Puffer Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 I have two pairs of cheap (Chinese) boots with fairly chunky heels, about 1.0 and 1.3" across at the walking surface. Both have top pieces (heel tips) moulded in a fairly hard black plastic (probably nylon) with three integral pegs that fit into sockets in the plastic heel moulding, which is otherwise more or less hollow. This form of construction seems quite solid, although one of the 1.3" top pieces inexplicably came off whilst I was wearing the boots in the street at night and I could not find it - hence the need to provide and fit replacements. I imagine that this is a very common type of construction and that replacement top-piece mouldings are available in standard sizes (at least to the trade), although I have not located any UK sources. Would any repairer care to comment? My solution, after removing the old top pieces by prising from the side with a thin knife or chisel blade, was to cut and shape a piece of softwood to be pressed into the main heel moulding aperture between the old peg holes. It is best to have the grain vertical. The fit at the sides does not have to be exact but do get a good flat surface flush with the surface of the moulding. If the wood is cut a little too short, some newspaper can be rammed into the aperture first to take up the space. No sophisticated tools are required - a vice, a tenon saw and a trimming knife will suffice, although a fairly coarse rasp or file is very helpful. If made a reasonable press fit, no adhesive should be necessary as the pressure of wearing will of course keep the insert in place. I next obtained some hard rubber heel material, about 0.25" thick. Mine was black and had a diamond 'tread' pattern on it and came in a piece 3” x 17cm from drbarrell via eBay; see http://stores.ebay.c...d=p4634.c0.m322 (This UK supplier has a number of other useful repair items, including adhesive, and should be able to supply black material also on request.) Using the original top piece as a pattern, I marked out a copy on the sheet and then cut and filed it to shape. This can be hard work as the rubber is quite resistant to cutting and care should be taken not to let the knife slip; snips are helpful for initial rough-cutting. Final shaping (checked against the boot heel) was with a rasp and abrasive paper – if you have a bench grinder, this can also be used to advantage, but mind those fingers! The shaped top piece was then glued to the pre-roughened heel moulding/wood insert using an impact adhesive (Evo-Stik or similar) and allowed to set. For security, I then nailed it with two or three 1” panel pins into the wood insert; it is helpful to mark/drill the nail positions before gluing to ensure they do not miss the wood. A vertical piece of wood in the vice serves as a crude last to support the inside of the boot whilst nailing. I suggest that the nail heads are also punched slightly below the rubber surface. Any final shaping can then be carefully carried out using a rasp or abrasive paper, the object being to keep the top piece no larger than the heel moulding, especially as it might spread a little on wearing. Some ‘road trials’ demonstrated that the new top pieces were up to the mark and, incidentally, quieter (stealthier!) than the originals. I think they will be harder-wearing too but are quite economical to replace when necessary. I have since re-heeled the second pair of boots with similar success. So, there we have it. Nothing elaborate or particularly original but it might help someone whose heels of this type require replacement top pieces. The technique is obviously not applicable to much thinner heels, which invariably have tips held by a single pin into a tube, the replacement of which has been dealt with elsewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Shoe Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Take them to timpsons... Graduate footwear designer able to advise and assist on modification and shoe making projects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puffer Posted January 12, 2013 Author Share Posted January 12, 2013 Take them to timpsons... And your point is ... ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Shoe Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 They will replace them for you, quicker and probably ultimately cheaper... Mind you, if your solution works then that's great. Graduate footwear designer able to advise and assist on modification and shoe making projects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puffer Posted January 15, 2013 Author Share Posted January 15, 2013 They will replace them for you, quicker and probably ultimately cheaper... Mind you, if your solution works then that's great. Yes, I imagine that Timpsons would be able to replace the top pieces - at a price and possibly in a different manner. I resorted to my solution because (i) I could not identify the availability of any equivalent moulded replacements; (ii) I wanted something quieter and more resilient. Do you know if these (apparently standard) plastic moulded top pieces are a normal stock item for shoe repairers? As a matter of interest, the repair cost me little more than £1 per pair for materials. (I will ignore your misuse of adjectives as adverbs; a reminder however that we are not in the USA! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Shoe Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Perhaps ignoring the split infinitive too... Graduate footwear designer able to advise and assist on modification and shoe making projects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts