Favorite Boots Coming Apart

   / Favorite Boots Coming Apart #1  

N80

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I have a pair of Meindl 10" hunting boots which are the best boots I have ever owned and possibly the most comfortable footwear I've ever owned. I don't know how old they are but no more than 5 years old and have not seen particularly hard use......although I may have done some shovel work in them a time or two. But, now the soles are peeling off. They are not traditional sewn on soles but are the pressed/glued on type that comes up onto the sides of the boot a little ways. See picture below:

6610-181274


I have contacted Meindl and will wait to hear from them. But I do not see anything on their web site about repair services. I am disappointed that such an expensive boot has not held up, but at the same time in terms of fit, comfort, performance, design (the lacing system is amazing), warmth, waterproof etc they are simply stellar. So I'd be willing to spend some money to get them properly repaired.

So my question is, is it possible to re-sole a boot like this? Have any of you ever had a boot like this re-soled and if so, by whom and how did they turn out?

Any info much appreciated.

P.S.: I tried re-gluing them with special (and expensive) glue made for this purpose when the soles started to come loose. It worked for a few months.
 
   / Favorite Boots Coming Apart
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#2  
Nevermind. I just removed the rubber soles that were peeling away and the rubber bed underneath is crumbling away. These cannot be repaired.

Sad. And I doubt I'll buy another pair of Meindls. $325 and only last 5 years of fairly infrequent use is unacceptable. My previous Brownings lasted nearly 10 years of harder use. I'm hunting in that pair now. They're not waterproof anymore and they are not as supportive but still warm and usable.

These were "Cabelas by Meindl" and some say the Cabelas ones were not made as well as "actual" Meindls but on the tag inside the tongue mine say "Meindl made in Germany". So if Meindl made a lesser product for the US market through Cabelas I see that as a prime way to ruin your reputation.
 
   / Favorite Boots Coming Apart #3  
I don't know who's good and who's not but if you're looking for a well made boot consider shopping at Home. Another good one is West Coast Shoe Company. These are quality boots which really can be rebuilt. They even do custom fitting is you wish.
 
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   / Favorite Boots Coming Apart #4  
Your experience with those boots is exactly what I have experienced with Wolverine Boots with Durashock soles. The material simply deterorates in a few years whether you wear them or not. I can't complain because heel spurs in both feet went away shortly after I started wearing them and never returned in over 15 years and a few pairs. I no longer wear them after retireing and not on my feet all day.
 
   / Favorite Boots Coming Apart
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#5  
I'm going to attempt the repair myself. Nothing to lose at this point. Will get both surfaces clean. Get boots warmed up. A few globs of Shoe Goo where the rubber is deteriorating and then contact cement everywhere else and then tape them up to hold everything in place. Will probably take four hands so I'll get my wife to help.

If I could get through a few more months with them I'd consider it a win.
 
   / Favorite Boots Coming Apart #6  
I can't complain because heel spurs in both feet went away shortly after I started wearing them and never returned...
That's medical miracle! I have heel spurs on both feet. They are bony protrusions and they can be removed surgically. My treatment has been stretching and wearing better shoes. That just makes the tendons and ligaments around them more flexible and less likely to get inflamed and cause pain.

I think I know what you meant, though. I am hoping to find good boots to wear given my high arches and heel spurs.

 
   / Favorite Boots Coming Apart #7  
Use Lepage's x 8 construction glue. Make sure it is spread even and stays even while clamped.
 
   / Favorite Boots Coming Apart #8  
I'm going to attempt the repair myself. Nothing to lose at this point. Will get both surfaces clean. Get boots warmed up. A few globs of Shoe Goo where the rubber is deteriorating and then contact cement everywhere else and then tape them up to hold everything in place. Will probably take four hands so I'll get my wife to help.

If I could get through a few more months with them I'd consider it a win.
My mom invested heavily in shoe goo. She had 5 kids. Shoes were expensive. I remember being teased by kids at school because my shoes were so bad and crappy looking. But I have fond memories of me and mom gooping up the shoes and laughing about it. :)
 
   / Favorite Boots Coming Apart #10  
Yup, been the shoe goo route too! Worked surprisingly well for a temporary fix.
I shoe goo'd a pair of cheap pair of shoes that the soles started to come off of . They lasted several years. I could not believe how well this "goo" actually worked.
 
 
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