Shoes 6-187
Dress shoes, size 7, 50 years old
I bought these to have a good pair of dress shoes when I started working following college. All my college shoes were pretty decrepit, I had no money then for shoes, or much else.
Some time a few years ago, the Neolite soles became hard and stiff as a rock. When I wore the shoes, the soles cracked in half. Now, I still wear them on occasion, no one would notice.
However the hard edges of the Neolite make loud cracking sounds as I walk when they slide against each other at the cracks. I may have to break some off so I can wear them quietly...
These remind me of a situation when I was in High School. I had one pair of school shoes, similar to these dress shoes, but I seem to remember brown. My shoes then took a beating, a lot of walking, running, bike riding, everything that teenagers do. And I often didn't put my sneakers on when I got home from school.
Anyway, the Neolite soles on those brown school shoes began to become unstitched from the uppers. As there was less stitching holding them together, I said "that's cool" and helped them along, pulling more and more of the sole loose. Finally, one day the whole front on one side came loose and was flapping. I learned to pick my feet up so the sole wouldn't drag, and actually pulled the sole on the other shoe loose. Kind of cool at first. After a few days, I tried to glue them back, but within a day, the glue let go.
So I cut the soles off, near the heel. After a week or so, I took the shoes to a shoemaker and asked him to put half soles on them. He looked at them, and said he couldn't, I had cut too much off.
Now what? I was too broke to buy new shoes. I tried glue again, no luck. I tried tying the soles on with wire, but after a few days the wire broke and they fell off.
So I wore them for many months with no soles. The midsole was cork, which wore away, particularly when I was bike riding, and the innersole was either thin leather or plastic. I felt every stone I stepped on, but I came to like that. Reminded me when I was barefoot all summer as a young child.
Eventually the innersoles wore through, I stuffed different things inside to keep my socks from wearing out. They did get very wet inside when it rained, but I survived.
I think a year or so later my mother took pity on me and bought me some new shoes.
Shoes 6-187
Dress shoes, size 7, 50 years old
I bought these to have a good pair of dress shoes when I started working following college. All my college shoes were pretty decrepit, I had no money then for shoes, or much else.
Some time a few years ago, the Neolite soles became hard and stiff as a rock. When I wore the shoes, the soles cracked in half. Now, I still wear them on occasion, no one would notice.
However the hard edges of the Neolite make loud cracking sounds as I walk when they slide against each other at the cracks. I may have to break some off so I can wear them quietly...
These remind me of a situation when I was in High School. I had one pair of school shoes, similar to these dress shoes, but I seem to remember brown. My shoes then took a beating, a lot of walking, running, bike riding, everything that teenagers do. And I often didn't put my sneakers on when I got home from school.
Anyway, the Neolite soles on those brown school shoes began to become unstitched from the uppers. As there was less stitching holding them together, I said "that's cool" and helped them along, pulling more and more of the sole loose. Finally, one day the whole front on one side came loose and was flapping. I learned to pick my feet up so the sole wouldn't drag, and actually pulled the sole on the other shoe loose. Kind of cool at first. After a few days, I tried to glue them back, but within a day, the glue let go.
So I cut the soles off, near the heel. After a week or so, I took the shoes to a shoemaker and asked him to put half soles on them. He looked at them, and said he couldn't, I had cut too much off.
Now what? I was too broke to buy new shoes. I tried glue again, no luck. I tried tying the soles on with wire, but after a few days the wire broke and they fell off.
So I wore them for many months with no soles. The midsole was cork, which wore away, particularly when I was bike riding, and the innersole was either thin leather or plastic. I felt every stone I stepped on, but I came to like that. Reminded me when I was barefoot all summer as a young child.
Eventually the innersoles wore through, I stuffed different things inside to keep my socks from wearing out. They did get very wet inside when it rained, but I survived.
I think a year or so later my mother took pity on me and bought me some new shoes.