Joe & Leo
They're basically soft leather slipper/socks that fit inside oversize sandals,
with greaves, etc. strapped on. The full kit might include poleyns and strap-on
storage pouches. The idea is threefold: firstly the "woodsman's axe" principle,
where you only replace what is actually worn, even though you might eventually
end up replacing everything several times over. Secondly, even good shoemakers
are wary of making custom boots, as it is just too easy to get the fit wrong.
The idea is something that is as forgiving and adjustable and mistake-proof as
a sandal with the protective value of a boot. Thirdly, the definition of the
product is the interfaces between the components. The spaces between the
interfaces can be filled variously by various people in various materials, so
there's a lot of scope for people going wild.
The soles are truck-tyre retread. The extreme rear of the heels are worn down
at an angle, all the way into the foam. My shoemaker friend says they're the
only instance he's ever seen of soles out of that stuff wearing right through.
The new ones will have heeled soles better suited to motorcycling (though I
don't at the moment), also wrapping up the back of the heel, like driving
shoes: I'll see how that affects wear while walking.
I keep feeling as if I'm stepping out of them, so the improved version will
have a "heel-centric" fit, i.e. it fits snugly around the heel and ends up
wherever it happens to end up at the toe end. That should also help for wear
around the Achilles region. To keep the fit flexible at the toe end the new
ones will also have removable toe-uppers. After a lot of contemplation I
haven't been able to come up with anything better than bolt-fixing those to the
sides of the soles, so 10# M6x25 set screws it is.
I'll keep you posted.
-Dawie
"
Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Blackspot Shoes
Message: 4
I like ur attitude Mack! Publish it under creative commons license and let
the people go wild. I'd build a pair.
Joe
...
Message: 5
I'm forever wearing out shoes and boots. The soles seem to go the fastest,
especially on my boots. I walk 8 km a day to and from work. Boots that have a
sole hard enough to last are too friggin slippery in winter, and softer rubber
just disappears. I wish I had boots withreplaceable soles. Something I could
buy and replace myself. The other thing that wears about as fast on boots and
shoes is the inside surface around the achilies area. Some kind of replaceable
insert would fix this. Duct tape is the closest thing I could come up with.
It works!
Joe
leo bunyan wrote:
If you ever get it to publication I would certainly be interested
Cheers
Leo
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