Shoemaking advice?

Blimey!
I am impressed!

I think the main requirement for a non-leather upper might be that it is indestructable!

cheers

the last frontier of MYOG?

For glue, if you are avoiding contact cement, including the 3M spray, instead maybe try Instant Krazy Glue® Wood and Leather

Salomon made some softshell shoes. Indestructability is way relative, seen by the number of people who use trail runners off the trail. They may not last for me, or Roger, but if you are talking about decent trails, careful travel, kayaking, or Hawaii, could be perfect.

I found the Paramo-Nikwax system interesting. Many people prefer no Gore-Tex in their boots, because it is such a barrier to drying! Plain leather has alot going for it, with the right water repellent. So you may not need industrial tech to make a desirable product.

A friend of mine wears a pair of Salomon soft shell shoes. I think they might be new to the market. She's happy with them. Doesn't hike but wears them daily. They look like these. Also make them in clogs.

http://www.shoes.com/Shopping/ProductDetails.aspx?p=EC1117745&pg=5077349

Thanks.

Indestructibility isn't a big criteria for me, I don't think my trail runners are especially durable. They just do their job well.

I've been unhappy with the performance of Goretex or eVent shoes (they keep water out well, but also keep it in), so I've been looking at alternate ideas. Soft shell sounded interesting, but I wonder how quickly it would wet out and just keep my feet wet. Perhaps adapting the Paramo system would be good for winter.

I suppose leather could work with the right repellent and drainage holes.

It's great in some ways, but still quite a barrier to drying, especially when wearing thick or double socks. I am thinking winter, with snow. Footwear is so specific.

Carol Crooker wrote in a review of trail-shoe dry times, that for the most part, drying time correlates with the overall mass of the shoe.

I just got my first trail runners, La Sportiva Rajas. They have side mesh vents that let my thick synthetic socks get wet, but on packed trails I only get cold when I stop or the wind comes up. There is a recent good article about wearing trail runners in the snow for 10 days.

Happy Solstice!