Virtually, all shoes can be lifted, somehow. At Mont Clare Repair Center, we prefer to lift a shoe by splitting the sole of the shoe and inserting the lift into the sole. In fact, we call this our “standard” lift.
Lifting a shoe with this method allows both shoes to have the same bottom tread, increases the durability and integrity of the lift, and, aesthetically, is more pleasing. Our “standard” lift method is the best way to go.
With that said, there are some shoe that can’t be lifted using as our standard method. What shoes can’t be lifted in our standard way? We can’t tell you brands or styles to avoid, but we can tell you features to look out for. Here’s a list of the most common hindrances to avoid:
- A sole too thin – look for a shoe with at least ¼” of thickness below the insole
- No slits in the soles – we need the sole to be solid
- No air or gel pockets in the heel or sole – we need solid natural rubber
- No roll bars in the heel (tends to be found with New Balance)
- There are certain material types that are risky to split, namely polyurethane
- No straps built into the soles
This list is not complete and not absolute. Sometimes we can work around a feature that is a hindrance to splitting the sole. This does increase the time it takes to do the work, so you may incur a special handling charge to work around a hindrance.
If you are shopping online, you can email or text a link to the shoe you are considering. We can not buy the shoes for you to lift, but we can help you make the best buying decision.
If you shop online and have the shoes shipped directly to us, please make sure the shipment contains some form of paperwork indicating the shipment is yours.
Here are some examples of shoes that either can’t be split or may incur a special handling charge:
