Hot Glue Hob Nails

[Quartermaster James]

File this under Why didn't I think of this sooner?

Yes, the title pretty much says it all. But for those that want it, here's the story:

Like many others, I have found certain leather soled shoes to be at times hazardous.

Even my finest dress shoes have some rubber in the heel portion.

Hob nails might help on some surfaces, but are treacherous on rock, concrete, tile, and the like. Hob nails also tear up softer flooring.

As the leather in the heels of my Fugawees pulls away from the nails, I find these just as treacherous as hob nails.

Last night I took out the hot glue gun and, using the hottest setting, laid down a dollop of glue about the size of an upholstery nail head over each of the exposed nails on my shoe's heels. I then filled in the pattern imitating the placement of hob nails.

I've been walking on them all day so far, over concrete, tile, and marble (asphalt and carpet too, but these surfaces were never a problem).

So far, so good. A bit of a "tacky" sound on some surfaces, which is surprising given how hard the "mock nails" are to the touch, but no slipping!

Next weekend I'll try them out on the trail. Stay tuned for further updates.

[Quartermaster James]

Okay, so my verdict on this experiment is like totally positive, you know?

I wore this first modified pair all week; over all terrain (mainly asphalt, concrete, and inside office buildings).

The tacky effect never left plastic on plastic: think of those mats they put on carpet so your office chairs work.

But I never slipped on hard, waxed floors; be they linoleum, tile, or concrete.

We had rain much of the week, but it was clear for Saturday's pumpkin shoot. The trail, however, was more mud than wet grass.

Still, no slippage. At days end, however, I found my heels fully caked with mud so rendering the hobnailing minimal, at best.

Verdict: better than any OTC heel plate or skid pad. Not for the strict constructionist, historically speaking, but highly recommended for those of us that have need to tread on modern flooring.

[j8ksdad]

QM James,

I curious what type of glue you used for this project. I also have the Fugawee's and the same silpping problem. I bought a hot glue gun and glue at the local fabric store. I tried to do the same as you and made many small "dots" of glue on the heal. I also ran "stripes" of glue along the toe area. I went to a faire for about two hours yesterday and by the end all of the glue had pealed off. Any other tips you might have?

Thanks,

-Scott