Use your brain a little beforehand.
I was staring at a pair of half finished boots on the bench when this journal idea popped into my head. I was at the stage of considering the outsole and heel combination.
When I build such boots for customers, I generally recommend them to choose a half sole option that is cemented, nailed or screwed to the midsole.
If you’re time poor, here is the TLDR why.
Ease of resoling.
And that’s it, you can now leave this journal entry if you’ve got other things to do.
But for those interested in the technical point of view, please read on.
Average Joe (or Joan) doesn’t need a full sole.
Let’s use myself as the example here.
I am an average boot customer. The facts are; a) I don’t really do heavy outdoor activity, b) I’m time poor, c) if I had to pay for a resole, I want to mix-max cost vs quality.
I would say that these three points likely apply to the majority of the boot wearing population. And even more so here in Malaysia.
People who want to wear boots but don’t necessarily need to wear boots. Boots being used to replace the use case of a shoe, with the only difference being a few extra inches of height and a little more ankle support.
For this type of customer, when wearing boots with a traditional heeled construction, most of the wear is under the ball of the foot and at the heel. There is limited wear on the sole around the arch.
Why? Because in that area, the boot isn’t touching the ground.
Only when climbing ladders, or riding horses and the like is the arch area really being used. Because it’s jammed onto a ladder rung, or being placed in a stirrup.
These type of activities are what a full sole is good for. Protecting that arch area between the ball of the foot and the heel.
As far as I’m aware of, no Outstation customers are in these types of professions.
So, if they want a separate sole and heel combination, I tell them to choose a half sole.
But wait there’s more.
It’s not as straightforward as it seems.
Whether the boot is stitched through the half sole or not makes a difference. Keep that in mind as we continue.
We’ve covered the view of the customer, so let’s now address the other side.
The view of the Bootmaker and the view of the Cobbler.
The Bootmaker needs to think ahead for the Cobbler.
For a Bootmaker, the issues in building a boot with a full sole are threefold.
Firstly, the width at the ball area of the sole needs to fit the boot. Let’s say it fits.
Secondly, the heel width of said sole needs to be checked. It’s quite often that the ball width is fine, but the heel width may be too narrow for the boot.
Let’s say that we’re lucky. Both ball and heel areas on the sole fit the boot. Now, the third check takes place.
The curves on the side of the sole, which join the ball area with the heel, also need to fit the same curvature on the boot.
This waist area can sometimes be too narrow on the sole compared to the boot.
So, even if the ball and heel widths of the full sole fit the boot, the waist that joins them together may not.
I’d mentioned this in a previous journal entry. Availability of soles in the market can really constrain what last shapes and sizing they can be used for.
Nonetheless, a good bootmaker will think years ahead into the future of a boot, ensuring maximum resoleability. That is, ’what are the maximum number of soles that the boot can be recrafted with?’ and ‘how difficult is it to recraft the boot with said soles?’.
Keep that in mind for now.
Let’s see what the Cobbler thinks about all of this.
For the Cobbler, the simple fact is this. The more time consuming and difficult it is to do a recraft, the more the customer will get charged.
Welcome to capitalism.
So, assuming a like for like resole on a heritage boot with a separate outsole and heel block, let’s go through the most common options.
- Option 1. A full sole, stitched to the midsole.
- Option 2. A half sole, stitched to the midsole.
- Option 3. A half sole, cemented, nailed or screwed to the midsole.
For simplicity, assume a 270 degree single row stitch and a separate heel bock construction for all options.
Option 1 likely costs the most.
From a material perspective, option 1 will cost the most. More rubber in a full sole compared to a half sole usually means that the full sole will cost more.
However, from a labour perspective, options 1 and 2 should more or less cost the same.
Why? Because the work required to re-stitch both types of sole is identical.
For most boots, outsole stitching starts and finishes under the heel block, where the loose thread ends are hidden.
So, when recrafting, the Cobbler needs to take off the heel block to access the full stitchline. To remove the old thread and to re-stitch again later.
This is irrespective of whether the boot has a full or half sole. The key factor is that both option 1 (full sole) and option 2 (half sole) have been stitched to the midsole. And that stitchline goes all the way under the block.
With the heel block removed and old stitches taken out, the Cobbler can peel off the sole, cement a new one into place and then re-stitch to the midsole.
The heel block is used again if still in good condition, then the boot is sanded and finished.
Now, assuming the Bootmaker didn’t think ahead.
Staying with options 1 and 2, let’s say that the Cobbler can’t find an appropriate full or half sole respectively. Perhaps the boot shape is unusual or the welt is extra wide.
In that case, rubber sheeting, (usually with tread on one side) can be used to create an outsole. The cobbler will choose a suitable sheet thickness and cut a full sole or half sole from it.
If the Cobbler is recreating a full sole with rubber sheeting, there’s a catch.
Typically a full sole on a boot only has tread under the ball of the foot. From the arch through to the heel, it’s usually smooth rubber.
Remember, that area rarely has any ground contact. So there’s no need for any tread. A smooth rubber surface is enough to protect the area from scuffs or incidental wear and tear.
Having smooth rubber at the heel also makes it straightforward to attach the heel block. The Cobbler just needs to do a quick sanding to help cement adhesion, and then start assembling the block.
Now let’s imagine that the full sole has been re-created with 6mm rubber sheeting. This particular rubber sheeting has a tread pattern of 2mm in thickness.
This will cost you in labour. The Cobbler now has to spend time sanding off the tread in the heel area, so they can build the heel block on smooth rubber later.
And, if the rubber compound and tread is highly abrasion resistant, sanding it down takes time.
Option 2 can cost less.
If the half sole in option 2 needs to be re-created with rubber sheeting, this is much easier. The rubber can be cut to size, cemented to the midsole, and stitched into place.
Because the half sole doesn’t extend all the way to the heel area, there’s no extra need for the Cobbler to be doing any tread removal in that area.
Just build the block on top of the existing midsole, trim and finish.
Ok, so that’s option 1 and 2 done. Let’s recap.
- Option 1. A full sole, stitched to the midsole. Labour cost higher, material cost higher.
- Option 2. A half sole, stitched to the midsole. Labour cost higher, material cost lower.
Now to option 3. Half sole, cemented, nailed or screwed into the midsole.
Option 3 is the cheapest.
For the Cobbler, this is the easiest resole. Take out the nails or screws (if any), peel off the old sole. A quick sanding of the midsole, cement on the new half sole, re-nail and re-screw. Trim and finish, then done.
Labour cost, lower.
No need to remove the heel block, unpick stitching, re-stitch, worry about stitch holes and the like.
Material cost is also lower, because half soles usually cost less than full soles.
And that’s that.
Don’t be a hero. Or a cosplay logger.
For the average person who wears boots in a casual way, you just don’t need an overbuilt boot.
I like to explain this to customers, yes, maybe you want the Range Rover (or whatever high priced SUV is desirable thesedays). You’ve saved up to buy it.
But can you afford to service it for the foreseeable future?
Screws in a boot doesn’t make it immediately leak.
Sometimes a particularly sharp customer will ask, ‘If I choose option 3, the half sole with nails or screws, doesn’t water get in the holes?’
A great question.
Firstly, the average boot user isn’t standing in ankle deep water daily. And if they are, water is still going to come into the boot, regardless of any amount of nails or screws.
Secondly, nails or screws are specifically chosen to penetrate the correct length into the midsole. This ensures water ingress is minimised.
If the outsole is 6mm thick and the midsole is 5mm thick, nails or screws will likely be only 8-10mm in length. That way, they don’t penetrate the full 11mm of outsole and midsole.
If the nail or screw did so, it could eventually allow water all the way through to the insole (in extreme cases).
But I’ve never heard of that ever being the reason for waterlogged boots.
What about new holes?
In the case of a resole, the Cobbler won’t likely be able to match the position of new nail or screw holes to the old holes.
That being said, the additional holes made aren’t going to make any noticeable difference to watertight-ness. The old holes are covered by cement and the new half sole.
For those that really resole boots for decades, any excess holes in the midsole can plugged easily with wooden dowels. Then a new half sole can be nailed or screwed on again with enough midsole material to bite into.
And that’s that. No wait, it isn’t.
Option 4?
A final alternative. Option 4. A full sole unit (including heel block), cemented, nailed or screwed to the midsole.
If someone really wants a full sole, then option 4 is the one for them. The full sole unit will cost more than a half sole, but has the added benefit of extra rubber in the arch area of the boot.
For ease of resole, it’s the same as option 3. Just remove nails or screws, peel it off, sand the midsole, cement on a new sole unit, nail or screw, trim and finish.
And now, that’s that.
Think ahead before buying.
Let’s recap once more.
- Option 1. A full sole, stitched to the midsole. Labour cost higher, material cost higher.
- Option 2. A half sole, stitched to the midsole. Labour cost higher, material cost lower.
- Option 3. A half sole, cemented, nailed or screwed to the midsole. Labour cost lower, material cost lower.
- Option 4. A full sole unit, cemented, nailed or screwed to the midsole. Labour cost lower, material cost higher.
I should put these into a 4 box matrix, like one of those smart consultants from McKinsey.
But for now, I’ve got some finishing to do in the workkshop.
