Consuming Interest
Saving Our Sole
By LESLIE ADRIAN A READER has been trying to supplement a much-loved pair of shoes, now three years old and still good, which he bought from Manfield and which were soled, he says, with something called Microlite. Now Manfield have told him that they are not made any more and he wonders why. Microlite soles certainly are still made, and Volcrepe Ltd., of Milltown, Glossop, Derbyshire, will tell him which firms are using their product on their shoes.
This brand of soling is one of a multitude of resin rubber materials now coming to be known as 'man-made' soling in contrast with leather and natural rubber. The rubber in man-made soles is generally SBR, a synthetic derived from petro- leum, compounded with a resin of similar origin.
Sometimes the mixture is 'blown' or 'semi-blown,' that is, expanded by the introduction of bubbles of nitrogen, when the resultant foam rubber is lighter and springier to the foot. Some firms refer to this type of soling as microcellular. Among the better- known resin-rubber soling materials are Duron (Sussex Rubber Co.), Fethertex (Dunlop), Avon, Neolite (Du Pont). Tred (Monsanto), and Butakon (!Cl). Their characteristics are toughness, flexi- bility (except in the heavier grades, where they still compare well with leather) and non-porosity. This lack of pores renders them absolutely waterproof, a factor which has made such soles popular with farm workers, climbers and all workers exposed to wet conditions underfoot. On the other hand, they have been criticised for their tendency to aggravate cases of 'hot feet' in children (nearly three-quarters of all children's shoes are soled with resin rubber).
Both man-made soles and the more recent de- velopment of 'moulded' footwear are said to have deleterious effects on the feet, especially where there is a history of athlete's foot. The reason given for this is that the combination of non-porosity with the complete seal made when the sole is moulded or vulcanised on to the upper affords no ventilation to the foot, and hence encourages the growth of fungus which thrives under these condi- tions.
Tests recently carried out have shown that the makers' claims of high durability are well founded. lCl tested Butakon S on schoolboys and found that it wore much longer than any other soling material. But at the rate children grow out of their shoes this may not be the advantage it seems. So it is perhaps too early to pronounce judgment on the benefits of man-made soles. The most that can safely be asserted without resort to extensive testing is that they certainly wear well, on the whole they are cheaper, they will keep the feet drier than most leather-soled shoes, but their effect on the feet, especially of children, should be carefully watched.
As for moulded footwear (this process, which C. and J. Clark claim to have introduced into Britain, is a heat-and-pressure system of fixing and simultaneously shaping a rubber sole on to a leather upper without nails, stitches or adhesives), once again there are obvious advantages. Here the durability pertains to the whole shoe—it is often said that the sole will outwear the upper— because the bond between the tough rubber sole and the treated upper is virtually indestructible. Also, by comparison with cheap all-leather foot- wear, these shoes and boots will keep their shape under all stresses and weather conditions. With Clark's new processes, using microcellular rubber, appearance has improved too. When I asked about repairs, however, I was told that the question would not arise—the upper would go first. Of this I am still sceptical.
My remarks on cooker cleaning early this year produced some useful ideas from readers. Mr. F. C. Pensom was kind enough to send me a sample of a versatile cleaning material which is called Klin. I must admit that I had not heard of it, and I thought it advisable (with all respect to Mr. Pensom) to'try it for a while before reporting on it. After two or three months of continuous use I can confidently say that it seems to be everything he claims for it. It is 'kind to the hands' and it does remove dirt from cooker, bath or sink with- out damaging the glaze or the enamel. In texture and even in odour it resembles the better-known Gumption, and personally I prefer it.
Mr. Pensom also offers the following advice on cleaning the cooker—'the worst job that any housewife has to tackle.' Never try to clean a cold cooker—warm it up about five minutes before starting on the job. Wipe all the parts with old newspapers first. Have plenty of hot water ready. Never use caustic solutions : eventually they will pit the finish on the metal parts and cleaning will become impossible. Wipe the cooker over immediately after use. Use a small brush with stiff bristles to get into the awkward corners of the cooker. Take as many parts as possible to the sink to clean them, rather than trying to do the whole job on the hands and knees. Avoid constant use of steel wool, which scars surfaces and makes them increasingly difficult to clean.
Cyril Ray writes: I have already mentioned here the increased consumption of Yugoslav wines, and the effect on the price of similar wines from Germany. Another keen competitor in the same field is the German-speaking Italian South Tyrol, also an old acquaintance in this column. I have just been tasting the 1957 Tirolers at Hellmers, who have always shown an especial interest in what their managing director calls 'flavoury' white wines, and who ship some beauties from Alsace and the Loire, as well as Germany, Italy and Yugoslavia. The 1957s are quite ready to drink, and well worth the attention of those who like wines to be fragrant and slightly 'fruity,' even. when dry. The Tiroler riesling is sold retail at about 8s. 6d.—it is very like its Yugoslav cousin but, although still dry enough to drink with fish, a little fuller. The • rose is sixpence or so cheaper and goes well, chilled, with cold meats. Particularly interesting are the Terlaner Pinot, which has its natural sugar so fully fermented out that less than 0.2 per cent remains, making it suitable for diabetics and those on a sugar-free diet, and, at the other end of the scale, a rich, sweet dessert wine, the Edel-Muscateller, which I should like to drink with raspberries and cream, and is very cheap for its type at about lis, a bottle retail.
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