January 24, 2017
Humphrey O’Sullivan, patent, Rubber Heel

On this date, January 24, 1899, the Rubber heel is patented by Humphrey O’Sullivan.

From the patent office description:

“Be it known that HUMPHREY O’SULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heels for Boots or Shoes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to heels for boots and shoes; and it consists in improved means, hereinafter described and claimed, of securing elastic cushions to heels in such a manner as to unite the edges of such cushions to the heels as closely as the edges of the contiguous lifts of a heel are commonly united to each other. Such cushions are commonly of rubber, and the securing means are placed at such distances from their sides and ends as to allow them in walking to separate slightly from the leather top lifts of the heel proper, leaving a crack which takes in the mud and filth of the streets and keeps the heels dirty. I avoid this by uniting the rubber cushion to a lift of leather by means of a cement insoluble in water, as the well-known rubber cement, so that when said lift is secured to the heel of the shoe there is no separation of the cushion and said lift, and when the latter is united to what was previously the top lift of the heel these two leather lifts are secured to each other as firmly as they would be if the cushions were not used.”

Here are some words from the periodical “Boot Shore Recorder” from their February 5, 1908 edition:

“Blessings in disguise may be all right in their way, but commend is to the genuine footwear blessings that wear no masks as they greet us. Things that need no concealment, but show their worth on the face. Among the latter today must be placed in the front rank of human blessings for shoe wearers, the elastic, soothing rubber heel. We need no longer jar our brain as we jog along the street on hard pavements.”

Blessings come in all shapes and sizes. Some are evident in our day – like the warmth of the sun, the rain that brings forth vegetation and provides water for our lives. But of all of the blessings we realize each and every day, how often do you remember to thank G-d for the invention of the rubber heel on your shoe wear? It is the little things in life that make our days just a little easier so we can do the work to which we have been called, and put forth some shoe leather to take the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. Because of the rubber heel, we no longer “jar our brain as we jog along the street…” It is with clear minds that we can share the good news.

Pastor Dave