Warning: keep using your shoes.

BobQ

I thought I would publicise a phenomenon that shoe manufacturers seem reluctant to publicise. Hydrolysis of thermoplastic synthetic soles.

I opened a shoe box recently containing a virtually new pair of Clarks made shoes, the type with thick synthetic soles. The shoes smelt of adhesive and were sticky to the touch. When I picked them up the soles had totally detached from the upper.

Clarks ignored my email asking if they could offer an explanation. But a Clarks sales assistant told me that this is what happens to that type of shoe if you do not use them for a few years, its known as hydrolysis and there are several stories on the internet of this.

So be warned if you had a pair of that type of shoe as a present and left it on the top of your wardrobe, this is what can happen if you do not wear them.

Apparently its not just Clarks products, but these shoes are not cheap and I am disappointed that these manufacturers do not put a warning on the box.

yangptangkipperbang

BobQ wrote: »

this is what happens to that type of shoe if you do not use them for a few years

..........I buy shoes to wear them - not to store in a cupboard for years !

If you are buying them as an investment go for Jimmy Choo or similar :rotfl::rotfl:

mttylad

And its a load of rollocks!

I have had shoes in the cuboard for years - never heard of that happening.

I do however know that the quality of clarks shoes has seriously declined over recent years, now they are just another retailer and not the high class shoes that they used to be (and still charge as if they are).

LilElvis

I seem to remember the word hydrolysis from my o level biology lessons, but I can't recall it involving shoes. You wouldn't have this problem with Jimmy Choos as they have leather soles - but you would have a very depleted bank account

Tigsteroonie

Interesting. I bought a pair of Lilley & Skinner shoes six months ago - identical to a pair I was already wearing but spotted in the sale so purchased & kept for when needed in the future. I started wearing them on returning to work after New Year and both soles have already cracked all the way across, left to right. I wondered if that was down to storing them instead of wearing them (& flexing them) ... Unfortunately I didn't keep the receipt or anything, so no chance of returning them.

itch_for_a_glitch

mttylad wrote: »

And its a load of rollocks!

I have had shoes in the cuboard for years - never heard of that happening.

I do however know that the quality of clarks shoes has seriously declined over recent years, now they are just another retailer and not the high class shoes that they used to be (and still charge as if they are).

I chucked two pairs of shoes away last year, the soles seemed to have "melted".

Own_My_Own

This happens with Hotter shoes.

When a friends gt aunt went into a home we helped her clear her house. We had to throw nearly all her shoes away because the soles hade deteriorated and cracked.

LilElvis

I really hope this is late night spam!

I have about 120 pairs of shoes and this has never happened even though - obviously - many of these are worn infrequently. The only ones that don't seem to last that well are patent leather ones, but this is the uppers and nothing to do with the soles.

Tigsteroonie

Not late night spam on my part, I've definitely got a pair of shoes with split soles after being in storage (where the previous pair, worn daily, didn't split at all).

Own_My_Own

LilElvis wrote: »

I really hope this is late night spam!

I have about 120 pairs of shoes and this has never happened even though - obviously - many of these are worn infrequently. The only ones that don't seem to last that well are patent leather ones, but this is the uppers and nothing to do with the soles.

This is a problem with a specific type of sole, not shoes in general.

Nice_Weather_For_Ducks

Brucie says.......Keep dancing