UKH

Are these boots (photos attached) salvageable? They're Meindl leather-lined.

Sole replacement only (upper scoring/cracking irreparable) would cost £85.

Replacement about £180.

Any thoughts?



http://s238.photobucket.com/user/Kilnadrain/Walking%20boots/story

In reply to Carnmore:

Sad to say I think it's time to let go.

Bodge them up with shoegoo and use them in the garden - treat yourself to some new ones

(It's like having the dog put down I know)

In reply to blurty:

I am a big fan of Shoe Goo, accept no substitutes.

However, on a Skye trip, I repaired some wet leather boots with a ripped off sole, with Araldite given by a Danish lad staying at the Glenbrittle hut.

Amazingly the repair has lasted 13 years.

The bad news is that I bought some Araldite in the UK, so impressed was I by the repair, unfortunately the UK stuff did not work as well as Shoe Goo for me. May be different types of Araldite available.

In reply to Rick Graham:


Correct,

CB

In reply to Carnmore:
If it was me, I think I'd have them resoled and fill in the crack in the leather with superglue. If the cracking you talk about is that single line in the leather that is.

Any nicks or tears which appear in the leather uppers of my Meindl boots get some superglue dribbled into them to make them sound again.

In reply to cb294:

Do you know if you can buy the better Araldite anywhere online to have it shipped to the UK?

In reply to Carnmore:
Aah, have seen the other pics, could be time for some new boots.

Having looked again, it could be possible to dribble enough superglue into the 'crowsfoot' of cracks to stop any further growth.

You've nothing to lose in trying I guess...

In reply to Carnmore:

I just had a pair of boots resoled by feet first in Chesterfield, cost 99 quid buit that included having a rand put on and yours seems to be good. They've gone from bin fodder to (still) the most comfortable boots I've ever owned and now the first choice of footwear when I'm not going to work. When they died (sole flapping on the pennine way) I nearly binned them, called in at Altberg on the way home and bought a new pair of Tetheras, but once I was home realised that the uppers of my knackered boots had years of life in them, I now wish I hadnt wasted 185 quid on the Altbergs, good as they seem to be. Old boots have Lowa mountain soles, new laces, new footbeds, a proper polish, and another 15 years in them. RESOLE YOUR BOOTS

In reply to Timmd:


Superglue is rigid and will quite likely crack at the joins after a few wear cycles. A flexible glue is likely to be much better, shoe goo as suggested, or McNett shoe repair is another. Silicone caulk would probably also work - with the caveat that it must be the slow-cure type (i.e. not acetate cured) - that stuff is crap. The leather would need to be fully cleaned with solvents (residual wax will make the glue peel), and possibly even roughened with fine sandpaper to allow proper adhesion.

In reply to Timmd:

No idea, but Araldite can be anything from completely brittle microscopy embedding medium to single component epoxy based glues to dual component epoxy glues to quick hardening cyanoacrylate "super"glues. Essentially it is a trade name for lots of different gluey products.

CB