Anyone have a way to rough up the soles of older boat shoes. I have several pairs of shoes that are great shape except that the sole is old and slick and doesn't have much traction on the boat deck. Sanding? Chemicals? I just bought a new pair today, but would like to also wear some of the old ones and not have slick soles. Help anyone? Bill
Slick Boat Shoes
- Thread starter Bill Bell
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My first, and probably the best,
pair of boat shoes were some canvas Sperry Top Siders I bought 30 yrs ago. I'll bet those shoes lasted over 10 yrs as I only wore them on the boat. They had a soft rubber gripping sole that really worked. Because of that experience, I kept buying Sperry Top Siders even after they started making the moccasin style boat shoe. I found that they all lost traction after about a season or two of use and no matter what I tried to regain traction with them, nothing really worked. After a season or two, these boat shoes actually became dangerous. Sperry started using a harder rubber for the sole and that made the shoes more suitable for walking around --- but not on your boat. Now, I use them for slippers around the house, a job they are good at. I would no longer buy this brand, but found that LL Bean makes a "Summer Sneaker" that sells for about half what a pair of Top Siders sell for and seem to have great traction.
pair of boat shoes were some canvas Sperry Top Siders I bought 30 yrs ago. I'll bet those shoes lasted over 10 yrs as I only wore them on the boat. They had a soft rubber gripping sole that really worked. Because of that experience, I kept buying Sperry Top Siders even after they started making the moccasin style boat shoe. I found that they all lost traction after about a season or two of use and no matter what I tried to regain traction with them, nothing really worked. After a season or two, these boat shoes actually became dangerous. Sperry started using a harder rubber for the sole and that made the shoes more suitable for walking around --- but not on your boat. Now, I use them for slippers around the house, a job they are good at. I would no longer buy this brand, but found that LL Bean makes a "Summer Sneaker" that sells for about half what a pair of Top Siders sell for and seem to have great traction.
Running the soles across a grinding wheel ...
does give that glossed over finish a little new life. but it seems that once they "harden" up there only value is gone. Vic "Seven"
does give that glossed over finish a little new life. but it seems that once they "harden" up there only value is gone. Vic "Seven"
- Jan 22, 2008
- 519
on the idea of a grindstone
What about applying a wire rotary wheel/disk to the bottom. This will scuff things up.
What about applying a wire rotary wheel/disk to the bottom. This will scuff things up.
Thanks, Warren...
I thought it was just MY imagination that the old Topsiders were better than the new ones. I no longer use them for boating, either. Too bad. No good product goes unimproved.
I thought it was just MY imagination that the old Topsiders were better than the new ones. I no longer use them for boating, either. Too bad. No good product goes unimproved.
I hear you.
I think the sole hardens with age and losses the elesticity that provides traction. I use them around the house but never on a wet surface.
I think the sole hardens with age and losses the elesticity that provides traction. I use them around the house but never on a wet surface.
White soles
I find the white sole Sperry Top Siders grip better and last longer than the brown sole versions. I have a one year old pair of the brown that are treacherous and sit in my closet. I also have a white sole pair that are several years old that stay on the boat for anchor shoes. They're pretty nasty but still grip, protect my toes up on the fore deck and don't seem to show it if that errant glob of mud off the anchor lands on them.
I find the white sole Sperry Top Siders grip better and last longer than the brown sole versions. I have a one year old pair of the brown that are treacherous and sit in my closet. I also have a white sole pair that are several years old that stay on the boat for anchor shoes. They're pretty nasty but still grip, protect my toes up on the fore deck and don't seem to show it if that errant glob of mud off the anchor lands on them.
A light sandig
I have used 100 grit sandpaper to remove the gloss from the soles and heels. It does help for a while.
I have used 100 grit sandpaper to remove the gloss from the soles and heels. It does help for a while.
I was thinking about
asking this question last week. Two years ago I bought a pair of WM moccasin deck shoes because they fit better than the Sperry's. I leave them on the boat and wear them only then and after two seasons they have become slick and dangerous even on a dry deck. I was wondering if leaving them on the boat contributed to the soles becoming slick or if Sperry's had the same problem, apparently the do. This year I bought a pair of Sperry sandles but do not wear them on the boat because I'm afraid of ripping a toe nail off on lines or deck hardware. Since I wear them all the time the soles have good grip. I'll see what condition they are in next year. The soles are dark brown so it's not the same make up as the tan. I think I'll try the white.
asking this question last week. Two years ago I bought a pair of WM moccasin deck shoes because they fit better than the Sperry's. I leave them on the boat and wear them only then and after two seasons they have become slick and dangerous even on a dry deck. I was wondering if leaving them on the boat contributed to the soles becoming slick or if Sperry's had the same problem, apparently the do. This year I bought a pair of Sperry sandles but do not wear them on the boat because I'm afraid of ripping a toe nail off on lines or deck hardware. Since I wear them all the time the soles have good grip. I'll see what condition they are in next year. The soles are dark brown so it's not the same make up as the tan. I think I'll try the white.
Hmm- I'm reaching a bit here..
but when I was a kid back in Manitoba we used to think that wiping our bike tires with Javex in the winter made them stick better to the ice. Never tried it with shoes and can't say whther it would work or wreck them. Maybe worth a try with an old pair?
but when I was a kid back in Manitoba we used to think that wiping our bike tires with Javex in the winter made them stick better to the ice. Never tried it with shoes and can't say whther it would work or wreck them. Maybe worth a try with an old pair?
shoe-lutions
In warm weather I really like the Keen sandals my kids gave me, for several reasons: they have a nice toe-cap, unlike most sandals, so you don't have to worry about crunching a toe on a cleat, track, block, etc.; they have a clever cinch-string around the top that snugs everything up for those times when you don't want any play in your footgear, then loosens easily for a more leisurely fit; though the soles are dark, they don't leave marks; they have a fairly aggressive tread that does reasonably well on a wet deck; they dry out pretty quickly when wet. An old trick I have yet to try, that was often used by the old dirt-track motorcycle racers, was to cut lots of 'sipes' in the surface of their tires to give them greater gripping power. I've sometimes wondered how this would work on deck shoes, especially ones that have suffered the inevitable hardening that is mentioned here. The racers just made lots of parallel diagonal slashes in the rubber, and claimed it made a big difference.
In warm weather I really like the Keen sandals my kids gave me, for several reasons: they have a nice toe-cap, unlike most sandals, so you don't have to worry about crunching a toe on a cleat, track, block, etc.; they have a clever cinch-string around the top that snugs everything up for those times when you don't want any play in your footgear, then loosens easily for a more leisurely fit; though the soles are dark, they don't leave marks; they have a fairly aggressive tread that does reasonably well on a wet deck; they dry out pretty quickly when wet. An old trick I have yet to try, that was often used by the old dirt-track motorcycle racers, was to cut lots of 'sipes' in the surface of their tires to give them greater gripping power. I've sometimes wondered how this would work on deck shoes, especially ones that have suffered the inevitable hardening that is mentioned here. The racers just made lots of parallel diagonal slashes in the rubber, and claimed it made a big difference.
Not just Sperry
this seems to be a problem with other brands, too, and I have had shoes go bad in only a couple of seasons. My new theory, is that maybe I don't wear them enough and that is what makes them get hard and slippery. I used to wear them only on the boat, but now I am wondering if use might actually keep the soles better for gripping. I have had the problem with Harken and WM shoes. I don't know who makes WM shoes, though. Just bought a pair of Timberlands that seem to grip nicely, but have no idea how long the soles will hold up.
this seems to be a problem with other brands, too, and I have had shoes go bad in only a couple of seasons. My new theory, is that maybe I don't wear them enough and that is what makes them get hard and slippery. I used to wear them only on the boat, but now I am wondering if use might actually keep the soles better for gripping. I have had the problem with Harken and WM shoes. I don't know who makes WM shoes, though. Just bought a pair of Timberlands that seem to grip nicely, but have no idea how long the soles will hold up.
Timberlands
Higgs, I have the same problem as everyone else with the soles going hard, but the Timberlands I had for years did the best. However, I can't wear a straight moc like that because of polio, but if you can, it's worth trying. I tend to step out of them which is not the best on the foredeck. Rick D.
Higgs, I have the same problem as everyone else with the soles going hard, but the Timberlands I had for years did the best. However, I can't wear a straight moc like that because of polio, but if you can, it's worth trying. I tend to step out of them which is not the best on the foredeck. Rick D.
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