Zipsoles on your $$$ shoes

[satine112]

Do any of you zipsole your shoes? Do you have to do it when they are brand new, or can you do it once they're worn a bit. I am making a HUGE shoe purchase (for me at least) and buying a pair of Christian Louboutins. ($540!!!...am i crazy?) and i want them to last, well, forever if they can. Do I zipsole them? Good idea/bad idea?

I'd appreciate your thoughts. Thanks

 

[satine112]

I talked to a Louboutin SA and she says she "vibram's" her shoes. I guess that is a zipsole. I want to know if any of you do this as well. THanks

 

[vintage_princess]

What does zipsole mean? Im not familiar with that term..

 

[guccigal07]

I use footpetal stuff!

 

[satine112]

zipsole, or vibram is when you take the shoe to a cobbler (shoe fixer guy) and he puts a rubber outsole on the outside bottom of your shoe. It covers the entire part of the shoe that hits the ground. So, for my 4.25 inch louboutins, you'd still see the red peeking though the back of the heel, but the ball of my toes part, that was ON the ground, would have this rubbery reinforced sole, so it makes the shoe last WAY longer.

I heard about it from another website, and on that episode of Gastineau Girls, when Lisa was selling all her clothes, her shoes had it all too.

I think ti's a great idea, b/c designer shoes, the outsole is such a flimsy delicate material, that after you've worn them a few times, they are crap. This way, with the new sole, they'd last forever if you wanted.

 

[Dego]

I always put rubber soles on my shoes. Can't see the point in leather soles that are ruined after 2-3 times outside...

 

[guccigal07]

I dont put anything on my soles of my manolos or anything...they are supposed to be walked on....but if they are a bit wide or something for me..I put a cushy pad on the ball of foot

 

[mundodabolsa]

How much does a regular cobbler charge for something like this?

 

[vintage_princess]

zipsole, or vibram is when you take the shoe to a cobbler (shoe fixer guy) and he puts a rubber outsole on the outside bottom of your shoe. It covers the entire part of the shoe that hits the ground. So, for my 4.25 inch louboutins, you'd still see the red peeking though the back of the heel, but the ball of my toes part, that was ON the ground, would have this rubbery reinforced sole, so it makes the shoe last WAY longer.

I heard about it from another website, and on that episode of Gastineau Girls, when Lisa was selling all her clothes, her shoes had it all too.

I think ti's a great idea, b/c designer shoes, the outsole is such a flimsy delicate material, that after you've worn them a few times, they are crap. This way, with the new sole, they'd last forever if you wanted.

Thanks for the explanation, I think its a good idea, but I wouldnt want it to ruin the look of the shoe though..

 

[xiao_ai009]

That is a good idea - if I bought a really expensive shoe, I'd make sure they would stand up to long-term wear.

 

[Ceptuouse]

Am I getting confused with what I see on the backstage videos for fashion shows, when someone kind of slits the bottom of a shoe with a knife? I dont think it is...

 

[softgrey]

vibram is the name of the manufacturer that make the rubber...
another is also called cat's paw...

they are basically the same thing and do the same thing...

 

[fashionista-ta]

I don't change anything about my shoes out of the box, and I do buy designer and mid-range shoes (never cheap--quickest way to ruin your feet). I walk pretty fast and I like the traction I get from leather soles. I don't like the "road feel" (what is the proper term for this? ) of rubber or crepe soles. They also sometimes make me trip. I have shoes that came with rubber tips, and I hate 'em.

True, you don't want to go wading through puddles in leather soles--but I don't consider normal wear a ruined sole--it's just normal wear. I have my shoes resoled when they need it ... not very often.

 

[Luna]

I don't like to put rubber soles on my shoes either... but I can see the logic in someone wanting to do it.

I guess if I totally ruined the soles of a pair of my shoes, I'd just have them re-soled.

 

[brian]

i like the idea of zipsoles, so long as it doesn't detract from the appearance of the shoe.

satine-- i heard from a friend of mine who wears a lot of louboutins that since the shoes have that red lacquer coating over the bottom of the sole, they tend to wear down less fast than an uncoated leather sole would...

 

[satine112]

ooh, thanks for the heads up brian!

 

[ilovepositano]

almost every lady that lunches in new york gets their blahniks and choos zip soled at a place called angelo's in midtown.

it costs $55, but it's so worth it. the italian cobblers there are absolutely phenomenal, and almost everyone i know drops their shoes off at angelo's right after buying them at bergdorfs. at any given time, angelo's has more couture shoes and bags sitting around than bergdorfs, btw. it's quite funny.

 

[tott]

Leather soles really are pretty sturdy and long-lasting. If they weren't, why would they still be used? I have leather soled shoes I've worn for years...

The thing is that you really can't use them in wet weather, the moisture makes the leather very fragile. If you live in a place with a wet climate, it makes good sense to have your shoes undersides coated with thin rubber/synthetic soles (and it's really so thin that you won't notice it) unless you wear galoshes when it's wet outside...

 

[brian]

i found a pair of louboutins with zipsoles on ebay--

 

[fashionispoison]

wow i like this idea...where can you get it in LA though?