Hmmm... I posted this last night but it is not showing. My cycling booties that I recently made are performing excelent but the sole is wearing away. The two possible materials I have right now are toughteck, made for glove palms and a bicycle innertube. I plan on glueing this fabric inside or outside my current sole. Any ideas on how to make a sole more durable??? http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23/tbdesigns/sewing/booties2_2_1.jpg I need to reinforce the part that reads cubicin. Scott
_________________________
I had superhuman powers, but my therapist took them away.
Registered: 01/04/02
Posts: 1228
Loc: Eastern MA, USA
Scott-
Here is a total shot in the dark: go with gluing on the bike innertube, as you are thinking; or glue on a scrap of durable leather. You may need to go with scraps on all contact areas so that the booties feel the same when you walk or even ride. Use something like SnowSeal to weatherproof the leather.
If you don't have access to leather scrap, shoot me a note. If Arrow Moccasin is still open in Hudson, MA, I can see what they have and drop some in the mail. A nice, thick piece of elkhike might do the trick. I suspect at this time of year, we each will have difficulty finding time to cross paths.
I forgot about leather. Do you have any clue about how much such a piece of leather would cost? The only contact points are a 4by 4 inch peice on the toe. The heels are open, so no contact point there. Thank you for your offer to pick me up some, but Hudson is close enough, I would just drive out there. I would like to try the toughteck or innter tube first, but if they don't work, I will definately concider leather. Where exactly are you anyway? scott
_________________________
I had superhuman powers, but my therapist took them away.
Registered: 01/04/02
Posts: 1228
Loc: Eastern MA, USA
Scott/TB-
I have no idea how much a piece of elk hide would cost. Sorry. I bought bags of mixed scraps for some Scout projects. Those were just random pieces. The bags were under $10. Write back after you try the rubber patch. I will see if I can find the scrap bags and look to see if I have a piece that might work. I rather doubt I will find a piece that is big enough, but it could be worth a look.
I haven't been by the shop for a few years. The couple who ran the place may be down to just the wife and she is rather old, I would guess. There has been a sign out front for years advertising that an apprentice is wanted. I think leather craft in our country is a dying art. If I had the time, I might have tried taking the apprentice job, just to learn another skill.
BTW-I live in Hudson, so while the shop is not on my normal routes, the town is so small that it isn't a problem to get to any part of it.
I used to order stealth rubber for climbing shoes. Then I would take it to the local cobbler and he would put it on for me. I remember it came in different thicknesses and could be shaped by sanding. I remember your post when the booties were finished -they must be getting some use if the soles are wearing this soon. Do you were them everyday, or just when it rains? I am not a cycler- just curious.
What about using a section of old mountain bike tire? It'd be tougher than inner tube. You might try gently heating your sections in your oven, sandwiched between wood boards to flatten them out. 250' or so. I've had success doing that with PVC pipe.
Ooh another idea -- Rubber roofing membrane. The 60 mil stuff is really tuff. The firestone glue for rubber roof membrane is "forever". They also make thinner, like a 40 mil. A commercial roofer might have some scrap material.
Actually yes... they do get used daily. I commute about 3.5 miles each way to work. They do wonders at keeping my feet warm and on wet days they keep them dry. Its also part that the material was unapropriate for the use. Of cource, after posting I come up with another idea that I'm going to try first. Go to the thrift store and buy a pair of shoes, rip off the sole and use that. What would be a better sole, than a sole. Scott
_________________________
I had superhuman powers, but my therapist took them away.
Mt bike tire... that would be too cool. Unfortunately, I have no extra mt bike tires. I've been curious about pvc for various uses other than piping. What did you use your PVC for? Scott
_________________________
I had superhuman powers, but my therapist took them away.
Hey TurkeyBacon. How did you make out with this repair / alteration? I have a similar project at hand and would appreciate hearing how things worked out for you. What worked? What didn't? What materials and glue did you eventually use? Thanks.
What would it be like to use 45 mil edpm roofing material? A roofing company or supplier might a sample big enough for soles. It would wear well, be flexible, and non-slip- but never having had cycle booties I do not know if it is viable.
Registered: 01/10/06
Posts: 679
Loc: Central Texas
You can't beat leather. Tandy Leather (tandyleatherfactory.com) is a great source for leather of all kinds. You can order by the square foot on the Web. I recommend latigo for durability. Stitch with waxed nylon or linen thread, punching holes with a simple awl. Waterproof with mink oil.
The foam soles have held up great. The booties get used and they soles stay put and prevent any damage from happening. I could definately recomend the concept of using thrift store sandals and just regurlar old shoe goo. The sandals I got were foam soled, which I could cut off easily with my pull saw and trimmed with sissors and they have been durable enough to be walked up stairs. The shoe goo has held them in place with zero peeling. I can't say i run marathons in them, but they work. Scott
_________________________
I had superhuman powers, but my therapist took them away.
Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:
Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!