Polyurethane shoe sole disintigrating

Cheap is the word in the shoes and boots of today, I have big feet, 14-15EEE and the quality of the foot ware has dropped significantly in the last 7 years or so.

The complaint I have is that the shoes I have bought from Hitchcock is so bad that the style I wear every day has been discontinued because the suckers have a paper insole that just plain Stinks, my feet have never been stinkers till these shoes.

The companies that have made the Best shoes and Boots have gone out of business because they didn't wear out in 4 months and quality materials have sky rocketed in price, No Win.

I don't think I've ever had shoes with polyurethane soles. Mine are all leather or rubber and I haven't had any issues (just checked and even the boat shoes are rubber soled).

I think my pair of heavy duty winter boots may have different sole material because they were advertised as suitable for extreme temperatures (both cold and hot) as well as oils but I don't remember the details anymore. No issues with them either over 7-8 winters already, though they don't see heavy use.

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Originally Posted by 32t

After driving 50 miles to the town the wedding was in I stopped at a gas station and when I got out something was wrong with my right shoe. I was leaving chunks/crumbs on the tar as I walked across the parking lot. The sole was just falling apart. OMG at the rate I have worn them I figured I could be buried in them.

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Petrol dissolves most plastics very quickly. I'd say you stepped in some.

Just remembered my Heirling ski boots, went to put them on 2 years ago and they fell apart in my hands, 350$$ boots, a little disappointed. Imagine if that were a weapon and it did that in a dire situation?

Sure, the buyer can beware but that does not always ensure the product is good.

Lucky if I get 6 months out of any pair of work boots. Was working for a large company quite a few years back and we were issued new boots every 6 months. There were plenty of lazy b'stards who couldn't wear out a pair in 2 years, so I was buying them up at half retail. Got 6 pair that the sole just disintegrated, you could literally follow my footsteps and see where I had been on site.
Always look on the bright side. Got 6 spare pair of laces, and the boots make brilliant planters for cacti...

I don't think I've ever had a sole disintegrate. I usually wear a hole in the toe, hole in the sole from sheer mileage, or they start to split at the seam where the sole is attached long before anything starts to crumble like that.