Sperry Topsider Rant

T

tortoise

Joined
Jul 1, 2000
Messages
712
So I've got this pair of Sperry boat shoes. -Very comfortable, good non-slip, durable in/around the water. I mean, this isn't the first freakin' pair of boat shoes I've had.

I'll tell you what is a first though: I broke a shoe lace, and I can't fix it. Sperry says I have to take it to a shoemaker to get it replaced! :mad:

As you may be able to see from the (borrowed) pic, the lace ducks into the leather and around the heel of the shoe. It can't be pulled through and a new lace threaded in. The shoe actually needs to be opened and then restitched.

So now, for a #%$@ broken shoelace, I have to take a trip to the shoemaker. That's just screwed up. :grumpy:

sperry.jpg
 
Try cutting a taper in each end (new and old lace) and taping them together. Pull the new one through with the old lace. It may save you a trip to the shoe maker.
 
I've threaded new laces into that kind of boat shoe before. New leather laces are pretty stiff; you should be able to just poke it through. It'll probably take a few minutes of wrestling with it, but whether that's intolerable or fun is just a matter of attitude....
 
I'm definitely going to give it a try. Thanks for allowing me to vent.

It's just the idea that a broken shoelace is a foreseeable event. Performing this anticipated "service" on the product should be easily accomplished by the user.

Designing it so that it cannot be done (and even if I manage to do it, that's not what Sperry intends) in the field is unacceptable. I wonder what goes through people's heads. These are supposed to be a performance product, the same as any other gadget. To my mind, maintenance is a big part.
 
If you can't poke a new lace through I suggest buying a small piece of wire and then poking that though. Attach it to the shoe lace and then pull the lace back through using the wire.
 
You're right, a shoelace should be a user-serviceable part.

I guess they can rip out the stitches, put it a new one, and sew it back up in about two minutes, faster than they can thread it through; that's why they do it that way. If they were to tell people to thread it through some people would try for two or three minutes and then lose their patience and throw it through a window, so if you ask they tell you to take it to a shoemaker. When my shoelaces got worn I didn't ask the shoe manufacturer about it; I just threaded new ones through....
 
Put the shoe on a trap. Shout PULL and blast it to kingdom come with a 12 guage, you'll feel a whole lot better I'm sure!!!........
 
Hi All-

I've relaced laces in shoes like those by securing the old and new laces together and pulling them through. This might be an ideal time to upgrade to kevlar-reinforced laces or something more water-resistant and rot-resistant if they're worn in saltwater conditions.

~ Blue Jays ~
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top