Just when it got cold, my cold weather shoes came apart. I've been eying a nice pair of Clarks boots which are similar to these but probably much more comfortable. I was tempted use the excuse of the sole delamination to justify the purchase of the new shoes but these were just starting to grow on me and I have to try to fix them.
I brushed on some Weldwood contact cement. This stuff is not environmentally friendly - high VOC. I try to keep the can open for as short a period as possible but I figure if I were to take these to a repair shop they'd use a similar glue. I've use the same small can for many similar projects.
I painted both pieces with glue wherever there would be contact. After 15 minutes of letting the glue dry on each piece, I put them together as carefully as I could and then stood in them to set the cement. I rolled my foot a little to distribute pressure which is probably what caused the heel to slip a bit. It doesn't quite match up around the back but over all it turned out pretty good.
Now I have a kind of history with these shoes. They are imperfect but gaining character and therefore gaining interest to me. It should be "reduce, reuse, recycle, repair."
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You're a hero of thrift. I had a pair of Wolverines that I wore when it rained; the rubber heel completely collapsed, rotten after about three years of relatively minimal use and I couldn't find anybody to repair them -- not even the manufacturer. I was really disappointed, but couldn't figure out how to do it myself either. I've been too bummed about the situation ever since (about eight years) to invest in a new pair of boots. All that to say I envy your boot repair skillz.
ReplyDeleteThe last time my boots came apart like this I used a bicycle inner tube repair kit on them. I figured the sole is vulcanized rubber and the repair kit is specifically for repairs on high-use vulcanized rubber. I cleaned up the surfaces, abraded them with the raspy metal piece from the kit, and glued them together. The soles outlasted the rest of the boots. I'm glad I'm not the only one who does things like this.
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