What are brakesoles?
Brakesoles are a layer of rubber added to the bottom of a shoe. This is common in downhill communities to increase grip on the board and increase the durability of the shoe's sole.
Why to apply brakesoles?
Brakesoles are applied for two main reasons: increased grip and durability
Grip
Generally, brakesoles tend to slip less on the griptape, whether it's due to the formulation of the rubber or the amount that the griptape can dig into the sole.
Durability
While brakesoles do help with durability of the sole when footbraking, they also greatly help with reducing wear of the front foot. Given that downhill skaters tend to ride very rough griptape, the front shoe sees a lot of wear from pivoting on the board. Brakesoles prevent riders from having to replace shoes when the bottom wears out. Additionally, if a brakesole gets too worn, you can just peel it off and add another one.
How to apply brakesoles?
Prep the surfaces
Sand one face of the brakesole or the shoe by rubbing it on cement or with rough sandpaper.
Add glue to the shoe
Apply your favorite glue to the edge and middle of the shoe.
Popular glues:
- Superglue (my favorite)
- Rubber Cement
- Shoe Goo
Place the shoe
Place the shoe down on the rubber and clamp or weight it down until the glue dries.
Trim the sole down
Get a fresh razor blade in your utility knife. Flip the shoe so that the rubber side is up. Cut the rubber like you'd cut grip on your board, with controlled pulling motions. Keep in mind that the rubber will cut slowly, and you can slip and put the knife into yourself quite easily. A fresh razor blade is essential here!
Glue any bits you missed
Glue down any bits that may be peeling up and clamp or weight the shoe to keep it in contact.
