[TheQue]

This thread isn't two years old. It is nearly a decade old. And destined to be necro-bumped in perpetuity, it seems.

Leather shoes aren't disappearing any time soon. If that's your preference, you are not lacking for choice. For those of us who live in climates where our footwear must manage more than rain - sleet, snow, ice - synthetic soles are vastly superior. As they are in the rain. Oh, and Dainite is indeed more durable than leather. Many times more durable.

The very best manufacturers currently offer a range of synthetic soles. I am confident in asserting that manufacturers such as EG, GG and St. C are not offering synthetic soles merely to save a few pennies in material cost on their thousand dollar plus shoes.

Finally, if we look beyond the realm of high end dress shoes and boots and examine the offerings from the manufacturers of dedicated winter, hunting, hiking and military boots, leather soles will be few and far between. There is a reason for this. For footwear specifically designed for diverse and extreme conditions, synthetic soles are a superior choice.

PS - I understand that rubber is a natural material, not synthetic - I merely use that term to describe non-leather soles collectively.

Well written.

I will still stand by my assertion that there is no reason one cannot wear leather soles in the rain.

 

[TheQue]

I thought rubber soles typically last much longer than leather on hard wearing surfaces like concrete?

I was corrected on this assertion by RogerP. I was under the, incorrect, assumption that rubber was less durable. I do not know anything about Dainite and assume, again incorrectly, that the rubber used in dress shoes was of similar makeup to that of tennis shoes.

 

[Veblen]

I'd suppose that neither all rubber soles nor all leather soles are equal. I have found Dainite soles to be quite durable. While I concur that wearing leather-soled shoes in rain isn't the end of the world, I believe that in a small rotation (like mine) good rubber soles do have an edge if you're frequently out and about in wet weather.

 

[TheQue]

I'd suppose that neither all rubber soles nor all leather soles are equal. I have found Dainite soles to be quite durable. While I concur that wearing leather-soled shoes in rain isn't the end of the world, I believe that in a small rotation (like mine) good rubber soles do have an edge if you're frequently out and about in wet weather.

As I stated previously, I only own leather soled shoes save my tennis shoes and hiking shoes. With that, if I worked somewhere that had slick tile or marble floors, I would certainly consider rubber as an option. I went to visit a friend at the hospital a couple months ago and remember almost falling on my ass when I stepped on a recently mopped area of floor.

Certainly there is a benefit to rubber if you are walking a long distance on very hard surfaces like concrete. Though I would argue that just because there is a benefit to rubber in this situation does not imply there is a negative to leather. I honestly think most problems people have with their feet are more related to their weight and lack of quality shoe rather than the material the shoe is made of.

 

[RogerP]

So does leather have any advantages over dainite or other types of rubber?

Well leather is more breathable, but it is an open question as to how much breathing really takes place through the soles of the shoes.

I wear both leather soles and synthetic soles through midsummer heat (which I'm sure would not be hot enough to impress our Texan friend, but it's all I've got :tongue2: ) and notice no difference in comfort.

 

[RogerP]

I was corrected on this assertion by RogerP. I was under the, incorrect, assumption that rubber was less durable. I do not know anything about Dainite and assume, again incorrectly, that the rubber used in dress shoes was of similar makeup to that of tennis shoes.

There is a world of difference between rubber tennis shoes soles and Dainite, my friend. In fact, I have never encountered anything even approximating the former on a premium men's shoe.

I guess the odd crepe sole would be the closest.

 

[TheQue]

There is a world of difference between rubber tennis shoes soles and Dainite, my friend. In fact, I have never encountered anything even approximating the former on a premium men's shoe.

I guess the odd crepe sole would be the closest.

Thank you for that information Roger. I honestly learn something new every time I visit this forum.

 

[jon44]

Interesting discussion.

I'm on a holy quest to find a comfortable pair of nice shoes and have dusted off some of my old leather-soled shoes. I've got incredibly gimpy joints but to my surprise, my hip actually felt better after a day of walking around in leather soles. I think the leather provides more torsional stability (maybe) and there's some theories out there that too much rubber/padding in shoe soles messes with your proprioception, so it's possible that a leather sole'd shoe is actually closer to the dress-shoe equivalent of minimalist running footwear.

 

[Fatman]

Well leather is more breathable, but it is an open question as to how much breathing really takes place through the soles of the shoes.

I wear both leather soles and synthetic soles through midsummer heat (which I'm sure would not be hot enough to impress our Texan friend, but it's all I've got :tongue2: ) and notice no difference in comfort.

I have mostly leather soled shoes, with one pair of Church in Dainite sole, and a pair of Meindl Ascona Identity in rubber sole for weekend and casual. Although most are leather soled, the weather or work surfaces are taken into account.

By the way:

Do most treat the leather sole, itself, with leather conditioner? Recommendations?

 

[JArmstrong]

Add another vote of confidence for Dainite. I have a pair of Strands with Dainite soles and they look just like leather soles when standing. I personally like them much more than the tap sole on my other AEs

 

[espressocycle]

This is the thread that never dies.

 

[Watchman]

I have mostly leather soled shoes, with one pair of Church in Dainite sole, and a pair of Meindl Ascona Identity in rubber sole for weekend and casual. Although most are leather soled, the weather or work surfaces are taken into account.

By the way:

Do most treat the leather sole, itself, with leather conditioner? Recommendations?

Leather Honey does wonders for leather soled shoes.

Even waterproofs them believe it or not.

 

[Watchman]

A word regarding Dainite.

I find it to be my favorite all around sole.

The manner in which it breaks in the uppers is superior IMHO.

I find myself reaching for my Dainite shoes more times than not. Due to their low profile, (that means
they have the appearance of leather) and their versatility.

Dainite actually is the preferred all around sole for me all year round.

In my mind, leather soles represent a shoe that is to be worn 3 seasons at best, especially when absent of a Topy.

 

[RogerP]

^^^ Well said.

 

[JArmstrong]

The only weather related warning I'd give about Dainite is that it's great on wet pavement but precarious during those first few steps indoors. The first week I had my Strands I walked into a tile floored store from a rainy parking lot and nearly ended up on my backside.

 

[meanoldmanning]

Well leather is more breathable, but it is an open question as to how much breathing really takes place through the soles of the shoes.

I think it is actually a questionable how much breathing goes on through leather uppers as well. I attended a 3 day training seminar several years ago at W.L. Gore and they very pointedly remarked that the breathability of the Gore-Tex liner for shoes and boots is basically only a selling point and functionally offers nothing since in their testing they found leather footwear really doesn't breath much at all. Any breathability is the function of walking pumping the air out the top collar of the shoe or boot. The use of a Gore-Tex liner was mostly to make the footwear more waterproof than the leather already is since water can leak in through the stitching and seams.

 

[RogerP]

^^^ Interesting.

 

[meanoldmanning]

A word regarding Dainite.

I find it to be my favorite all around sole.

The manner in which it breaks in the uppers is superior IMHO.

I find myself reaching for my Dainite shoes more times than not. Due to their low profile, (that means
they have the appearance of leather) and their versatility.

Dainite actually is the preferred all around sole for me all year round.

In my mind, leather soles represent a shoe that is to be worn 3 seasons at best, especially when absent of a Topy.

I love Dainite soles. I had an old pair of (made in usa) J&Ms resoled a while back and NickV talked me into using them. They are impossible to detect as rubber from the side and inspire more confidence when walking on wet or otherwise slick surface than my leather soled shoes. I still love my leather soled shoes though, don't get me wrong.

Regarding conditioning the soles of your leather shoes, the leather honey doesn't make them slick at all? I don't know what the seller put on the pair of shoes I am wearing right now, but they were like walking on ice when I first got them. It's bad enough they have V-cleats, now I have to contend with lubricant?

 

[meanoldmanning]

^^^ Interesting.

Another interesting comment they made was that hiking shoes and boots with combination of leather and Cordura don't breath any better right out of the box since the in-facing side of the fabric has a plastic coating to keep the fabric from blowing apart as it is cut and sew into the component parts of the shoe. The coating does break down where it creases over time, but doesn't gain much better breathability. The liner is quite useful though since there is generally far more stitching to allow water to penetrate.

 

[Watchman]

Regarding conditioning the soles of your leather shoes, the leather honey doesn't make them slick at all? I don't know what the seller put on the pair of shoes I am wearing right now, but they were like walking on ice when I first got them. It's bad enough they have V-cleats, now I have to contend with lubricant?

Leather Honey is absorbed into the leather immediately. I apply LH in the evening and let them dry overnight, wipe with a clean rag next day.

TBH, LH actually allows a certain tack to the soles, thus making them quite a bit more traction-able than before.

I would treat the soles with LH 4 times a year, (before the start of every season) depending on how many times you wear them.