Modding Quantum shoes to last longer

Anz · Post by **Anz** » 26 Sep 2010 09:37

Quantum shoes are not manufactured anymore, so everyone who wants to keep on playing with them needs to start doing something for them, so they last longer.

I've modded a pair of brand new Quantum 3's to last longer, trying to pre-emt them from falling apart after just9 months. Here's what I did.

The sole is the most important part to modify, because once it cracks the shoe is finished. I took mine to a shoemaker and paid 30 euros for new soles. These have also more grip, so slippery surfaces are no longer a problem either.
Pictures:
http://www.footbag.org/gallery/show/17738
http://www.footbag.org/gallery/show/17739

With my old pairs the softer inside material of the heel often ripped off, so I put duct take there already. It's cheap and also easy to replace once it wears off.
Picture:
http://www.footbag.org/gallery/show/17740

The canvas rips off from the sole from the sides. I saw Lon Smith stitch it back, so I put some stitches to the inside of mine. It took a while, since pushing the needle through the sole is pretty hard (it took me two hours), but it should pay off later. After stitching I put a drop of glue on the outside of every stitch, which should prevent it from loosening and coming apart.
Pictures:
http://www.footbag.org/gallery/show/17741
http://www.footbag.org/gallery/show/17742
http://www.footbag.org/gallery/show/17743

On the toe part the softer fabric rips off from the canvas. This can be prevented by just adding extra stitches, stitching the two fabrics together more firmly. I've had this done before to my Quantums, and it worked. This time my friend suggested adding a piece of facile on to the raphe to really keep them together. It should not affect the play, and really add more life-expectancy of the shoe. I already had a blue theme going on, so that's why mine are blue.
Pictures:
http://www.footbag.org/gallery/show/17744
http://www.footbag.org/gallery/show/17745
Props to Antti, cutting and stitching those took him two hours.

That's about it. I haven't had problems with any other parts of the Quantums falling apart. This is pretty much already though. But they are great shoes, and I want to make mine last. If anyone wants to make theirs last, they should consider taking the same actions before they break.

I wanted to try a new color theme, other than the old black and white. Here's the fully modded pair of brand new Quantums in a black and blue color theme:
http://www.footbag.org/gallery/show/17746
http://www.footbag.org/gallery/show/17747

They'll have their first session tomorrow. Can't wait!

Post by **Zac Miley** » 26 Sep 2010 12:56

The stitching to the sole thing is something I did last year when mine ripped the day before USO. They lasted for another year before I had to retire them, and not because of my modding job. It definitely helps.

Good post. Is it possible to replace the soles of shoes when they have holes in them?

cd · Post by cd » 27 Sep 2010 09:51

I have black Q3's that started to crack this summer, so I re-soled them myself. I got the idea from shoes Jay showed me that he had taken to a cobbler.

I searched online and found a pair of 3mm thick half-soles, then I used a dremel to grind away a couple millimeters from the front half of the Q3 sole. I attached the new grips with Freesole.

The new soles I got were made of rubber and were a little heavy. It's noticeable but not that bad since Quantums are light anyway. They're starting to wear down a little so they are lighter now, but this totally worked for me. Anssi's soles look nicer though.

I think repairing the sole is the most important thing you can do to save your Quantums. Reworking the upper isn't that hard and the life of the shoe depends on the sole. Lately I've been considering cutting out my own pair of soles from a thick sheet of EVA or low-density Polyurethane, then copying the Laver upper using maybe canvas or facile and the heel backing from an old pair of shoes.

Does anyone know what Lavers, G-Units, or Quantum soles are made of?

will_T · Post by **will_T** » 27 Sep 2010 14:31

chris, you're talking about making shred shoes from scratch? that's ambitious, something i've considered in the past. i would recommend making a mold of your actual feet so you have a form to build the shoe around. if you decide to give it a shot, please take some pics of the process.

as far as soles go, i know the laver soles are some sort of open cell foam core with a few mm of rubber encasing it, not sure about the quantums or g-units.

cd · Post by cd » 27 Sep 2010 15:57

Yeah... it would be in the distant future if at all. I have two pairs of Quantums to go through before then. It would be a lot of work, interesting work however, and yes I'd have to build molds of my feet. A pair of "lasts" as they're called. But that's if I ever get around to doing it.

I'm sure someone will be manufacturing the perfect footbag shoe before then, so I won't have to waste my time.