reshape/replace the heel instead of simply cutting some off so the angle of the heel to the flat part stays true.

Take them to a reputable cobbler & ask would be your best bet.
posted by wwax at 4:46 PM on January 21, 2017 [3 favorites]


The reason it can't be done is that the entire sole of the shoe is molded to be that height. It wouldn't just nicely flatten out if you put on a lower heel - your toe would be pointed up weirdly (and incredibly uncomfortably).

I will of course defer to anyone who happens to own a pair of these, but I disagree that the soles are likely to be that rigid; I am wearing a pair of thick-leathered Timberlands which came with a one-piece Vibram sole with about a one inch heel, and which I used for cycling w/o clips.

Cycling generates a lot more shear force than walking, and after a year or so, the right sole peeled off cleanly during a ride. When I got home, I saw that the left one was peeling too, so I took it off as well, and ever since my Timberlands have been a notably comfortable pair of house slippers.

The heel of those boots is made of wood, and should be easy to cut and sand flat; the rest of the sole is thin, rubbery, and looks eminently flexible to me.
posted by jamjam at 5:34 PM on January 21, 2017 [1 favorite]


Could you get the soles raised 1/2"?
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 7:04 PM on January 21, 2017 [4 favorites]


The underlying structure of that shoe does not look 'thin and rubbery' to me at all. Any shoe with a heel is going to be structured and molded-- otherwise it would droop, and not have the necessary rigidity for the foot, or the uppers, etc.. There is no chance it is some floppy rubbery thing that will just settle into a new heel height. It isn't a gel insole. There is no possible way this can work in my opinion.
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 7:20 PM on January 21, 2017


I had tons of heels cut down because I have some balance issues and I can't rock the super tall heels anymore. There were only one or two pairs the cobbler couldn't shorten.

Good cobblers are frigging miracle workers. Take them to the best cobbler in town and ask.
posted by 26.2 at 8:36 PM on January 21, 2017 [1 favorite]


I wouldn't worry about the sole itself, so much as the stiffness of the upper. Lowering the heel would change the orientation of the entire boot, not just the sole. The top part, surrounding your calf, would lean backwards, and it doesn't look very flexible.
posted by jon1270 at 10:42 PM on January 21, 2017 [2 favorites]


(I hope you'll let us know what the cobbler says and what you do :)
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:48 PM on January 22, 2017


Response by poster: After consulting with my shoe guy this morning, who reiterated what DarlingBri said up top, I'm giving up on the idea. I didn't exactly get my cost-per-wear from these boots, but I shouldn't have fallen for a style with a marginally too-high heel, because that margin makes all the difference in uncomfortableness. I thought I'd give them to Hedda, but she wears a smaller size, and these are 9 Wides. Okay; next stop: eBay.
posted by BostonTerrier at 8:21 AM on January 23, 2017


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