Boots gone bad
January 3, 2011 11:37 AM Subscribe
Is there a way to self-repair some leather soled cowboy boots?
I've got a pair of Justin brand boots, and they've developed a hole in the leather sole (on the bottom). There is a layer of leather above that that is cracking. Shoe repair shop quoted me $65 to repair it - is there anyway to fix these myself such as with silicone caulk? Any ideas or DIY experience welcome.
I've got a pair of Justin brand boots, and they've developed a hole in the leather sole (on the bottom). There is a layer of leather above that that is cracking. Shoe repair shop quoted me $65 to repair it - is there anyway to fix these myself such as with silicone caulk? Any ideas or DIY experience welcome.
I second the rec of a second opinion - I've had boots (admittedly not cowboy boots, and not leather soled) resoled for $20.
posted by mskyle at 12:51 PM on January 3, 2011
posted by mskyle at 12:51 PM on January 3, 2011
Third second quote, but in lieu of caulk -- "Shoe Goo"
posted by kmennie at 7:12 PM on January 3, 2011
posted by kmennie at 7:12 PM on January 3, 2011
Justin is a good name in Western boots, and generally, Justin boots are worth spending some money on, for quality repairs. I recognize that right now, $65 might seem a lot for resoling, but really, it's a fair price, for a properly done job. That's going to cover removal/cut away of the existing leather sole, from what is likely the 3/4 welt, repair/refill of the intersoling space with cork filling, replacement of the insole (and it sounds like you've blown through the cork filling, and that the "layer of leather above that that is cracking" is really the insole), and perhaps replacement/repair of the insole, along with replacement of the outsole with oak tanned leather outsole, similar to the leather in which the boots were originally soled. After that, your boot soles would normally be waxed, polished and edge dressed, to restore "like new" appearance.
The problem with applying any of the above suggested "Shoe Goo" type home remedies, is that, if you do that kind of "repair," and continue to wear the boots, you're likely to soon find the steel shanks that support the arch of your boots, soon poking through your "repairs." Once either the sole or heel end of the steel shanks loosen, or is worn into, the repair of the boot becomes much, much more difficult, if not practically impossible.
To put it all in perspective, you're talking about $65 for more than 4 hours of skilled cobbler labor, plus a pair of oak tanned outsoles, various findings such as welt thread, cork filler compound, and maybe, shank pegs, to restore a multi-hundred dollar pair of Western boots to good wear.
Cheap, I say, having made several thousand pair of such boots...
posted by paulsc at 1:47 AM on January 4, 2011
The problem with applying any of the above suggested "Shoe Goo" type home remedies, is that, if you do that kind of "repair," and continue to wear the boots, you're likely to soon find the steel shanks that support the arch of your boots, soon poking through your "repairs." Once either the sole or heel end of the steel shanks loosen, or is worn into, the repair of the boot becomes much, much more difficult, if not practically impossible.
To put it all in perspective, you're talking about $65 for more than 4 hours of skilled cobbler labor, plus a pair of oak tanned outsoles, various findings such as welt thread, cork filler compound, and maybe, shank pegs, to restore a multi-hundred dollar pair of Western boots to good wear.
Cheap, I say, having made several thousand pair of such boots...
posted by paulsc at 1:47 AM on January 4, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by asphericalcow at 12:35 PM on January 3, 2011