Shoe question

A

autoprincess

New member
I know this might seem like a dumb thing to put in the professional detailing section but it is a question geared towards busy professional detailers that do this M-F like myself.



Has anyone found a pair of water proof shoes that last longer then 3-6 months? :nixweiss Doesn't matter if I spend $100 or $20 on a pair of water proof shoes, they all seem to wear out the same in the same amount of time. Two things happen 1: They loose their waterproof ability or 2: They crack and around the big toe area where your toes constantly bend when you croach down to clean things.



So I was curious if anyone has come accross a name brand shoe that has lasted longer then 3-6 months. I have a pair of shoes that have a 1 year warranty on them and I am about to get a 3rd pair in a month before the warranty runs out. Good deal I think, 3 pairs of shoes for the price of one. But I would like to not have to do that, just would like to find something lasts a while.
 
This is no joke...try 303 Fabric Protector on your shoes when the waterproofing ability starts to fade, or better yet, before it starts. Look into sketchers. They make a ton of shoes for all sorts of different professions. From Police to kitchen staff.
 
I've tried the fabric protector for water, yeah it worked good in the beggining but maybe I got lazzy keeping them protected but, it still didn't last. Didn't know Sketchers made water proof shoes. But the question still remains will they last longer then 3-6 months? (That is the great question). I can't even list the brands I've tried. Been doing this professionally for 10 years now, so a lot of shoes along the way.
 
Buy a shoe with Gore-Tex, they will never lose their waterproof ability! You can buy them as like hiking boot/sneakers. There is nothing better than Gore-Tex
 
mirrorfinishman said:
Very good info. Just give your shoes a coating of 303 a couple of times a week and the upper part of the shoe will keep looking like new.



Here's a link to a good company;

http://www.aramark-uniform.com/footwear.html
Click to expand...



I'll check them out, I've tried the Timberland's and Wolverin's they are a no go.



So I switched from leather to rubber. Here is a link to my shoes now:

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=63459&hvarDept=500&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=4&hvarSubCode=1&hvarTarget=browse



They work great for keeping the water out and feel like bedroom slippers. But the chemicals eat up the rubber over time just the same. I added some foot sole inserts in them for extra cushion. (They are light as ....)
 
autoprecise1 said:
I'll check them out, I've tried the Timberland's and Wolverin's they are a no go.



So I switched from leather to rubber. Here is a link to my shoes now:

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=63459&hvarDept=500&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=4&hvarSubCode=1&hvarTarget=browse



They work great for keeping the water out and feel like bedroom slippers. But the chemicals eat up the rubber over time just the same. I added some foot sole inserts in them for extra cushion. (They are light as ....)
Click to expand...

I do the same. I keep a pair of comfortable sneakers in my dry area and use the rubbers in the wet areas.
 
Have you tried NB water proof hikers? They have been *very* durable for me, but I would suspect that I don't abuse them near as much as you would.
 
Ok this may sound silly but has anyone ever thought of simply using a pair of rubber slip ons over a comfortable pair of sneakers? They are usually meant to slip over dress shoes but certainly will work over sneakers and I've seen them as shoe size and also come as slip on boots. They are cheap and you just slip em on and off as needed. Totes is the brand that comes to mind but I've seen others.
 
This has nothing to do with the detailing profession but I think it may be relevant anyway. I used to play basketball in various leagues with practices and games combined I would often play as many as 8-10 times a week. It didn't matter which shoe or brand I would buy (I always bought the best shoes I could possibly afford) they just didn't hold up the way I would expect them to. I got to the point where I would buy multiple sets of the same pair of shoes, brand really didn't matter but the fact that I would rotate which shoe I wore and made sure that I didn't wear them on consecutive runs ultimately made the shoes last twice as long. If I bought one pair they were shot in 2 months. 3 pairs would equal 6 months. Buying three pair at the same time and rotating them religiously would make the 3 pair last a year. Giving the shoes a break and a chance to thoroughly dry out made a huge difference. I would actually number the shoes just to make sure I wasn't using the same pair I played with the game before. Buy a couple of pair of good shoes and rotate them. I'll bet you get more mileage than using one pair at a time.
 
When i was doing carpet work i would wear danner boots. Even then i would go through boots at an amazing rate usually a pair would be dead in 6 months. the uppers would simply fall apart. Hazard of using water and chemicals.



I now love these. Made specifically for your feet, what ever type of leather and sole you want. Truely the best work boot i have ever owned.

http://www.russellmoccasin.com/

I use http://www.russellmoccasin.com/boots_birdshooters/bs_dmbbirdshooter.html with the aspen gumlite. Super soft non marking long lasting sole.
 
Interesting idea GearHead, interesting indeed. It makes some since though. Maybe I'll try it if I can't come accross some good shoes.



Hey Grouse, haven't spoke to you in a while. The boots you use, just won't cut it for me. I can feel the rash on my calf already. They do seem to make some other pairs that might work, it's the leather I am concerned about. The chemicals I use and the constant exposure to water just wear the leather out. I often come home with my toes looking and feeling like raisens. Does your leather hold up good?
 
yeah they make shoes. I also use leather masters products on them. so... they last along time. Read the testamonials. they have reviews from people who put the shoes through worse than what we can do.
 
DFTowel said:
Ok this may sound silly but has anyone ever thought of simply using a pair of rubber slip ons over a comfortable pair of sneakers? They are usually meant to slip over dress shoes but certainly will work over sneakers and I've seen them as shoe size and also come as slip on boots. They are cheap and you just slip em on and off as needed. Totes is the brand that comes to mind but I've seen others.
Click to expand...

Not a silly question. I tried this many times. The problem is that water will still get past the rubbers. I found out (at least for me) it is just easier and more economical to have 2 separate 'shoes' one dry, one wet...
 
I learned to rotate my footwear while I was in basic training for the Army. The purpose was to help your feet to stay healthy, but the side benefit is that your footwear lasts longer. At the end of my enlistment, I had about 6 pairs of boots, and two of them were from basic issue. They had seen rain, sleet, snow, mud and dirt. And since I served on tanks, they saw harsher chemicals than anything I use when detailing. Part of the reason they lasted so long was due to the fact that I maintained my boots, and the other part was because they were never worn on two consecutive days.



Sweat is mildly acidic, and giving the shoes time to air out helps to rid them of the moisture from your feet, and the buildup of acids.
 
I just use my running shoes once they are six months old to detail in. I usually get another 4-5 months use out of them that way. Plus using Optimum No Rinse, I don't usually have a problem with wet shoes.
 
It seems like shoes are a double edge sword. They either repel water and make your feet sweat, or they let in water and get you feet wet. You can't win. Change your shoes often to avoid foot fungus from happening. Have 2-3 pairs and let each one dry out before wearing it again. I use to somtimes detail in sandals, but they're not the safest.
 
I detailed once in sandles and by the end of the day sand/dirt from the ground wore my skin raw like I had sandpaper straps.



I've come accross some pretty good shoes that keep your feet dry, but was curious to see if anyone has come accross a pair that lasted a while. The shoes I have now (listed above) are great for keeping you feet dry, would like to have some more life out of them (longer time till they crack and that goes for any pair).
 
Does anyone use those Croc sandals/shoes? They look like clogs and are made of lightweight, soft rubber. I've been seeing them a lot at the beach. Since they are so airy, your fee t dry quickly.



I won't wear them since they look like clogs!!!
 
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