Thread: why walking shoe worn out?

hey friend

can you tell me why walking shoe worn out? what are the reasons?

Friction.

And, ermm ... friction.

How old are you xxx200?

He's either 8 or he's trolling.

Or someone whose primary language is not English? Let's not be so harsh. Looks to me like a curious person with a layman mind just asking the reasons why shoes wear out. (a simple question. but hey, there's got to be a reason if you don't know it)

Originally Posted by halorealm

Or someone whose primary language is not English? Let's not be so harsh. Looks to me like a curious person with a layman mind just asking the reasons why shoes wear out. (a simple question. but hey, there's got to be a reason if you don't know it)

Yeah, like being young. Nothing to do with nationality.

Yeah, because nationality has nothing to do with education. Especially considering how many countries have a large uneducated population correlated to much religion/spiritualism. This user has shown a deep belief in some kind of religion or spiritual ideology as far as what I've read. We can relate both deep religiosity and a lack of formal education with a layman perspective on science. It could very well be an 8 year old. But as I've explained, nationality might be the issue instead of age.

Originally Posted by halorealm

Or someone whose primary language is not English? Let's not be so harsh. Looks to me like a curious person with a layman mind just asking the reasons why shoes wear out. (a simple question. but hey, there's got to be a reason if you don't know it)

yes my primary language is not english so what? i speak in english because you people cannot speak in my mother language which is hindi and which is spoken by over a billion people in india ( world's second largest population) . compared to this how many people can actually speak english?

i am proud that my mother language ( hindi) is spoken by world's second largest population. english will never be my mother language. i use it only to talk to somebody who can't speak hindi.

Originally Posted by TheObserver

He's either 8 or he's trolling.

and you are? if i am 8 then you are still in mother's womb.

Originally Posted by KALSTER

Originally Posted by halorealm

Or someone whose primary language is not English? Let's not be so harsh. Looks to me like a curious person with a layman mind just asking the reasons why shoes wear out. (a simple question. but hey, there's got to be a reason if you don't know it)

Yeah, like being young. Nothing to do with nationality.

since you yourself declares in your signature that you are not an expert of anything and if you are wrong, then we should correct you, let me correct you. age has nothing to do with reasoning ability. we should not believe in something because an authority says so. rather we should examine the thing by asking question so much as necessary. we should not judge by seeing who says so rather what is being said. ok.

Originally Posted by xxx200

Originally Posted by KALSTER

Originally Posted by halorealm

Or someone whose primary language is not English? Let's not be so harsh. Looks to me like a curious person with a layman mind just asking the reasons why shoes wear out. (a simple question. but hey, there's got to be a reason if you don't know it)

Yeah, like being young. Nothing to do with nationality.

since you yourself declares in your signature that you are not an expert of anything and if you are wrong, then we should correct you, let me correct you. age has nothing to do with reasoning ability. we should not believe in something because an authority says so. rather we should examine the thing by asking question so much as necessary. we should not judge by seeing who says so rather what is being said. ok.

Great, so we have established you are Indian and your first language is Hindi (my first language, Afrikaans, is spoken by only 0.3% of the world ). How old are you then? Why do you think shoes wear down?

I heard a controversial claim that shoes have souls.

I know Kalster's been deflated though he doesn't show it.

***

Friction. But why? Most shoes are designed to maximize friction, for the walker's benefit. So in a way shoes are designed to wear out.

Originally Posted by halorealm

Let's not be so harsh. Looks to me like a curious person with a layman mind just asking the reasons why shoes wear out. (a simple question. but hey, there's got to be a reason if you don't know it)

Quite. Didn't someone say that there is no such thing as a stupid question? (Sorry if that is a stupid question )

I have an idea what might be behind the question. But I will let xxx200 expand on it (and the provided answer) if he wishes.

I have an idea what might be behind the question.

Well, you're way ahead of me.

I don't get it, if you are not an imbecile and you speak English well, why are you asking this?

Oh ya I got a question! Why you wear shoes?

Oh wait, you don't understand why friction is responsible to the wearing out of shoes, it that so?

Originally Posted by xxx200

hey friend

can you tell me why walking shoe worn out? what are the reasons?

Your shoes have worn, because you have worn them to long.
The reasons are that they are designed to be worn for only so long then they wear out.

If there was meant to be more to the question then you will find more to the answer.

Wearing a hole in the sole is fairly straightforward. Little bits of material are removed with each step due to friction with the pavement. Stretching the uppers may be a more interesting question. I suppose it has to do with exceeding the yield strength of the material.

Originally Posted by Pong

I know Kalster's been deflated though he doesn't show it.
.

Not sure what you mean there?

Originally Posted by KALSTER

Originally Posted by Pong

I know Kalster's been deflated though he doesn't show it.
.

Not sure what you mean there?

He thinks you are tyred out ...

Originally Posted by xxx200

yes my primary language is not english so what? i speak in english because you people cannot speak in my mother language which is hindi and which is spoken by over a billion people in india ( world's second largest population) . compared to this how many people can actually speak english?

i am proud that my mother language ( hindi) is spoken by world's second largest population. english will never be my mother language. i use it only to talk to somebody who can't speak hindi.

That's what I was suspecting, that English is not your first language. And there's nothing wrong with that. While others were calling you an 8-year-old, due to the incomplete grammar, I had taken the impression you had a non-English nationality. So if anything, I was defending you.

Originally Posted by halorealm

Originally Posted by xxx200

yes my primary language is not english so what? i speak in english because you people cannot speak in my mother language which is hindi and which is spoken by over a billion people in india ( world's second largest population) . compared to this how many people can actually speak english?

i am proud that my mother language ( hindi) is spoken by world's second largest population. english will never be my mother language. i use it only to talk to somebody who can't speak hindi.

That's what I was suspecting, that English is not your first language. And there's nothing wrong with that. While others were calling you an 8-year-old, due to the incomplete grammar, I had taken the impression you had a non-English nationality. So if anything, I was defending you.

I think the 8 year old comment was rather related to the simplicity of the question.

Originally Posted by halorealm

Or someone whose primary language is not English? Let's not be so harsh.

The OP appears to have a decent grasp of English.
So why should the fact his/her first language is not English have a bearing on any judgement about the quality of the post.

Originally Posted by KALSTER

I think the 8 year old comment was rather related to the simplicity of the question.

Fair enough. Again, this person has not mastered English and has also showed deep religiosity of some kind, in a manner I find uncharacteristic of an 8 year old. This forum has seen a couple other non-English persons who have shown to believe in elementary ideas like elements (forgive the pun), spirits, and layman inferences about basic physics, thus hinting that they have received little or no proper education in the sciences. From what xxx200 has said, I doubt he/she is an 8 year old, and it would only be disrespectful to keep calling him/her so.

If he has not mastered English, he should go to some language improvement forum, not this forum. Here we discuss physics, not silly childish questions.

As it happens, even something as seemingly simple as sliding friction is not all that simple. There is a science behind it called "tribology."
Materials Tribology Lab

Originally Posted by halorealm

While others were calling you an 8-year-old, due to the incomplete grammar, I had taken the impression you had a non-English nationality.

My comment had nothing to do with the grammar or spelling or anything, it had everything to do with the apparent surprise that walking around in shoes all day might wear them out. Although now I see he may have been asking what the mechanism that causes things to wear out in general was. In which case I interpreted the question wrongly.

If he's asking how sliding friction works, he should have asked it straightforwardly.

It's like asking why the sky is blue, instead of directly targeting the scattering of light.

Originally Posted by TheObserver

My comment had nothing to do with the grammar or spelling or anything, it had everything to do with the apparent surprise that walking around in shoes all day might wear them out. Although now I see he may have been asking what the mechanism that causes things to wear out in general was. In which case I interpreted the question wrongly.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Originally Posted by Wise Man

If he's asking how sliding friction works, he should have asked it straightforwardly.

It's like asking why the sky is blue, instead of directly targeting the scattering of light.

Really Wise Man? If you ever ask a question, I'll expect you to be aware of the mechanism behind the observation beforehand. Otherwise, sorry, no answer for you. When people ask questions based on intuitive observations, most of the time they are not aware of the physics mechanisms behind it.

I believe he is aware of the physical mechanism behind 'why shoes wear out', unless he's 8 years old.

Originally Posted by Wise Man

I believe he is aware of the physical mechanism behind 'why shoes wear out', unless he's 8 years old.

Either way, that definitely explains he/she asked the question... And no, he/she doesn't have to be 8 years old to not know the physics behind shoes wearing out.

Even grown adults ask "Why is the sky blue?" - Usually, the person is aware of the general idea, in this case friction, but would like to know the real physics behind the term. This is because when we ask ourselves these simple questions, we find that the answers we look for are not so intuitive.

Also, as I said before, we can excuse this user due to his/her situation (possible lack of in-depth education and primitive perspective of science based off religious/spiritual ideologies). We have had users like this come to the forum before.

hey friend,
first time at this site... kind of appalled at how a simple question generates so much bad answers. i am a foot doctor and keen interest in shoes, walking shoe s especially

walking shoes can last longer than running shoes (which last 300-400 miles, generally 3 -4 mos)
the outer sole: can wear as was suggested by friction and surfaces that you walk on. uneven wear can be bad for your joints knees hips and back due to torque forces

the mid sole: of these shoes is mostly made of EVA (ethelyne vinyl acetate) this material fatigues upon exposure to oxygen, thus even new shoes can start to fatigue and provide less shock absorption, generally that is 6 months or 800 miles, usually the walker notices more tiredness, plantar arch pain, sometimes low back pain also

the uppers can last much longer maybe a year or two depending if leather, mesh or cloth. if they ar worn excessivley then you may have some poor mechanics, uneven leg length flat feet etc.

the heel counter is another key area of the walking shoe to check for uneven wear, cracks and fatigue, but this wears fast mostly with very flat feet.

in an urban environment the walking shoes (soles particularly) should be replaced in 6-9 months definitely 12 months assumming regular use
they can last longer in a rural of non concrete ashphalt surface.

tip: rotoate your shoes regularly and cosider having them resoled in 9-12 monthsd to get another year or so out of your investment!!

many happy miles

sincerely,
Dr Jac

oh sky is blue because of the reflection of the water (ocean)!!

Originally Posted by dr jack

oh sky is blue because of the reflection of the water (ocean)!!

You might know about shoes but you don't know about physics. (As someone mentioned earlier, it is due to scattering.)

Originally Posted by dr jack

oh sky is blue because of the reflection of the water (ocean)!!

Is this a lighthearted joke or do you really think so? As Strange explained, fact is it's not light reflecting off the ocean, but the scattering of blue wavelengths in sunlight.

Lets get back to the topic please

Great, so we have established you are Indian and your first language is Hindi (my first language, Afrikaans, is spoken by only 0.3% of the world ). How old are you then? Why do you think shoes wear down?

i am 28 years old. i try to find a possible solution to shoe problem.

I understand that in Haiti, shoes are a big issue. Most children don't own a decent pair, at least not in the city I saw documented. And for those that do, they're poor quality and as such wear out quickly.

xxx200, is there such a shoe problem where you are from?

Originally Posted by halorealm

I understand that in Haiti, shoes are a big issue. Most children don't own a decent pair, at least not in the city I saw documented. And for those that do, they're poor quality and as such wear out quickly.

xxx200, is there such a shoe problem where you are from?

i am from india. shoes are made to be worn out here. if you use shoes from india and use it excessively, it will wear out within 3-4 months because of the world class situation of indian roads.

Originally Posted by dr jack

hey friend,
first time at this site... kind of appalled at how a simple question generates so much bad answers. i am a foot doctor and keen interest in shoes, walking shoe s especially

walking shoes can last longer than running shoes (which last 300-400 miles, generally 3 -4 mos)
the outer sole: can wear as was suggested by friction and surfaces that you walk on. uneven wear can be bad for your joints knees hips and back due to torque forces

the mid sole: of these shoes is mostly made of EVA (ethelyne vinyl acetate) this material fatigues upon exposure to oxygen, thus even new shoes can start to fatigue and provide less shock absorption, generally that is 6 months or 800 miles, usually the walker notices more tiredness, plantar arch pain, sometimes low back pain also

the uppers can last much longer maybe a year or two depending if leather, mesh or cloth. if they ar worn excessivley then you may have some poor mechanics, uneven leg length flat feet etc.

the heel counter is another key area of the walking shoe to check for uneven wear, cracks and fatigue, but this wears fast mostly with very flat feet.

in an urban environment the walking shoes (soles particularly) should be replaced in 6-9 months definitely 12 months assumming regular use
they can last longer in a rural of non concrete ashphalt surface.

tip: rotoate your shoes regularly and cosider having them resoled in 9-12 monthsd to get another year or so out of your investment!!

many happy miles

sincerely,
Dr Jac

thank you very much. finally a meaningful reply.

my next question is how to reduce friction of outer sole of the shoe?

Originally Posted by xxx200

my next question is how to reduce friction of outer sole of the shoe?

Use a harder material. That would put you in danger of slipping.

Also:

http://phys.org/news/2012-07-lab-sole-id-people.html

A new lab is working to perfect special shoe insoles that can help monitor access to high-security areas, like nuclear power plants or special military bases. The concept is based on research that shows each person has unique feet, and ways of walking. Sensors in the bio-soles check the pressure of feet, monitor gait, and use a microcomputer to compare the patterns to a master file for that person. If the patterns match the bio-soles go to sleep. If they don't, a wireless alarm message can go out.

my next question is how to reduce friction of outer sole of the shoe?

The soles of shoes are simply a trade-off between safety and comfort - you must have grip and stability - and strength, weight and durability. How long they'll last.

There's also shoe protection and maintenance. When I was a kid we had solid leather shoes and the tips of the heels and toes were shielded by small pieces of metal to cut down the wear. We also ensured that as soon as any serious wear showed up, we replaced either the metal tips or part/all of the heels or half/whole of the soles. And the other, near religious routine, maintenance was to ensure that shoes were thoroughly cleaned every day. It got rid of all those little bits of dust, grit or mould that might get into the stitching or other structural parts of the shoes, once a day, and helped them to last a bit longer.

I'm not so sure that India's roads and paths would have much more effect on shoes than the rough asphalt or dirt paths around here. The biggest issues for durability of shoes are ....
1) quality of each pair of shoes
2) cleaning and maintenance of each pair of shoes
3) not wearing the same pair of shoes day after day.

Giving shoes a chance to 'rest' and the materials to relax back to their designed shapes for a day or so is the best thing you can do for them. Having 3 pairs of shoes that you regularly rotate wearing will last you much, much longer than 3 times one pair worn every day.

The shoes wear faster if we walk lazily.
(If we land on our heel, the heel will wear faster.)

But if we walk barefooted, we don't land on our heel because it causes knee pain...

if you use shoes from india and use it excessively, it will wear out within 3-4 months because of the world class situation of indian roads.

Perhaps it's because you make crappy shoes in India.

I am locking this thread as it is pointless and off topic. To xxx200, if you would like it reopened, send me a PM.

Wayne