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Rubber soles wear down extremely fast?

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10gallonhat

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
A year or so ago I took a liking to driving shoes because I find them extremely comfortable and well suited to casual wear. I know they may not be to the taste of some members of the forum, but that is besides the point of this thread - if at all possible, I would appreciate sticking to the question at hand rather than getting into a discussion about how these shoes are not suitable for business (which I already agree with) :)

I have read numerous feedback/complaints from people online saying that these shoes are very cost-inefficient because the rubber studs on the bottom get worn out after a couple of months, rendering the shoes useless. However I have had mine for quite awhile and the studs still appear brand new (though I'll admit I haven't done much heavy walking in them). My question is this: is there a reason why these shoes would get worn down and beaten up faster than other shoes would, or is this just a myth perpetrated by people who do not take care of their shoes? I have had the same pair of sneakers with rubber soles for 5 years and a pair of flip flops with rubber soles for 8 years that still look almost new, and the rubber has not been worn down at all. I understand that there is less surface area on the "soles" of the driving shoes but I do not understand how they could possibly become worn down after anything less than a couple of years, not months.

Can anybody shed some light on this question? (if there is a factual basis for the claims of these shoes falling apart, I figure it would be best to know now so I can try to take some preventative measures)

Here is a picture, the tan ones on the left are Tod's and the yellow ones are Car Shoe:

Image
 
#2 ·
I like the concept of driving shoes, a nice soft leather moccasin, however I've never seen any that had a substantial enough sole to be comfortable walking on concrete.

If you only drove your car with them and left them in the car, seems a little precious, but to each his own, maybe a long all day drive I could see.
 
#4 ·
a!!!!1 said:
I have read numerous feedback/complaints from people online saying that these shoes are very cost-inefficient because the rubber studs on the bottom get worn out after a couple of months, rendering the shoes useless. However I have had mine for quite awhile and the studs still appear brand new (though I'll admit I haven't done much heavy walking in them). My question is this: is there a reason why these shoes would get worn down and beaten up faster than other shoes would, or is this just a myth perpetrated by people who do not take care of their shoes? I have had the same pair of sneakers with rubber soles for 5 years and a pair of flip flops with rubber soles for 8 years that still look almost new, and the rubber has not been worn down at all. I understand that there is less surface area on the "soles" of the driving shoes but I do not understand how they could possibly become worn down after anything less than a couple of years, not months.

Can anybody shed some light on this question? (if there is a factual basis for the claims of these shoes falling apart, I figure it would be best to know now so I can try to take some preventative measures)
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The reason why driving shoes get worn down quickly is that they are meant for driving and not for walking. You're right that people who wear through this type of shoe aren't taking care of them. To properly take care of a driving shoe, walking in them should be minimised. There is no sole to offer support, and the nubs are meant for grip on the pedals. The lack of sole makes them more flexible to make driving easier, thus making the shoes so comfortable. There is far less surface area on the studs than there is on the typical sole, and the studs are much shallower than a sole would be. That combination is why they wear out so quickly when walked on. Plus, the soft leather on the bottom of the shoe will still take a quite beating. It can't compare to the hard leather sole of a dress shoe, which is sturdier and much thicker. The best preventative measure to help your driving shoes last longer is to only wear them for their intended purpose: driving!
 
Discussion starter · #5 ·
Matt S said:
The reason why driving shoes get worn down quickly is that they are meant for driving and not for walking. You're right that people who wear through this type of shoe aren't taking care of them. To properly take care of a driving shoe, walking in them should be minimised. There is no sole to offer support, and the nubs are meant for grip on the pedals. The lack of sole makes them more flexible to make driving easier, thus making the shoes so comfortable. There is far less surface area on the studs than there is on the typical sole, and the studs are much shallower than a sole would be. That combination is why they wear out so quickly when walked on. Plus, the soft leather on the bottom of the shoe will still take a quite beating. It can't compare to the hard leather sole of a dress shoe, which is sturdier and much thicker. The best preventative measure to help your driving shoes last longer is to only wear them for their intended purpose: driving!
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Thanks for the advice. I typically do use them for driving (as Fraser Tartan pointed out, people where I live tend to drive everywhere and getting from the car to the office or wherever we are going is the extent of our "walking"). But they are just so comfortable that I like to wear them for other things as well; relegating my most comfortable pairs of shoes to driving-only seems like a waste.

Fraser Tartan said:
I saw your other thread about an upcoming trip to NYC. Wear those driving shoes there and report back to us about wear. ;)
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I was planning to take a pair of these with me on the trip :biggrin: That's actually the main reason why I'm asking about this, as I expect we'll be doing a bit of walking throughout the city and I wanted to make sure I wouldn't unknowingly destroy my shoes doing so
 
#6 ·
a!!!!1 said:
Thanks for the advice. I typically do use them for driving (as Fraser Tartan pointed out, people where I live tend to drive everywhere and getting from the car to the office or wherever we are going is the extent of our "walking"). But they are just so comfortable that I like to wear them for other things as well; relegating my most comfortable pairs of shoes to driving-only seems like a waste.
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The reason the shoes are so comfortable is the same reason they won't hold up through a lot of walking. They will hold up well for walking around indoor but not so much on the street. They're like slippers for your car.

a!!!!1 said:
I was planning to take a pair of these with me on the trip :biggrin: That's actually the main reason why I'm asking about this, as I expect we'll be doing a bit of walking throughout the city and I wanted to make sure I wouldn't unknowingly destroy my shoes doing so
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Walking around New York City will destroy the shoes faster than anything. The bottoms will look disgusting. If you step on a piece of gum (which I do occasionally here) there's going to be no way to get it off without destroying the shoe. Your feet will probably hurt after walking a lot in them too because they offer no support.
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
Matt S said:
Walking around New York City will destroy the shoes faster than anything. The bottoms will look disgusting. If you step on a piece of gum (which I do occasionally here) there's going to be no way to get it off without destroying the shoe. Your feet will probably hurt after walking a lot in them too because they offer no support.
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Well that's very disappointing. I suppose I'll just have to suck it up and wear real shoes instead
 
#9 ·
If coming from LA to NYC for the first time, you are going to be shocked at how much walking you will do. It is a pedestrian city, those shoes won't last 2 days.. My favorite shoes for long walking in the city are my topsiders. If I ned to be dressier, I have a few pair of J&M rubber soled venetian loafers. Comfortable to walk in, acceptable for dining. The soft leather makes them have a limited lifespan, they are disposable, but lightweight and great for travel. and touring. Similar to Minnetonka Deercraft, the leather uppers are good for a 2 week tour, than leave them behind. If you need a dress shoe, bring one
 
Discussion starter · #10 ·
momsdoc said:
If coming from LA to NYC for the first time, you are going to be shocked at how much walking you will do. It is a pedestrian city, those shoes won't last 2 days.. My favorite shoes for long walking in the city are my topsiders. If I ned to be dressier, I have a few pair of J&M rubber soled venetian loafers. Comfortable to walk in, acceptable for dining. The soft leather makes them have a limited lifespan, they are disposable, but lightweight and great for travel. and touring. Similar to Minnetonka Deercraft, the leather uppers are good for a 2 week tour, than leave them behind. If you need a dress shoe, bring one
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Thank god for AAAC. Without this forum it sounds like I would have destroyed a $400 pair of shoes for a 4-day trip. I will definitely take my topsiders instead like you recommended. Maybe I should pick up a second pair of boat shoes as well, just to have a little variety - though I won't have much time to break them in before the trip.
 
#11 ·
Every winter I travel to NYC and my shoes take more of a beating in a week than several months in san fran. Summer might not be so bad, but there's still lots of crap on the street you wouldn't want to step on wearing drivers :tongue2:

I love NYC though. Just my shoes don't.
 
#12 ·
It sounds like you are unusually easy on your shoes. For the most part, soles will wear down simply through the use of the shoe. There are some things you can do to slow the process (e.g., not wearing leather soles in the rain or if they are wet, wearing properly fitting shoes, adding taps and wearing shoes designed for the appropriate activity) but the fact that a sole wears out does not generally indicate poor care of the shoe.

The fact that you have 5 year-old sneakers with new-looking soles is the most impressive to me. Do you use these to play sports? I don't understand how these could last so long... If I'm using sneakers for athletics, they can wear out in a month.
 
Discussion starter · #13 ·
pleasehelp said:
The fact that you have 5 year-old sneakers with new-looking soles is the most impressive to me. Do you use these to play sports? I don't understand how these could last so long... If I'm using sneakers for athletics, they can wear out in a month.
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Yes, I wear them to exercise a few times a week (jogging, running up stairs, weight lifting, etc) as well as for casual wear sometimes if I'm just popping down to the store. Actually they are the same pair that I had for 2 years in college and I wore them to walk to class almost every day. A friend of mine had exactly the same pair of shoes and he wore his down within a year and I particularly remember him asking how I keep mine looking so nice. I didn't really have an answer for him and in fact I was also wondering why his DIDN'T look as nice as mine did.

I suppose I'm just a little more careful than most people are; I try to avoid walking through puddles, dirt, etc. When I get home I usually take off my shoes, let them air for a few minutes and then put them back in the shoe box and put them on the shelf so they don't get dusty. When I handle them I try not to scuff them or toss them around. But I don't pamper them or avoid walking on concrete or anything silly like that, so I really have never understood how some peoples' shoes get so worn out so fast.
 
#14 ·
Driving mocs are the kind of thing you slip on for long drives over a few hours or days. Or if you're one of those car aficionados who still wears driving gloves...

I have been tempted to get a pair for the former reason. We drive to Arizona a few times a year.
 
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#15 ·
a!!!!1 said:
Yes, I wear them to exercise a few times a week (jogging, running up stairs, weight lifting, etc) as well as for casual wear sometimes if I'm just popping down to the store. Actually they are the same pair that I had for 2 years in college and I wore them to walk to class almost every day. A friend of mine had exactly the same pair of shoes and he wore his down within a year and I particularly remember him asking how I keep mine looking so nice. I didn't really have an answer for him and in fact I was also wondering why his DIDN'T look as nice as mine did.

I suppose I'm just a little more careful than most people are; I try to avoid walking through puddles, dirt, etc. When I get home I usually take off my shoes, let them air for a few minutes and then put them back in the shoe box and put them on the shelf so they don't get dusty. When I handle them I try not to scuff them or toss them around. But I don't pamper them or avoid walking on concrete or anything silly like that, so I really have never understood how some peoples' shoes get so worn out so fast.
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Any chance you are a fairly light guy (and possibly with relatively large feet)? The friction of activity woudl typically wear down the rubber soles. The only thing I can think of is that you cause less friction because you're a light person.
 
Discussion starter · #16 · (Edited)
pleasehelp said:
Any chance you are a fairly light guy (and possibly with relatively large feet)? The friction of activity woudl typically wear down the rubber soles. The only thing I can think of is that you cause less friction because you're a light person.
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I weigh about 160 lbs and wear a US8.5 shoe.

I can understand why these shoes should wear down faster than shoes with full soles. The thing I can't understand is why they would wear down SO fast. Looking at the soles it looks like the Tod's have maybe 1/3 of the surface area of a full sole, so if a regular shoe can last 5 years without being resoled then the Tod's should last 1.5-2 years if you do a similar amount of walking in them. This would make sense. But people are saying that they can wear them down after just a couple of weeks, and I don't see how that can be humanly possible.
 
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10gallonhat
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