A few weeks ago I found an old pair of shoes gathering dust in the back of my closet. They were great shoes, nice-looking and among the most comfortable I’ve ever had. About a year after I’d purchased them their soles began to wear out in bizarre ways. Chunks just fell off. The uppers were like new and they were such great shoes I couldn’t bear to throw them out but I couldn’t wear them, either, without my feet getting wet. So they sat in the back of my closet in limbo. For more than a decade.
They’re not the sort of shoes I could take to a local shoemaker. However, I searched around on the Internet and identified a place that would replace the soles. I mentioned the place to my wife who told me that she was very satisfied with what they’d done when she’d sent a pair of her Birkenstocks to them to have them resoled. So I sent them off in the mailer they’d sent me.
I received them back yesterday and I’m thrilled. They’re like new, better, actually because the new soles are better than the old soles ever were. Now I have a new pair of shoes that are as comfortable as an old pair.
This process doesn’t make any sense if you pay less than $100 for a pair of shoes but if you do, it’s a pretty good way to go.
Now I have a new pair of shoes that are as comfortable as an old pair.
Some guys have all the luck! Maybe throw in a link for the free advertising. (I won’t be giving them any business, but someone else might.)
The company is NuShoe.com.
Before Katrina, I had at least 25 pairs of shoes. I buy the best I can afford, and I keep them until they fall apart. Some of the ones I threw away were 20 years old, and I was still wearing them.
Today, I have replaced the Florsheim wing tips and saddle oxfords. I still have the Timberland boots and Nike beach flip-flops I left with (now 20 years old), and I have added a new pair of Timberlands and moccasins. I found a place to replace my combat boots, but I can never replace the miles I put on them.
I also lost a pair of Birkenstock sandals. I did not like them, but they were great for fooling the hippies, environmentalists, and other leftist freaks. Wearing them, I could move among them freely, and they would never really cower. I think it was because you cannot do much with them on. Now, black 11″ pull-on Red Wing boots tend to get them nervous. (Standard western boots are do not.)
For dress shoes and western boots, I want leather soles. Having them resoled is not cheap, and then, the uppers do not match. The only reason for getting them resoled is style availability or quality. (I am a stickler about the toe crease.)
Years ago, I found some oversized horsehair shoe brushes, and I bought one for each color. You can just use the end to apply the polish and buff it out. If you want a quick touch-up, you can just knock off the dust and hit it with the brush. The polish in the brush will bring out the shine again. (I never could spit shine.)
Teva/Keen sandals, UGG/Keen boots, and Dansko clogs comprise my foot covers. Comfort, quality, and simplicity are what I look for in shoes, and these brands and types seem to fit the bill.
BTW, Tasty, your shoe story was an enjoyable read.
@jan
I hope you have been alright. I have been wondering where you were. Even though I might disagree with you sometimes, you know you are on my nice list – except for those Ugg boots.
(Years ago, a buddy told me that the surfers wore them to keep their feet warm when they came out of the water. I had to take his word because I never went to the beach. Since surfers are cool, I will assume you are a surfer chick.)