just bought some red vibram soles off ebay

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#46
When I tried to find red rubber soles, there were none to be had. I went to Menards and bought this stuff called Plasti-dip for $6. (It's used to rubberize tool handles) It comes in the perfect shade of Louboutin red. I painted three or four of coats on my CLs and it works perfectly! It didn't want to stick to a new sole, so I took it to my cobbler to adhere it. There's enough in one can to rubberize 100 pairs of shoes.
 
#48
Great idea gordon! That sounds like the perfect solution. If it wears down, you could keep applying. I am going to look for it this weekend. The Plastic Dip website said that it is sold at Home Depot and Lowes.
 
#50
gordon92 said:
When I tried to find red rubber soles, there were none to be had. I went to Menards and bought this stuff called Plasti-dip for $6. (It's used to rubberize tool handles) It comes in the perfect shade of Louboutin red. I painted three or four of coats on my CLs and it works perfectly! It didn't want to stick to a new sole, so I took it to my cobbler to adhere it. There's enough in one can to rubberize 100 pairs of shoes.
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Gordon92,

I know I may be seen as bias on this subject but, for what it's worth, here are my thoughts on this product.

Firstly, if it works for you that's great :tup: Do you have any photos?

If it helps, and hopefully this does not get too technical, their website gives this information:-

"When using Plastidip we recommend first applying Plastidip Primer, as it can increase the adhesion to your chosen surface".

Did you use the recommended thinners when applying? Their technical specification also says:

"[FONT=Arial,Bold]BRUSHING: [/FONT]Dilute with recommended thinners up to 25% as needed. Gently mix before each use. Apply wet overlapping coats using a soft natural bristle brush. Allow 10 -20 minutes (dry to the touch) dry time before applying additional coats to desired thickness."


"[FONT=Arial,Bold]HINTS: [/FONT]A dry film thickness of 12 -15 mils is recommended for best results. Approximate dry mil thickness per coat, dipping 6 -8 mils; brushing 4 -5 mils; spraying 2-5 mils. [FONT=Arial,Bold]Allow 4 hours dry time per coat before use. [/FONT]Allow overnight drying whenever possible."


If you brush apply four coats you will get a thinkness of 16-20 mils. If I have got my maths correct, 20 mils equates to around 0.5mm (conversion is 45 mils = 1.15mm). That seems fairly thin, so re-application may be needed fairly frequently.


One last point is that whilst applying these liquids by brush, or spray, great care will be needed to avoid spills and runs onto your expensive upper shoe material.
 
#51
Luv*Mulberry said:
Gordon- So does you had your cobbler adhere the Plasti-dip? Or you did it yourself? .... How is it wearing now that its on?

... I am very intrigued!
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I took them to the cobbler and said make this stick - and he did. It wears very well. I've worn them on pavement and asphalt, and my soles are still red. It might work even better on soles that have been worn - before putting it on my CLs, I tried it on an old pair of shoes and there was no adhering problem. Here's a pic - the dark smudge to the right is something I stepped in. I'm thinking if they start to come off, I'll try Gorilla Glue .... but so far, so good.
 

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#53
panrixx said:
Gordon92,

Did you use the recommended thinners when applying?
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No, I just brushed it on right out of the can. I set my shoes up in a box with balled up newspaper so that the soles were level. I used painters tape around the edge of the sole so I wouldn't get any on the uppers and I masked off the part of the sole that does not touch the ground. I gave it plenty of drying time before removing the tape. I also used a razor blade to carefully cut the Plasti-dip from the tape. It was minimally tedious and incredibly cheap, so well worth the effort! I posted a picture in a previous post.
 
#54
gordon92 said:
When I tried to find red rubber soles, there were none to be had. I went to Menards and bought this stuff called Plasti-dip for $6. (It's used to rubberize tool handles) It comes in the perfect shade of Louboutin red. I painted three or four of coats on my CLs and it works perfectly! It didn't want to stick to a new sole, so I took it to my cobbler to adhere it. There's enough in one can to rubberize 100 pairs of shoes.
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ohhh I'm very interested in this have you worn them alot since putting it on?

does it attract dirt? I tried shoo goo on the soles of a pair of shoes once which dries to a jelly rubber texture it protected the soles but I found it attracted alot of dirt which I wasnt happy with so if this product doesnt attract dirt and wears well I'd definitely want to try it!
 
#55
Bag-aholic said:
ohhh I'm very interested in this have you worn them alot since putting it on?

does it attract dirt? I tried shoo goo on the soles of a pair of shoes once which dries to a jelly rubber texture it protected the soles but I found it attracted alot of dirt which I wasnt happy with so if this product doesnt attract dirt and wears well I'd definitely want to try it!
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It doesn't attact any more dirt than any pair of rubber-soled shoes. The pic below is after a dozen or so wearings ... these are not my every day shoes! I figure I can always paint more on if needed.

The funniest thing is where I got the idea - from an obscure Austrailian webring about making "felt slippers" (??!!). They recommended Plasti-dip as a way to make the soles waterproof. From slippers to haute couture!
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#58
Though the dip sounds very appealing, I tend to be accident prone and just think I would ruin my shoes if I attempted to seal them myself! If any of you other ladies try this and it works (and seems easy), let me (and everyone else here) know cause then I might be willing to try it!
 
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