Favorite Boots Coming Apart

[N80]

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:

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.

 

[N80]

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.

 

[Roadworthy]

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.

 

[jaxs]

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.

 

[N80]

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.

 

[Torvy]

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.

Do heel spurs go away? | Colorado Springs Orthopedics

No, heel spurs generally don’t go away. A heel spur is a bony extension that has formed on the bottom of your heel almost always caused by plantar fasciitis

easyorthopedics.com

 

[Egon]

Use Lepage's x 8 construction glue. Make sure it is spread even and stays even while clamped.

 

[MossRoad]

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.

 

[cqaigy2]

Yup, been the shoe goo route too! Worked surprisingly well for a temporary fix.

 

[k0ua]

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.

 

[SARG]

Just to mention for those that have experienced the Bates or Wolverine ( same company ) Duroshock sole issues that jaxs mentioned i.e. them falling apart & becoming "gummy". I've had two pair replaced by Bates. They require pictures but are easy to work with.

 

[oldballs]

I just took a pair of Georgia Boots (steel toe) to the local shoe cobbler. They have lots of miles on them but the Vibram sole was coming off. The guy charged me $25 to reglue. Well, he did a crappy job....the heel of one boot had no glue . So, today I'll be wearing them with some JB Weld that I smeared in and put the dang things in my machinist vise for a couple days.

 

[Snobdds]

Repairable boots need a welt. Boots that have a glue on sole with a molded sole are consumable boots. Once their done, they're done.

Boots with full grain leather and a welt are more expensive, but the cost is spread over a much longer period if they are resoled.

I have never worn out a good pair of upper leathers on a boot. I have worn out multiple boots because of a worn out sole.

 

[N80]

Repairable boots need a welt. Boots that have a glue on sole with a molded sole are consumable boots. Once their done, they're done.

Boots with full grain leather and a welt are more expensive, but the cost is spread over a much longer period if they are resoled.

I have never worn out a good pair of upper leathers on a boot. I have worn out multiple boots because of a worn out sole.

My Brownings are traditional welt design and a local cobbler was able to resole them. But, they are now 15 years old, got much heavier use and the uppers are pretty much shot.

I contacted Meindl USA about my boots. They said they have no repair facilities in the US. They referred me to Dave Page Cobbler in Seattle. His website says they repair molded sole boots and shoes and that is their specialty. I sent pictures and asked for an estimate.

If they can't do it I'll give it a try myself.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I'm hard on boots so I repair often. SIKAFLEX tube caulk will hold a complete sole on a boot. NP-1 is next in line. I mean it will stay until the boots are gone.

 

[Snobdds]

My Brownings are traditional welt design and a local cobbler was able to resole them. But, they are now 15 years old, got much heavier use and the uppers are pretty much shot.

I contacted Meindl USA about my boots. They said they have no repair facilities in the US. They referred me to Dave Page Cobbler in Seattle. His website says they repair molded sole boots and shoes and that is their specialty. I sent pictures and asked for an estimate.

If they can't do it I'll give it a try myself.

Did not know there was someone who did that. Let us know the price and if they do good work. I have a few boots that could use a new molded sole.

 

[Tomtint]

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.

Go get a tube of Dow 995 and lay it in there like cake frosting ...it will NEVER come undone.

 

[N80]

Did not know there was someone who did that. Let us know the price and if they do good work. I have a few boots that could use a new molded sole.

There is a video about how he got started on their web page. Worth a look. Just search "Dave Page Cobbler". Their personal take on people's favorite boots is interesting and accurate. I've had plenty of junk boots but the good ones I'll never forget. Okay, I'll never forget some of the bad ones either.

 

[jaxs]

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.

Do heel spurs go away? | Colorado Springs Orthopedics

No, heel spurs generally don’t go away. A heel spur is a bony extension that has formed on the bottom of your heel almost always caused by plantar fasciitis

easyorthopedics.com

I think it was a miracle considering time and expense I was facing if getting surgery. That's why I chalked it up as a win and bought more without complaining. A trucker friend turned me on to the boots after they relieved his heel spurs. Two people I told about the boots also got relief so I suggest giving them a try. The first postive sign I noticed was less pain after about a month when first getting out of bed. Some where between 6 months and a year I zero discomfort.

 

[N80]

I heard back immediately from Dave Page (always a good sign). He will do a complete "re-bottom" and re-sole for $125. Since the uppers are in good shape and a new pair of comparable boots would be well over $350 I am going to give it a shot.