How do Wolverine 1000 Mile boots look after applying Vibram half soles? That’s the question I’ll try to answer in this post.

Full-Resolution Images Available: check out the Flickr Album for full-resolution images. The images on this blog post are reduced to 640 pixels for website speed. If you click on an image in this blog, it will take you to the full-resolution Flickr image in the Flickr album.

Before

I opted for the rust color Wolverine 1000 Mile boots. At first I was considering the Red Wing Beckmans, but they didn’t fit me as well, and their stitched rubber soles meant I couldn’t replace the tread myself.

For me, the leather soles, which at first glance seemed to be a weakness, seemed more and more to be a feature. The leather soles provided the perfect platform to add my own rubber sole protection and keep the soles lasting forever. Other boots that came with tread would wear out and require resoling, which I was looking to avoid.

Right Vibram Half Sole Only

Side by side you can see how the 5 mm rubber thickness of the Vibram lug half sole changes the look and height of the boot. I add the heel lift later to show those results independently.

I decided to apply the Vibram Lug half sole because I think it adds the perfect balance of rugged class. If you desire a more refined look, the 2.5 mm thick Vibram Dress half sole would look fantastic with no added heel lift.

For me, the Vibram lug half sole added without the heel lift made the boot feel off balance. By adding the same thickness to the heel, the original balance of the boot is preserved. Actually, to me the boots felt more comfortable after adding the half sole and heel lift because of the added cushion from the rubber.

Vibram Half Sole and Heel Lift on Right Boot Only

Here you can see the full effect of half sole and heel lift added to the boots, compared to just the half sole being added.

With no half sole or heel lift, the boot has a much sleeker, dressier look. Each boot is also lighter by about 4 ounces (110 grams). But to be honest, I prefer the rugged look that the heavy tread affords, and I don’t notice the added weight when the boots are tied to my feet.

If you prefer to not add heel protection, and preserve the low profile look, the Vibram Dress half sole would be your ideal choice.

After

UPDATE: If you look closely at the exposed heel here, you’ll notice nail heads in the meat of the tread. This is not the way to do it. The nail head hits with every step. I quickly realized this and pulled the nails out. For the first year I went without any nails at all. After 2 years, when I replaced my half soles, I added nails between the tread grooves since I had some slight separation at the edges with the nails. With a few nails in the grooves around the perimeter of the half sole and heel lift, the edges hold without any separation.

Here’s a nice shot showing the complete before and after.

Are you concerned that you’ll ruin your shoes or boots by adding sole protectors? You might want to check out these posts:

Do you want to learn how to add sole protectors to your own shoes or boots? It’s low-risk and easier than you think. Here’s how.

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