I just changed the toecap on my Tour Ultras....

[Artimust]

...and I butchered it!  Well, kind of anyway. Got the old cap off best I could.  Cleaned off the old cement, did a few dry runs, and noticed that the cap had a gap between the top and the cap. It's also raised a little bit and not flush. Figured, ok, just needs to be cemented and pushed in firmly to snug up.  Tried aligning it the best I could and there's still a gap and it's still raised up. Anyone have this same issue? 

Do you really think it'll make a difference since it's not the slide side!  I just left it to cure and see what happens the next time I go practice. If it's a no go, then I may get a pair of Dexters, but I dunno. Time to research new shoes.   

[charlest]

When I did mine a few times to adjust it, the glue stuck before I could get the entire "device" into the proper placement. It looked like crap and the glue got on the velcro. I've stopped trying to glue it and only use the velcro to keep it in place. It rarely comes off now. I suggest fixing it firmly in place with the velcro not glue which can easily get all over everything.

While the overall shoe is a great shoe, this portion was VERY badly designed.

[MI 2 AZ]

I had to replace the toe cap on my Tour Ultras and I had problems with it too. The problem for me was that the replacement toe caps only come in generic sizes like S, M, L, and the replacement cap is too large for my shoe to fit on snugly.  There was a gap on the sides.  Even filling the gaps with glue still resulted in the cap breaking loose after a few games.  The last time I really filled the cap with glue and instead of the whole cap popping off like previously, it came halfway off and split in the middle.

I then happened to run across Matt C's replies in the following topic:
http://www.ballreviews.com/bags-shoes-accessories/best-shoe-for-toe-drag-t301995.0.html

and followed his suggestion to try velcro on the tip of the toe cap.  I reglued the split toe cap together and put the velcro on the end of it.  Since then, I have not had any problems with the toe cap coming loose.  I guess I was dragging the toe and the friction kept tearing it off.  With the velcro, there is not enough friction to do that now.

I agree, the design of the replacements leave a lot to desire.  It would be nice to have the exact shoe size toe caps available instead of the generic sizes.

[Artimust]

Yeah, it looks like each cap is specific in size to each shoe, but the replacements are more generic, so unless its the exact size, what ever size that is, it won't fit properly.  Mine seems to be on the small size so it's short and doesn't close the gap on the bottom.  There is also a gap on the top, but it's pushed all the way so the gap won't close.  Filled the gap with cement and I did put the loop side of velcro on the tip of the cap, all the way across.  I tried this before but it wouldn't stick very well.  Hopefully it holds this time since its a new cap. 

I also saw that there is a crack in the sole, about an inch long and about an inch back from the cap.  This is something that never happened on my other 900 shoes.  I really like the design and feel of the Tour Ultras, but it seems like the quality went south.  Maybe after these wear out, it's time to change brands. 

[sevenpin63]

You might have a hard time getting these shoes at the moment.

My friend with who I bowl with on my Monday night mens league, who also owns the pro shop couldn't get a replacement for his Ultras. They didn't have his size and since Storm took over they couldn't get anymore at the moment, was not sure when or if they could get anymore.

[ThomasR]

3G shoes are heavily backordered at the moment.  We are expecting more in around the end of July and should be able to maintain inventory throughout the year.

Regards,

TJ
thomasr@900global.com

[Artimust]

I finally got to test out my recapped shoes and it actually felt great and forgot that I even did the fix after a couple of frames.  The only difference was because I put the loop side of velcro across the cap, it felt more slippery since the rubber wasn't grabbing the approach the way it normally would. 

I'm glad that I don't have to buy another pair of shoes now that these will last much longer, and I can change the cap again if I need to since I know pretty much what to expect. 

[Artimust]

After 3 outings, the cap started to come off.  The velcro bottom held on, but the top left or big toe side, was ripping off.  I went to the store and picked up some JB Weld so try and make it permanent, so will see if it holds. 

So, either way, these shoes will not last too long. Looking at other options, thinking Dexter set 8 or the new Brunswick shoes. 

[charlest]

After 3 outings, the cap started to come off.  The velcro bottom held on, but the top left or big toe side, was ripping off.  I went to the store and picked up some JB Weld so try and make it permanent, so will see if it holds. 

So, either way, these shoes will not last too long. Looking at other options, thinking Dexter set 8 or the new Brunswick shoes. 

That's the path I chose also. First, though, a visit to the local shoemaker was very helpful. He has skill, professional glue and sewing materials to help the shoe last until you can make the Dexters work. I'm still working on them, because I can't really "play" with them in the middle of league. I really like the Tour Ultra's ability to use cleats/inserts. So I cut some holes in the Dexter's soles to use the same inserts that I use with the Tour Ultras.  It's a work in progress.