Deck shoes part two: resurrection

[Ilanortho]

After growing up too believe that Sperry Topsiders are essential equipment for sailing and then finding out, as others noted in previous lengthy discussion , that after just one year sitting in a cockpit with occasional deck work the soles were glazed and a trip on a wet deck was like ice skating. I went looking for a substitute such as those brands mentioned or even another pair of Topsiders if need be.

Unfortunately, manufacturers of deck shoes and many other types don't really cater to men with very short wide feet (ie US 9 EEEE). Before snickering about the physical attributes of men with really short feet, realize that width is everything. I couldn't find anything that fit well.

So I took the Topsiders which were still in excellent condition to my bench grinder, put on an old brass wire wheel and went to work on my soles which still had perfectly good tread depth.

In no time, to my great surprise, the wire wheel did not remove any appreciable rubber or melt the sole (medium speed) and it restored the grippiness of the sole so it felt really rough and grippy when rubbing my hand over it. The slick glaze was completely gone and tread depth was unaffected. I was quite surprised how resilient the sole material was. It did not melt or shred even with moderate pressure against the wheel.

The only question is if it will glaze over even more quickly then when it was new. You may want to try this before throwing your pair out or consigning it to off boat use.

 

[kappykaplan]

Very interesting!

 

[Benny17441]

One of the only few times I have sailed without shoes I hit a cleat and broke two toes. I learned early that deck shoes would loose their grip quite fast so purchasing replacements became another necessary cost of sailing. The replaced shoes then became shore shoes until their final demise. The idea of using a wire wheel to restore the grip and extend the shoe's useful life is brilliant even if the process must be repeated a few times. Perhaps we can now tackle the other big problem which is getting rid of the smell that permeates them. Good job Illanortho.

 

[njlarry]

It's not a smell, it's a fragrance.

 

[Ilanortho]

Thanks. Ilan (brass wire wheel)

 

[Ron20324]

[QUOTE="It's not a smell, it's a fragrance.[/QUOTE]

"Eau de Foot". Available at finer mechants everywhere. And sporting goods stores.

 

[Benny17441]

It's not a smell, it's a fragrance.

You have not smelled mine after a two week trip.

 

[Benny17441]

[QUOTE="It's not a smell, it's a fragrance.

"Eau de Foot". Available at finer mechants everywhere. And sporting goods stores.[/QUOTE]

I know all it is, is bacteria growth but it is a pain the neck to have to immerse them periodically in a chlorine, soap and water solution and then rinse, allow to dry and reapply leather oil. Just what is that "water of the foot" or is that one of the few (phew) products available.

 

[pateco]

Perhaps we can now tackle the other big problem which is getting rid of the smell that permeates them.

May I suggest socks?

 

[ggrizzard]

Take two pair of shoes and alternate daily, allowing each pair to air out!

Oh yeah, wear socks too.

 

[rgranger]

May I suggest socks?

Its a no brainer.... socks....

 

[DianaOfBurlington]

May I suggest socks?

Socks: that which is NOT worn between Palm Sunday and Michaelmas, inclusive.

 

[Dalliance]

NO! Not socks!

Use these things - cedar shoe trees - to remove odor and moisture from leather shoes. Helps maintain the shape too. Of course they do absolutely nothing to maintain the non-slip quality of rubber soles. The wire wheel is an interesting idea.