Just comment on the sole and leave his personal life out of it

Slice it into very fine slivers and gently fry in a cast iron skillet with a little butter.

Filet-of-Sole!

mcdonalds calls that filet-o-fish, but theirs really tastes like Barry's shoe !

a retread boot

He's fit to be tied now.

Must work in an acid factory

I know what it's like to loose one so senselessly with no warning like that.

Lost the sole on a pair of hiking boots while doing survey work once, probably three miles from the work truck. Boots were only a couple of months old, now I idea why they failed. The best part was that the sole only came halfway off at first and folded under toe to back, tripping me and putting me face and knees first into gravel. Stood up (thinking I had just tripped on something) and took another step and it stripped right off the boot. Every hike three miles with one boot held together by high visibility flagging tape? Doesn't work too well.

My grandfather, in his 30's during the Depression, was known to resole his own shoes with pieces of bicycle tire.

Made in China junk. Not really a value.

We are all sole brothers under the skin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzt-axwwOUY