THE LITTLE THINGS - RESOLING THE BOOTS

I have a pair of black leather combat booths that I wore during my enlistment in the Texas State Guard some years ago.  Unlike most such boots I have owned, these are quite light and comfortable.  The result is that I wore them in preference to my other boots, and they eventually wore through on the soles.  I kept the upper parts well polished and so these are in good condition.  However, when I asked at the shoe repairer if they could be fixed, they said they didn't fix that type of construction.

MY FAVORITE BOOT WITH WORN-THROUGH SOLE

Six years ago the boots cost about $25.  Now, comparable boots are around $35. If they could be resoled, it would cost almost as much.  I have other boots, but am reluctant to throw these away since they wear much better.  So I looked about to see what was available to repair them with.  The results were a truck innertube and some Gorilla brand glue.  Some newspaper, a bottle of isopropyl alcohol (IP) a sharp pair of scissors, a pair of hand weights and a sharpie were all that were needed to carry out the plan.

TRACING THE HALF SOLE

First, a large section of inner tube rubber was cut off and laid flat.  Then the half-soles were traced with a Sharpie marker.  The half soles were then cut out, one for each boot, and these were check for fit on the sole of the boot. 

The next step was to thoroughly clean both the boot sole and the half sole with the IP on a wad of newspaper.  This removed the dirt and especially any oil that could prevent the glue from adhering well.  After cleaning, I let the soles dry for about an hour before proceeeding with the gluing.

HAL SOLES TRACED ON INNER TUBE MATERIAL

The glue was spread liberally on the boot sole and the half soles were pressed on by hand.  Then the boots were set upright on the newspaper.  Two five pound hand weights were set on top of the boots to hold them flat on the floor with a little clamping pressure. The glue was then allowed to dry overnight.

The next day I trimmed off the excess rubber and glue with the scissors.  I found the new soles adhered well and I could once again walk about in the boots without exposing my stocking feet to the harsh environment of the outdoors. Cost: $0, time about 1/2 hour.  Quite a bargain for a pair of serviceable boots.  Perhaps I shall try tire tread rather than inner tube next time for longer wear. Not adding to the landfill is another plus!

CLEANING THE HALF-SOLES WITH IP