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Saturday, March 26, 2011

Soles That Stick

It started innocently enough, I'd be walking along and all of a sudden the tip of my shoe would get caught on something, as we all do I'd look back to see if something was wrong with the flooring never once imagining it could be something wrong with me.
As the frequency of this increased I began to question my foot wear? I went out and bought pair of Rockport’s which are known to be quite comfortable. Wouldn't you know it the problem persisted so I went back and bought a second pair? I know how idiotic this sounds yet you must also realize that there was nothing else wrong. My legs did not hurt my feet did not hurt nothing suggesting nothing more than simply being a klutz.
The majority if not all shoes today are sold with rubber soles or other non-slip materials to prevent falls, makes perfect sense when you can walk properly yet when you're dragging your foot they are a pain in the butt, they increase the chance of tripping and falling in addition to wearing your shoes out prematurely.
For the longest time I can remember turning my shoes upside down and placing a wide band of masking tape around the perimeter of the sole, then using 24-hour epoxy I would mix a certain amount and pour it to fill the cavity which was worn. Caution was a must first to keep the shoe upside down and level which I accomplished using masking tape and whatever props I could find to hold the shoe in position until the glue dried. Then I would simply remove the masking tape, believe it or not this simple fix would last for several months until I would have to repeat the process.
It was not a permanent fix since a new application was required every few months yet it was much better and safer than walking and tripping all the time. The epoxy was amazingly resistant and the tip of my shoe would slide instead of sticking. However a more permanent fix was needed, this came when I met a lady who told me of a material less than 1/8 of an inch thick that should be expected to last longer than the glue I had been using.
Spoke with a gentleman at the store and convinced him to sell me a small piece of this material. Using contact cement I glued this product covering the complete sole of my right shoe "Big Mistake". We had a stairway with 13 steps I remember taking the first step the rest is blank as I found myself at the bottom of the staircase laughing my head off at what an idiot I had been. The final version is shown below it was a simple solution which worked wonders for me and my budget until the AFO was necessary I tell you however this stuff never wore out!


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3 comments:

Karen said...

Nasty looking bruises. "Funny" what we do before we know what is going on. When my foot first started acting up with tingling, creepy crawling feelings and numbness, the only thing that seemed to stop it was to bind my foot tight. I used duct tape at one point! Then I tried an elastic bandage. I finally went to the doctor who insisted that the nerve damage was from a fallen arch, so I wore an orthotic in my shoe, which actually made my foot hurt. Two years later I was dx with MS.

Muffie said...

I can definitely relate to the tripping on air -- I still do it. AND, I still look down to see what caused the trip -- even though I know there's nothing there!!
I, too, cannot wear rubber soled shoes due the fact that they "catch" all the time. Aren't we a resourceful lot that we search for ways to eliminate our problems!
Peace,
Muff

MikeH said...

Karen and Muffie,
Thank you for your comments and yes we can certainly become resourceful when backed into a corner.
For me this white stuff really worked and it worked for several years before I had to move on and get an AFO, just to let you in on a little secret the reason that stuff works so well? It's the stuff curlers use on the sole of their foot which ever one they want to slide on the ice but I'll tell you it is dangerous and you could literally kill yourself if you're not careful. It took me quite some time to convince a local supplier to sell me that piece of material and from what I hear he has received quite a few requests for the same quantity and the same application. Should have copyrighted that one LOL

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