Putting rubber on leather soled shoes

Hi

Forgive my ignorance. Recently I got a pair of leather soled shoes. However the leather soles are quite soft and small stones tend to embed in them. My cobber recommends putting a layer of rubber over it and he said it would not damage the original soles. Do you think this is a good idea?

Does anyone have similar experience to share?

I use rubber toppy's on my frequently used leather bottomed shoes. I get them at DSW. It is around $5 for two pairs of shoes.

.If they're done well and you've got a good cobbler, then I think they'd be ok. but only if you trust your cobbler. A flappy sole is pretty embarassing to walk down the street with

I am not sure I like the idea of having an impermeable layer of rubber blocking the leather and trapping moisture. But I am not the expert. Maybe your cobbler is right. After all, most shoes sold today have some sort of rubber or composition for sole and heel.

If they're AE's with a hot-cork-filled sole, then I'd avoid the rubber overlay. The cork in the middle prevents the leather from breathing if you coat the other side. If they're a solid laminate leather sole, then it's fine. The leather can breathe into the footbed. Not ideal, but fine if you use shoe trees.

Thanks guys. I've decided to put the rubber and see how it works out. Definitely would be using shoe tree and not wearing everyday to help in the drying process.