3 Ways To Prevent Your Shoes From Wearing Down 

Wonderful advice. Several years ago I started to buy more expensive shoes so that I can have better quality. I quickly learned that these three areas were the most important for me to pay attention to in order for the souls to last longer. Conditioning and polishing was also extremely important. Again, great video.

Now this video will save me some money 💰 never tough about that , thanks , im getting it done today!

Really enjoying your channel.. thank you for your work! We had a great Cobbler here in Boulder, but he and the family are now semi-retired. They did a great job. There is another place here but they don't conduct themselves very professionally. Sad that a city of 100,000 people cannot sustain a great craft. Thanks for all you do.. Frank from Boulder, Colorado

Enjoy taking in the information provided. Thank you 🙏🏼

Thanks for the great info!

Seriously, great video! I wish I know this years ago.

very helpful, thank you! now i know what to ask for when I go to my shoemaker

Great to see people looking after things rather than throw away buy new.

I can vouch for sole protectors. I have a pair of Florsheim Imperial Clayton's that NYC cement chewed into post-haste! I took it to a cobbler to get the heels replaced and he recommended Vibram sole guards installed. 10 years later the same sole protectors are on there going strong! While I don't walk around / commute into NYC anymore I still think it was a great investment. My Allen Edmond Cliftons are 1/2 that age w/o protectors and already need the soles replaced.

As always, great video. One thing I use is metal heel plates as opposed to plastic. That said, they are somewhat noisy and slippery on certain surfaces, but last far longer than plastic. I seemed like I was replacing plastic ones every few months and when I started using metal ones, I haven't replaced them in 2 years. I have 5 pair of work shoes, so am wearing each pair one time a week. I certainly realize that others may have different preferences. Merry Christmas to you and your family in advance.

I love all these suggestions ... Dosent affect how a person walks .... Provides protection and like he said better traction. Yes I like leather bottom for dress shoes but they stain and slip to easily and for what it's worth no one will even notice the bottom and less chance of slipping especially on certain surfaces. A cheaper way to prolong life of the soles

Honestly, if you are new here, these guys are so awesome at answering questions! Just ask!

You and your brother are the best!

I love you guy's! Can you do a video with ugg boots ,restore and prevent. Please.

Great video as always guys! Will there be a video showcasing the install if LuLu toe taps? 😀

Great video 👌. Who says one cannot learn something new everyday 😊.

Great stuff, as always! I’ve also noticed quite a bit of wear on the back heel upper (right side) from all the business travel driving I do. Do you get those wear spots in your shop often? If so, what’s your typical fix? (Dye, cream, wax, etc.). I guess I should wear driving Mocs and change to my regular shoes at my destination (which is the logical fix). But am curious what you do for lazy guys like myself! Thank you.

great video, one question for the length of nails for the heel taps, in case the heel is 20mm high, how long should be the nails? Be 19mm or shorter ? Thank you in advance.

Hi, excellent video. What do you recommend to remove polish buildup from the metal buckles? Ty

May i know some options for female heels perse, thanks for sharing this

For the extra sensitive: if you put sole protectors up front, perhaps better to add the same thickness to the heels-- or else the front of the shoe tends to eventually flip up upon use, because the original balance is lost.

Great info!

THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATIVE VIDEOS. BY THE WAY IS IT FUNCTIONAL TO PUT METALIC HEEL PROTECTORS THANK YOU.

Surprised & glad to see the Vibram leather-coloured protector. That would be my choice.

Do the quality sole-savers come in any fun colors? FYI , I'm glad I watched this video. Now in my search for a shoe to fit my weird feet I know they can be upgraded to have rubber so I don't need to get rubber from the factory.

Thank YOU!!

Many years ago I took in a pair of shoes in to have heel protectors put on . The cobbler basically cut out a piece of the heel block and inserted a piece of metal. I wasn't pleased because I sounded like a tap dancer when I walked . Was this an old school approach for heel protection and do any cobblers still do this today ? Love your videos BTW.

Trenton & Heath, thank you for such great videos. When my cobbler sent me back my shoes perfectly half-soled (I picked out Vibram Ariel in rich brown), he not only did a fine job on the sole edge and heel dressing, he gave them a finishing touch using hot wax. They are glorious to look at. I would love to learn how to do this. Are you familiar with this technique, and is it something a regular person could learn? I’d love to hear any thoughts you have. Thank you!

I have always been putting the plastic protector "cleat" on my heels. Very necessary and I can do it myself. Just purchase them and the suitable nails. Pry off the worn ones and nail in the new ones. I got mine at a cobbler shop in Chicago.

What's the point of purchasing shoes with leather soles, when they have to be "enhanced" with rubber and plastic?

To start I Love your videos but I do have one question. Do the plastic toe plates change the way you walk?

Great preventions, however, I’ve just found out (thanks to my friendly cobbler), you can very easily replace the toe part of the sole. He took off less then two inches at a sharp angle and glued fresh leather on there at the opposite angle. It’s like a tiny half resole job and was very affordable. And I think it will last long enough for the rest of the sole to wear out, so next time I’ll do a full resole. It’s the same with the heels, like you said in the beginning, you can easily have those top rubber/leather parts replaced (to your taste as well) and for the price, you get the best and most beautiful result and has the most elegant look in my opinion. Thanks for the video and keep up the great work! Ps some brands put brass nails at the toe area, is that pure esthetics or does it prevent wear?

Wish I had known this when the soles on my Georgia boots separated, I tossed them and they fit so good. 😢

Does anyone know what the name of the glue is used by cobblers to attach taps to the heel? I walk quite a bit and need to do this myself. If yes please share. Thanks

What about metal heel taps/guards over heel pad?

interesting video. Are there any particular recommendations for areas of high wet weather such as PNW? I am always a little worries about too much rain and wet walking around in nice leather shoes and frankly i dont really sport particularly nice shoes specifically as i am nervous they wont do well in the local climate.

Do you tend to countersink the holes on the Lulu plates? Getting the right size screws with the right head profile is difficult and my local cobbled uses a larger screw that fills the hole, but leaves the heads proud to the point where he has to grind down to flush them up. Have seen some other cobbled intentionally enlarge the countersink to prevent this.

When would one prefer a metal toe protector? When is it desirable to use a hard rubber protector?

Once I’ve put the plastic toe taps ,can I take them off an put the metal ones?will the holes from the nails be a problem when putting the metal ones ? I have Allen Edmonds shoes with plastic toe taps but am thinking on replacing them with metal ones. Thankyou for your time .

Are you able to resole Clark's chukka boots that have the original rubber style sole? Are does buying a rubber style sole mean its toast once the sole wears down?

Several brands which sell high-quality shoes/boots now offer the same pair of them with a dainite sole or their own in-house rubber sole. That is the way forward. Yes, leather soles probably look better on formal shoes like a cap-toe oxford, but once you wear this type of shoe on the street the sole starts to wear out or collects small stones which make it vey annoying.

If using a sole protector and metal toe tap is there still the need to route out space for the tap? Basically shaping the toe area of the sole protector around the toe tap. New to leather soles.

Does putting on the toe plates ruin sole? Can you resole them after the toe plates wear out?

Do you not use metal heel protectors? They're quite common in Britain.

I have a question re lug-soled shoes + boots: Are there any preventive measures I can take to keep their soles in top shape? Does anyone make a toe guard for lug soles? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thx!

Where do I get those sole and heel protectors? Thanks

Should I use Saphir Reptan to polish my Ostrich shoes?

I have safety concerns about metal heel taps on leather soles. Do feel having the 1/4 rubber in the corner provides much better traction on wet surfaces while retaining the look of a (mostly) leather sole

Hello, and thank you for these useful insights on shoe care. I have a practical question. We generally agree that we should not wear the same pair of shoes twice in a row. Is this only referred to two days in a row? For example, if I have a meeting in the morning, let's say from 8:00 to 12:00, and then I get back home and take the shoes off, should I wear the same pair for an evening meeting the same day, or should I wear another pair? Thank you!

Hey Trenton & Heath I find my shoes wearing out from the INSIDE instead, particularly at the big toe and pinky toe area. Is it a case of my shoe being too tight or too loose? Not too certain if it's a sizing issue or something else entirely. Btw excellent channel, subscribed!

Could you possibly discuss in one of your videos what can be done if a shoe is severely waterstained?

Random question... is there a way to take the shine off a black cowboy boot ( as they seem to all have it) off without ruining the leather?

can you over condition or over polish a shoe? say you put on a layer of Saphir cream every two weeks or so, is that too much?

How to put the sole protector on your shoe?

All my shoes (Birkenstock or ugg brand) wear out within 3 months or less on the outside mostly heel / side area. I’ve had them all resoled so many times. How can I keep them from wearing down on the outside soles since I walk on the sides of my feet more from previous broken foot injury.

My big issue with rubber sole savers is that it you like to dance. The rubber prevents you to glide across a nice wood dance floor. The rubber tip will also hinder the glide across the floor.

Ok Trenton but if you have to put rubber protector to your leather soles, if is not better to buy the shoes with rubber, or any other sole option instead of leather?.

I think the cover that protect the shoe when walk out in dirty street that can be removed or dispose after got home bigger market than shoe market and save a good shoe longer paper coat rubber is best

That is a great shirt.

I do get rubber sole protectors put on my leather soled shoes for all the reasons you mention. But i have noticed that almost every manufacturer advises against this saying it puts unnecessary stress on the shoes construction. I can't say I've had any issues though.

Do these plates damage hard wood floors? I have some on some boots I want to start wearing to line dance, but I don't want to ruin hard wood floors 😮

Anyone know if you can use all 3 simultaneously

The heel of my fav pair of shoes is wearing down. But I bought them for $10 and was surprised when they lasted longer than the interview I bought them for, so unless I start getting real crafty with some felt, I'm not sure I can do much without exceeding the shoes' value haha.

Can we use those protectors on dress shoes that have rubber soles, specifically at the heel ?

Do the metal toe pieces make a sound when walking on wood flooring and other indoor hard surfaces?

Does it make sense to install metal toe and heel taps, and then, put the sole protectors over them? is it possible? what are your thoughts?

I have a shoe question about non-leather soled shoes. I never buy them because I think they are impossible to repair. Is this true? For example: the bottega veneta lugg boots, .... once those wear down can you ever fix them?

I think the 1st mm wears of much faster then the 5th and so on.

Thanks for the video! I’ve had the Vibran half soles and they made my shoe stiff and less flexible to the point that I have lots of heel slip. Maybe they were too thick? Are there sole protectors more flexible than those?

Hi. Do these heel protection make the shoe sound like tap dancing? Lol. Also, I was told by a few people that an extra rubber sole protector on a leather sole may throw out the balance of the shoe, and perhaps also ruin the pure leather look. What is your opinion?

I've had plastic and metal guards. Plastic is cheaper, but wears out faster. Also, they seem to get pulled off the shoe more quickly with the first uneven sidewalk that the tip of your shoe gets caught on. The metal guards hold up much longer but they are very noisy, which could be annoying...unless you're a tap dancer [I'd get a few semi-annoyed looks from people when walking down the tile hallway at work]. Plus, they could be a little slippery, depending on the surface. I'd opt for plastic...less expensive and not noisy.

nice shirt!

Toe taps seem like a great idea, but I’ve always been concerned they would scratch the wooden floors in my home. So my question is, are toe taps safe for use on nice residential oak flooring?

I avoid leather soles like the PLAGUE. That said, I found a pair of cowboy boots that I had to have and they have leather soles. Looks like it's time to get this done...

what's the point of protectors if you have to tack drive them into the sole

My local shoe repair people frustrated me by telling me I would need a full resole in order to have simple toe taps put on. Pure liars. What brand of plastic toe taps do you recommend? Thank you.

Do sole protectors/toe taps make the shoes more difficult to walk in? My husband is concerned this may be the case. He's a size 12 and being big & tall he wears through soles so fast!

Studs saving shoes!

I personally enjoy having heel taps. They don't just protect your heels, but also make noise when you walk... LIKE A BOSS.

I love your videos. I only recently discovered your RU-vid channel and in just a month and a half, you have increased my knowledge of shoe care tenfold.

Can you talk about your pricing for various repairs that you've received in your videos? @Kavalier 😀

Doesn't the heel tap create an uneven heel to step on?

While I appreciate a cobblers skill, the rubber taps can be purchased on eBay, Amazon, etc, for DIY installation as needed.

Does using the tacks on the toe and heel protectors damage the shoe in any way? I bought the same guard plastic ones and the tacks that came with it seem quite long-- I don't know if it's alright for the tacks to go into the welt.

Put sum of the steel heel savers on a pair of my ostrich cowboy boots ouch..clunk clunk .I pulled them off.

Now I know that I know very little about shoe maintenance 😂

the metal ones also make noise, it used to embarrass me as a kid.

Can you get brass toe caps ?

One needs wear the brand new shoes for at least month bfr adding rubber protection pads. Brand new shoes need time to adjust itself to the feet & get its own shape, some mfr even don't advise installing ones.

Do you repair Edward Green shoes or Gaziano?

What about metal top lifts?

How many miles do those goodyears last

Where i can find those plastic protectors with adhesive?

How long should a leather sole last (at ball)? The last I had (Sioux shoes) lasted 1 Month,maybe because of inferior quality? After replacing it (i think it was oak tan, but not sure) these shoes lasted maybe 2 month. This feels way to quick and is why i do not opt for leather sole right now, although i would prefer it. I remember i read somewhere a deformed shoe (no shoetree at that time) wear down much faster, but this much?

Are those AE Leeds?

So why buy leather bottom shoes if you are just throwing rubber on?

Can you put all 3 on the same shoe?

is it weird to call those "little plastic things" Toe and heel taps ? i mean they are the same things they use in tap dancing

Would you share disadvantages of these extra protection perhaps in other videos ? Some say it changes the way you stand while wearing them thus creates discomfort

Any thoughts on the use of a product like Leather Honey for those of us who won't want to cover our leather with rubber? Is it just snake oil, or does it really make the soles last longer?