Dr. Sole

Maker

About

Dr. Sole is a footwear sole manufacturer and cobbling service headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, with a factory in southern China. The company produces rubber outsoles and heels that draw on vintage sole patterns from brands such as Cat's Paw, Biltrite, and O'Sullivan's. Dr. Sole also operates a cobbling service called Bench-Re-Built and manufactures boots under its in-house Pioneer brand. The company's products are sold in 34 countries.

The brand name originates from the nickname of Johnny Lin, who owned a rubber sole factory in southern China beginning in 1992. Johnny's son-in-law Chao-Yung Lin and daughter Betty revived the brand in December 2011 and have since expanded its product line to include full soles, half heels, hiking lugs, and complete boots.

History

Johnny Lin, Betty's father, registered the Dr. Sole brand in 2008. Johnny had operated a rubber sole factory in southern China since 1992, earning the nickname "Dr. Sole" among industry contacts. Chao-Yung Lin and Betty met while both earned master's degrees in marketing at the University of Denver, where Lin studied from 2009 to 2011. During his time in the United States, Lin collected approximately 300 deadstock Cat's Paw heels, which informed the company's initial sole designs.

After completing their degrees, Lin and Betty moved to China and revived the Dr. Sole brand in December 2011. Their first product was the Super-Grip half sole, and the company shipped its first international order to the United States in 2012. The operation expanded, and in 2014 Dr. Sole launched its Bench-Re-Built cobbling and resole service.

Johnny Lin died in 2016, shortly before the opening of Dr. Sole's first brick-and-mortar shop in Taipei. The factory in southern China is operated by Betty's older sister. The company's core team consists of Lin, Betty, and four resole specialists.

Products

Soles and heels

Dr. Sole's primary products are rubber outsoles and heels. The designs draw on vintage American sole patterns, particularly those of Cat's Paw, Biltrite, and O'Sullivan's. Key products include:

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#1220 Super-Grip full sole -- the company's primary outsole

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#1230 Super-Grip half heel -- the first product Dr. Sole manufactured

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Raw Cord full sole -- a sole using a raw cord compound

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Burlap-embedded sole -- a sole incorporating burlap material into the rubber compound

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Strider -- a sole made with a coffee-ground-filled compound

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Tumaz hiking lug sole -- a hiking sole featuring a Formosan black bear design, referencing Taiwan's native wildlife

Additional products include the Cushion Sportsman (#3060), Cushion Wanderer (#3070), and Trooper's heel.

Pioneer brand

In 2021, Dr. Sole launched Pioneer, an in-house footwear brand. The first Pioneer boot, the Game Changer, draws on 1920s sports boot designs and uses a lace-to-toe construction with the #1220 Super-Grip sole. The second Pioneer model, the OZ Troopers, is built on the Munson last.

Bench-Re-Built service

Dr. Sole's cobbling and resole service, called Bench-Re-Built, launched in 2014. Lin has stated that resole work accounts for 70 to 80 percent of his working time. The service handles boots from a range of manufacturers and applies Dr. Sole's outsoles and heels during the rebuilding process.

Partnerships

Dr. Sole supplies outsoles and heels to boot manufacturers in 34 countries. Partners include Viberg, Wesco, White's Boots, Russell Moccasin, and others. In 2018, Dr. Sole produced a sole for Wesco's 100th anniversary.

Manufacturing and sustainability

Dr. Sole's factory in southern China has transitioned from coal-burning power to biofuel. The company incorporates recycled rubber materials into its sole compounds and uses recycled packaging.