[Navy salad]

One of the things that drives me crazier is when I spend $150 or more on a pair of hiking shoes, only to have the first serious wear show up inside the heel counter (I think that's what it's called), like this:

Anyone have any luck getting this kind of thing fixed at a shoe repair place? One possible solution I'm thinking is to glue some stiff foam (like from an old sleeping pad) on, and then cut a piece of Tenacious tape patch or something similar, but as tough as I can find, over it. Or maybe skip the Tenacious tape (which is probably too thin) and use some kind of heavy nylon fabric with epoxy. Whaddya think? Any other ideas?

[zimmertr]

No ideas on a repair but this looks like the result of your heel moving around too much. Provided the shoes are sized correctly and you're not already doing so, you might try modifying the lacing to use a heel lock on the next pair.

[Navy salad]

Thanks, I'll give this a try since this does seem to be a pattern with most of my shoes.

[Eric Hansen]

Zimmertr is spot on with his heel lock. There are even more lace arrangements that can be of help. Here are two online sources, there are others https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/lacing-hiking-boots.html https://www.backpacker.com/skills/beginner-skills/how-to-tie-hiking-boots/ I find myself using surgeon knots to enhance grip along the instep, secure the heel. Awhile back I had similar issues with running shoes (wearing out the inside of the heel). I suspect my heel was a tad narrow and that didn't help things. What I learned (the hard way) was that I had to pay a lot of attention to lacing up my boots. And adjusting the knots.

[Fedor]

If you search shoe patch you'll find a variety of these available.

[Navy salad]

Thanks -- this is exactly what I was looking for! Although I still plan to try the heel lock lacing.

[texasbb]

[Randito]

I would look at different brands of shoes that use a different last. Some people have wide forefeet and a narrow heel. Hard to keep the heel from moving if the last is shaped for a wider heel.

[Navy salad]

[Huron]

It's the material used by some brands that wears poorly. Similar to carpet. Some brands use a polyester covering over the foam and others use a nylon. You can tell in the store by feeling how coarse the fabric is on a particular shoe. Polyester feels soft and smooth. Nylon is a bit more rough. Brands tend to use the same fabric across all shoes. My experience is that Saucony does poorly. Had holes in some Peregrines after two runs. LaSportiva and Solomon hold up well in the heel. Brooks also does ok but only because the sole wears out first. A remedy to extend for another hundred miles or so is a layer of tape.

[Bowregard]

I wear wide boots but have fairly narrow heels and have similar issues with low top shoes. I wear mid height boots when hiking and tie a square knot at the top of the lower laces just loose enough to get them on and off without untying it. Then I cinch my ankle up tight which really eliminates wear and blisters. For low top shoes I find Altras fit my heel better and provide room for my forefoot.

[Lazyhiker]

I think that it’s mostly crappy material, mesh lining. I’ve had good luck taking them to my local cobbler and having a piece of leather sewn into the heel counter.