heelsRus Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 I have a pair of Naturalizer's Auburn with a 1 3/4" heel that I wear to work everyday that I'd like to quiet down a bit. They are a bit harsh (loud) on the tile floor. I'm getting better at keeping them quiet but while I like the sound, they do attract a bit of attention (possibly unwanted) and generally make me feel a little too ..... obvious? Outside of work I don't worry about it much at all. They're great boots, BTW. Thanks to ... um, I forget who but it was probably Gene or FF or Bubba who mentioned them in the first place. Anyway, I was wondering if the cobbler could put a rubber part on the bottom of the chunky heel to quiet them down a bit, and how long it would take to do. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn HH Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 HeelsRus:-) I have had a shoe repairman put rubber tips on some of my noisier boot heels and some were quieter and some were just as noisy as before. Now my heels are a lot higher than 1 3/4". We are talking between 3" and 4" heels and some of the rubber is harder than some of the other replaced tips. I finally got used to the sounds and I gave up worrying about how they sound and I don't care if someone hears me now or not. I have been using the heel tips that come with the boots just out of the box no matter how loud or soft they may be. Cheers--- Dawn HH High Heeled Boots Forever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubba136 Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 I'm sure a cobbler can replace the present heel caps with rubber ones. Most cobblers have heel stock that can be tacked to the heel's base and trimmed and shaped to match. I don't know if I would would like a cobbler tack them onto the caps that are already there, though. Not because of the added height, but because of the possibility of their comming loose at some point while you are wearing them. Besides, it shouldn't matter. 1½" heels won't turn any heads anyway. Being mentally comfortable in your own mind is the key to wearing heels in public. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Shoe Posted February 10, 2005 Share Posted February 10, 2005 yes most cobblers will do them while you wait though they will take the existing top piece off first. Bubba is right of course, 1.5" heels are positively men's shoes. Graduate footwear designer able to advise and assist on modification and shoe making projects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heelsRus Posted February 11, 2005 Author Share Posted February 11, 2005 yes most cobblers will do them while you wait though they will take the existing top piece off first. Bubba is right of course, 1.5" heels are positively men's shoes. Yes, these are a little higher than most men's shoes, but not much. No one has said anything nor really looked too much. I'm not too concerned with the height, just the noise - and only sometimes. I like the noise when no one's around :-) I'll consider whether I do it. Thanks for the input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hart88 Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 sometimes when heels are noisey, it is not just the heel lift (the piece of heel at the end of the heel block)- sometimes the heel is extremely hollow, and that also makes noise when you walk. Certain materials are better at noise reduction, but listen to this suggestion. I take the heel cap/lift/heel off and take scraps of crepe (soft foam rubber) and cut them into sizes to fit into the hollow heel. Then I glue and pack as much of the material into the hollow heel as possible, and then use my sanding machine (finisher) to sand them flat to the surface of the heel block, then install the new "rubberier" heel. *This is also advisable for the extremely hollow heels. They are more difficult to repair because they are so hollow, which makes the new heels are more difficult to nail on, so the extra surface the the foam provides, ads extra surface to glue the heel to!!! This really works!!!!! I am not speaking for all shoe men, but this is scrap material that eventually gets thrown away, and a small extra charge may be added, but once you have it done, you will always come back to have it done again, unless you like hollow noisey heels. Some orthopedic shops have this liquid foamy stuff that they spray into a hollow area, But I don't recommend that because if it gets wet, it will disintegrate, because it is intended not to be exposed to the outside elements. (In other words, if your heel starts wearing out, then moisture could get into the heel block and cause the blown in foam to disintegrate.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heelsRus Posted February 16, 2005 Author Share Posted February 16, 2005 sometimes when heels are noisey, it is not just the heel lift (the piece of heel at the end of the heel block)- sometimes the heel is extremely hollow, and that also makes noise when you walk. Certain materials are better at noise reduction, but listen to this suggestion. I take the heel cap/lift/heel off and take scraps of crepe (soft foam rubber) and cut them into sizes to fit into the hollow heel. Then I glue and pack as much of the material into the hollow heel as possible, and then use my sanding machine (finisher) to sand them flat to the surface of the heel block, then install the new "rubberier" heel. *This is also advisable for the extremely hollow heels. They are more difficult to repair because they are so hollow, which makes the new heels are more difficult to nail on, so the extra surface the the foam provides, ads extra surface to glue the heel to!!! This really works!!!!! I am not speaking for all shoe men, but this is scrap material that eventually gets thrown away, and a small extra charge may be added, but once you have it done, you will always come back to have it done again, unless you like hollow noisey heels. Some orthopedic shops have this liquid foamy stuff that they spray into a hollow area, But I don't recommend that because if it gets wet, it will disintegrate, because it is intended not to be exposed to the outside elements. (In other words, if your heel starts wearing out, then moisture could get into the heel block and cause the blown in foam to disintegrate.) This is very interesting because it does sound hollow. Hm, something to consider. Thanks very much :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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