Supertap PU Tops

This month I decided to try out a new product being “sold” by my rep!

Supertap PU Tops.

I have been using super dark PU tops for ever, but thought I’d give the new ones being offered a go, I’m a bit of a stick in the mud when it comes to changing the products I use but once in a while I do try out new things & in this case I was really impressed.

Packaging

Its funny but recently I have become a bit of an ecco worrier and packaging is something which really gets my goat!

In this image you can see the box used for my Super Darks & the new Supertap’s although packaged in 50’s rather than the 100’s of the super dark there is none of that annoying plasic & the card board is off a better quality making it much, much thinner.

supertap pictured right

the supertap gets a thumbs up!

pin

Something which has been mentioned in other topics here on the forum is the attaching pin, well here the supertap wins hands down, it is a full 1.5mm shorter than the super dark equivilant this isn’t at the detrement of the knerling as this is the same length. Its purely the pointed tip which is shorter.

supertap pictured right

I wanted to see what the head was like inside the heel top so held the pin in the vice & used my pinched to remove the head.

supertap pictured right

The head on the super dark popped of with no problems, but to my amazement I actually bent the pin removing it on the Supertap. Very impressive.

fitting & finish

If you look at the detail in this image the supertap is extremely well finished, no molding marks or ragid edges very smart.

supertap pictured right

Available in a host of sizes the few I have has to finish round have felt & scoured as if they would wear well.

price

Well as you’d expect, quality comes at a price they are a few pence dearer than the super dark equivalents & this is the only down side to them & for this alone they loss one star.

Overall a well produce & well presented product. Easy to use & with the head being difficult to remove install confidence into the repair

I give the supertap PU Tops a shoe repairer.info rating of 4 stars.

To find out more visit

http://www.supertap-usa.com

Lee

I've been looking for an alternative to the Superdark PU Tops, & this could be it.

I like the fact that the pin is not point (How many have pricked their fingers or thumb picking Superdark Tops from the place you store them?)

Nice touch with having a size guide printed inside the box, (you missed that one Lee)

So who is the UK distributor?

I get mine from Edward Healy, but this might be a bench mark distribution (not sure)

Lee

Could you give us a list of head and pin sizes please?

While I'm here do Healy's do a catalogue.I don't use them but my old boss did years ago and I'm always looking for a different supplier and some good deals!!!

word of warning lee i have been using these for a while i too got them from healys but i have gone back to the superdark becouse some of them have undersize pins and allthough they go on tight they soon work loose ,it was my own rep that told me about the pins being undersize and there is no way of telling which ones you have ,i believe the problem has been corrected but am not sure how many undersize ones they had but as you say they are good heeland will probebly use them again .frm what i was told they come in mm sizes and ithink they only stock as ican recall 9 11 13 15 17 19 mm

Could you give us a list of head and pin sizes please?

 

While I'm here do Healy's do a catalogue.I don't use them but my old boss did years ago and I'm always looking for a different supplier and some good deals!!!

non catalogue, we get an offer sheet once a month, but they aint the cheapest.

How much are these fatty

Re Super Tap heels .

I have to be careful not to use this as ( blatant ) advertising.

Yes Edward Healy & Sons do sell this product and we are very happy with it. Positive response from our customers has been excellent apart from the slight problem with the knurling on some pins being a little "flat".

Our staff also appreciate the fact that they are boxed in 50's as they are easier to handle and yes the points on Super Dark pins are sharp.

Unfortunately we don't run to a catalogue but would be pleased to send our monthly sales sheets to anyone who requires one. The prices are only marginally higher than for Super Dark and represent excellent value. Although the box carries an illustration of all available sizes we do not carry them all and stick to the most popular. Can anyone tell me - is it strictly necessary to have all sizes on a product that can be quickly and easily trimmed?

In answer to Robins query regarding the need to stock the full size range on the SuperTap product it may be worth noting that looking at Lees "pull off" pictures it appears that even on the smaller size heels they are using the standard " Flat top" pin as opposed to the "basket head " pin used on SuperDark , this may be why Lee had differing results. Problems may arise when trying to trim these down to size , larger diameter of the "flat top" pin means there is little room for trimming before the side of the pin is showing thus weakening the bond of Pu to pin.

Another point to note is that Super Tap appear to be "shorter" fronted Toppieces than SuperDark , meaning that if you are using these on a Shoe with a Flap on the front of the heel you will again need to go up a size and trim down on the sides , risking the chance of catching the pin again.

As Robin will know many repairers , especially those with a quick "while you wait " trade are looking for a "near as dammit " fit on all the toppieces they use , a good clean untrimmed Pu Top always looks neater than one you have had to trim , especially if like most of the Super Dark sizes it seems to be a near perfect fit.

It is nice to see new products entering the market place , especially with a wider range of Colour options, even if we have not had chance to experience them ourselves ( it seems that Reps are very thin on the ground in the West Midlands , and the countries Second city in particular), and these observations are based on 20 years experience of making Pu and Metal Tops in a previous life ! .

Lets just hope this just stock the smallest range of sizes idea does not become the norm regarding other products , Gents Heels went the same way with many suppliers now only stocking 3" , 3 1/4 " and 3 1/2 " , what happened to all the smallers sizes ! .

some of them have undersize pins

Problems may arise when trying to trim these down to size , larger diameter of the "flat top" pin means there is little room for trimming before the side of the pin is showing thus weakening the bond of Pu to pin.

Pictured here is the smallest 9mm Supertap fitted & pictured next to an 11/16 steel heel, PU tops rarely come smaller than this! fitted with no trimming, as yet I haven't had problems with trimming them.

Nice to see some feedback from you Lee , problem with trimming may not arise on the smaller sizes , but when you have to use a 7/16 Pu top on a 3/8 heel to get the length at the front to cover the Flap on the heel , stubby size on Supertap may mean using next size up to get the length, meaning that you then have to trim the sides , if they are moving up on pin head sizes as toppiece size increases this may be a problem.

As you are using them you can probably tell the rest of us .

same pin size through the range, I don't see this as a problem area, these really are great heels!

Lee

i have just recieved these after ordering at the trade show, 1st impressions of them are very good! thanks lee, after reading your ad i ordered a 100 of each size, will let you know in a couple of weeks how it is going!

were offering 'standard' pu tops and these as 'best' at a small increase, so far not a problem, and they do seem a lot better!

hi

i have been using these and thought they were a nice change

the sizes i had seemed good, they finished nicely but

they don't grip the barrel as well as the other popular make so much so that i will not reorder these.

whch is a shame as they seemed a good product.

Re Super Tap heels .

Can anyone tell me - is it strictly necessary to have all sizes on a product that can be quickly and easily trimmed?

One of the main problems of trimming or scouring PU tops is that an oversize top may very well have Air Pockets within the top piece and until you trim it to size you dont see the void until it is too late, then you have to replace it only to find it can happen yet again.

As a general rule... the larger the top piece the more chance there are of Air Bubbles on PU tops.

 

One of the main problems of trimming or scouring PU tops is that an oversize top may very well have Air Pockets within the top piece and until you trim it to size you dont see the void until it is too late, then you have to replace it only to find it can happen yet again.

As a general rule... the larger the top piece the more chance there are of Air Bubbles on PU tops.

That doesn't happen so much with todays pu's

But I remember it did quite alot when you were alive....

Robin, sent you an e-mail.......

Well they have had much practice in making them since I used them, they should have got it right by now.

Used to happen on the giant PUs as well, up to 21/2" .

Happened mainly when we had run out of the correct size to use and had to use an oversizetop.(poor stock management ).

Well they have had much practice in making them since I used them, they should have got it right by now.

Used to happen on the giant PUs as well, up to 21/2" .

Happened mainly when we had run out of the correct size to use and had to use an oversizetop.(poor stock management ).

I remember.............. I worked at timpos then, and it was rife. but it doesn't happen very often now.