How can my adult son prolong the life of his shoes?
He walks heavily on his heels and ruins shoes because the heels cannot be repaired, being mostly hollow.

Mrs Camp, November 2006

If they are plastic heels which are nearly hollow you need to fill them with a product called Stormsure. This is a glue which sets as a solid block. It is amazingly abrasion resistant, hard rubbery compound. I did the heals of my Timberland deck shoes, where the heels had worn at a horrible angle. The resulted repair lasted until the rest of the shoe were worn out. In fact the original rubber sole wore out faster than the repaired area.

Robert, November 2008

Firstly, I would recommend that your son starts to buy good quality shoes. Fully leather constructed shoes (the sole as well as the upper) are more durable and can be repaired. In addition, a pair of blakeys added to heel and toe will prolong the life. Loake shoes are extremely good value for money.

Regards

A, April 2007

If they are not trainers then I suggest metal heel inserts. Shoe repair shops stock what I believe are called 'Blakeys' [after the manufacturer] They are metal orange segment shaped with spikes which you hammer into the heel at the appropriate place.

Paul N, December 2006