Boot repair

[scra99tch]

 Anyone have good luck cementing old sole back to leather?  I bought a gently used pair of Asolo hiking boots,  same style I had bought in 1997 and wore through until 2006.  I found another pair at estate sale for 10 bucks new and those lasted another 3 years of heavy use.  These last pair were gently used when I bought off fleabay and the sole has started to separate from the leather in the heal.  I have heard gorilla, or devcon is a great product.

[LowRyter]

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/asolo~b~1120/?afsrc=1&gclid=CjwKEAjwydK_BRDK34GenvLB61YSJACZ8da3zYlDVFmoWe_hrMy9d5pxWQAHvlC04FkIWPbw6spvrhoCi4zw_wcB&codes-processed=true

[Penderic]

Well ....Those urethane based goop type of shoe glues take a long time to dry, have to be clamped and the glue continues to expand and swell up out of the sides of the repaired area and look ugly, but they do work very well.


 

[Sasquatch Jim]

 Contact cement.  Clean with a brush and alcohol, let dry completely.
 paint the contact cement onto both surfaces and let it partially dry.  Use flat wood on the sole and a jar lid inside the boot
 and clamp tightly with a big C-clamp.  Let cure for 2 days before removing the clamp.
 T'werks good for me.

[scra99tch]

Contact cement is tough because the sole has not completely come apart.  I think I'll go urethane part as I'll need a syringe type applicator.  It's sad that boot quality on this brand has come to this.  I doubt writing to company would do any good.

[sturgeon]

Contact cement is tough because the sole has not completely come apart.  I think I'll go urethane part as I'll need a syringe type applicator.  It's sad that boot quality on this brand has come to this.  I doubt writing to company would do any good.

Asolo is not alone in this regard.

For what it's worth, a couple of years ago on an extended canoe trip in Northern Ontario I resorted to spruce sap applied with a dead twig, to repair the flopping sole on one of my hiking shoes. That stuff lasted for almost 3 weeks of heavy use in the bush.

You know, in case you can't decide on a modern equivalent 

[LeRoy]

I just had a pair of Merrill walking shoes re-soled. The originals had a fairly soft Vibram sole with a special pattern unique to that shoe. The sole was apparently molded right on to the shoe's uppers. Either that or it was glued on in an exceptionally neat and tidy way. In any event, those soles wore through in less than a year, about 700 miles. I took the shoes to a local cobbler (shoe repair guy, for those of you unfamiliar with the concept). He put on new soles of the typical Vibram pattern you often see in hiking boots and shoes. To do this he skimmed off the old soles and bonded on the new ones. He must also have some process to clean up the edges because they look perfectly clean all the way around. I road-tested them last night and everything seems ship-shape. The cost was $81; not cheap but they are as good as new or may be better considering that the new soles are a  longer-wearing Vibram pattern.

The bottom line for me is that using the services of a professional shoe repair place gave me what appears to be an excellent result. I don't think that I could have cleaned, skimmed off and prepared the worn out soles as well as the cobbler did. And I believe that has a lot to do with the quality and durability of the repair. YMMV, but it was worth it to me.

[rocker59]

I guess taking the boots to a boot/shoe repair shop wouldn't be "The Guzzi Way"...

[Sasquatch Jim]

  I wear those velcro closed tennis shoes that Wally world sells for 12 dollars.  They were 9 dollars for a lot of years and I have been buying and wearing them for more than thirty years.  They wear out in three to six months but at that price I don't care.  More than half of them delaminate the heels in a day or two, so I do the contact cement like I wrote earlier in this thread.  After the contact cement they last as long as I wear them.  The trick is to get both surfaces clean and dry before glueing and leave them pressed a couple of days to cure before wearing.

[not-fishing]

I use old school stitched boots because they can be re-treaded.

If I buy cheaper boots with glued soles I just throw them away and buy another set.

Right now my favorites are my $50 5.11 boots I purchased from LA Police Gear.  The only problem with them is the laces came apart after a dozen ties or so.



Mark

[Lannis]

I guess taking the boots to a boot/shoe repair shop wouldn't be "The Guzzi Way"...

Local cobbler shops are still pretty cheap, so that's what I do.

The sole separated off of Fay's 10-year-old "Sidi" boots midway into our last trip.   We tried cementing them back but we couldn't stay put long enough to let them "cure" for a day or two under a clamp.   Luckily she had a spare pair of light boots with her on that trip, but we ended up throwing the Sidis away.   I guess they had had their day ....

Lannis

[redrider90]

Contact cement.  Clean with a brush and alcohol, let dry completely.
 paint the contact cement onto both surfaces and let it partially dry.  Use flat wood on the sole and a jar lid inside the boot
 and clamp tightly with a big C-clamp.  Let cure for 2 days before removing the clamp.
 T'werks good for me.

Good shoe grade contact cement should be slightly tacky dry to the touch. In fact the wetter the cement the less strength the glue has. The glue should be put on in a thin coat. Too thick and it will pull apart.  It can even sit 24 hours if you want to but then you need to heat activate the glue. As for clamping, it is not necessary. Once the glue is dry to the touch put the 2 pieces together and hit it with a hammer or use a clamp. They can be used immediately after putting them together. 

[Penderic]

WOW! 3D Printed footwear has really gotten creative! I wonder how future motorcycle boots and shoes will be affected by the technology?





Embed some led lights....


Interesting Footwear:

[jacksonracingcomau]

This is the stuff shoemakers use, the benchmark I believe
http://www.renia.com/prospekte_E/products_E.pdf

For OP, the flexible super glue, instant adhesive will fix problem
http://www.leatherandgrindery.com/Super-glue-Proto-colle-flexible-20grms
in UK but search for US distributors this is the dogs bollox of glue for leather / rubber, dry in seconds, permanent fix,

For replacing soles completely, effort may be too much & cobbler best option-- but colle de cologne is brilliant, I've been using it to make stitchless saddlebags, it solved my problem.
Making a pair of Birkenstock / Michelin PR3 hybrids now, love the sandals but soles last me minutes, see what a new pair PR3'd can do. Tyre already did 12K miles on front of bike !!!

Follow instructions to tee if anyone does resole, 6P's etc

[Tom]

I got a bottle of this stuff from Home Depot.  Recommended by another forum member that works on ortho footwear.

https://www.grainger.com/product/1DPB8?gclid=CP_dr7a5x88CFUZhfgodGHsFVQ&cm_mmc=PPC:GOOGLEPLAA-_-Adhesives%2C%20Sealants%20and%20Tape-_-Glues%20and%20Cements-_-1DPB8&AL!2966!3!50916781917!!!s!104633826357!&s_kwcid=AL!2966!3!50916781917!!!s!104633826357!&ef_id=V-bt2QAABacebLTA:20161007003537:s