THE SOLE BENEATH EVERYTHING

ON SNEAKER SOLE CONSTRUCTION, RUBBER COMPOUNDS, AND HOW THE SOLE DECISION DETERMINES THE LIFE OF A LUXURY SNEAKER

THE SOLE IS THE MOST HONEST PART OF THE SNEAKER. IT CANNOT BE PROTECTED. IT CANNOT BE MAINTAINED BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL STATE. IT MEETS THE GROUND ON EVERY STEP, ABSORBS THE FORCE OF EVERY MILE, AND WEARS ACCORDINGLY. THE SOLE TELLS THE TRUTH ABOUT HOW THE SNEAKER WAS BUILT AND WHAT IT WAS BUILT FOR.

WHAT SOLE CONSTRUCTION ACTUALLY MEANS

THE SOLE OF A LUXURY HANDMADE SNEAKER IS NOT A SINGLE MATERIAL. IT IS A SYSTEM. AN INSOLE WHICH SHAPES TO THE FOOT OVER TIME. A MIDSOLE WHERE PRESENT, PROVIDING STRUCTURE. THE OUTSOLE ITSELF, SELECTED FOR ITS SPECIFIC COMBINATION OF GRIP, DURABILITY AND WEAR CHARACTERISTICS. EACH LAYER IS A DECISION. AND THE METHOD BY WHICH THE OUTSOLE IS ATTACHED DETERMINES WHETHER THE ENTIRE SYSTEM IS REPAIRABLE OR DISPOSABLE.

THE RUBBER QUESTION

NOT ALL RUBBER IS THE SAME. THE COMPOUND USED IN THE OUTSOLE OF A LUXURY SNEAKER, SELECTED FROM A SERIOUS RUBBER SUPPLIER, HAS DIFFERENT PROPERTIES FROM THE MATERIAL USED IN MASS MARKET PRODUCTION. IT IS DENSER. IT WEARS MORE SLOWLY. IT MAINTAINS ITS PROFILE OVER THOUSANDS OF MILES RATHER THAN COMPRESSING AND DISTORTING WITHIN MONTHS. THE DIFFERENCE IN COST BETWEEN A DENSE RUBBER OUTSOLE COMPOUND AND A COMMODITY ONE IS SMALL RELATIVE TO THE TOTAL COST OF THE SNEAKER. THE DIFFERENCE IN LONGEVITY IS SIGNIFICANT.

CREPE, LEATHER, RUBBER

NATURAL CREPE IS THE SOFTEST UNDERFOOT OF THE TRADITIONAL OPTIONS. WARMTH AND RESPONSIVENESS THAT SYNTHETIC MATERIALS DO NOT REPLICATE. LEATHER SOLES BREATHE, FLEX CORRECTLY AND DEVELOP PATINA. DENSE RUBBER IS THE CONTEMPORARY OPTION FOR A LUXURY SNEAKER SOLE. CORRECTLY COMPOUNDED, IT COMBINES DURABILITY WITH THE FLEX CHARACTERISTICS THE SNEAKER REQUIRES AND IS THE CORRECT CHOICE FOR A SNEAKER DESIGNED TO BE WORN IN VARIED CONDITIONS OVER MANY YEARS.

WHAT THE SOLE TELLS YOU

HOLD A SNEAKER AND LOOK AT THE SOLE. READ IT. WHETHER THE OUTSOLE IS STITCHED OR GLUED. WHETHER THE RUBBER IS DENSE AND CONSISTENT OR CELLULAR AND LIGHT. WHETHER THE PROFILE HAS BEEN DESIGNED WITH SPECIFIC GEOMETRY OR IS A FLAT SHEET OF MATERIAL APPLIED WITHOUT CONSIDERATION.

THE SOLE IS THE MOST HONEST PART OF THE SNEAKER. THE MAKER CANNOT DRESS IT UP. IT EITHER REFLECTS GOOD DECISIONS OR IT DOES NOT. 1812 ENGLAND SELECTS SOLE MATERIALS FOR LONGEVITY. THE CONSTRUCTION IS DESIGNED TO LAST AND TO BE RESOLED WHEN THE TIME COMES.