Boot Repair is a great option.

[Fishin & Hunting]

Never really thought about having a cobbler repair my hunting boots. But about a week before my yearly pheasant hunting trip to SD I laced up my 20 year old Redhead Bone Dry boots and took them for a four mile walk. The next morning I noticed that the soles were coming apart where they are glued on to the boot. Looking at $200 replacement boots and thinking also about the toll on my feet hunting in boots not properly broken in, was not a good thought. But then I thought about the shoe repair place we had here in Jackson, GA. For $15 dollars the cobbler glued the original soles back on boots. They worked perfectly during the trip and were still water proof.

This got me thinking about my snake boots. I have an 8 year old pair of Danner Jackals. They were only water proof for their first year. Then around year three I noticed the soles coming loose from the main body of the boot, just like most snake boots do. After 8 seasons the soles have been glued back on from heel to toe with shoe goo. So I took these to the shoe repair guy. And for $15 dollars he took off all the shoe goo and remounted the soles back onto the boot. Now I haven't given these boots a test drive to see how they will do, it does look like he did a great job with the boots. Now if only I could fix the water proof issue with the boots.

Anyone else use a shoe repair guy?

 

[DSGB]

I have a pair of Cabelas Gore-Tex wellingtons that I’ve had re-soled after the originals wore out. Will probably get them done again soon. Still waterproof and wear them almost every day.
May see about getting my snake boot soles glued, but like yours, they have leaked since the second or third season.

 

[KILLNTM]

I have always wondered, if a snake boot will leak water will it also leak a snake?

 

[nmurph]

Get yourself a tube of Aquaseal. If you've ever used ShoeGoo, this stuff isn't even in the same zip code. It is used heavily in the kayaking world to seal spray skirts when they get a tear. It holds like a pitbull with a bone.

 

[Gaswamp]

Home (oldalabamashoerepair.com) this guy has done some work for me before...excellent cobbler

 

[Nimrod71]

Boots like everything else are not as good as they were 40 years ago. Back in the 60's the shoe and boot manufacturers came up with the idea of gluing the soles on instead of sowing them on. Have you ever heard of the GoodYear Welt? That's the old way of attaching boot soles - that was on all military boots up to the Viet Nam war. The gluing saved money a lot cheaper to glue soles on instead of sowing.

Now for the fix. I have been wearing Rocky boots since back in the early 80's. They were good up to about 10 years ago, when they came out with the two tone soles. The first pair of two tone worked fine, I wore them training bird dogs and guiding bird hunters. They lasted about 3 years and the leather tops wore out, they were good boots. The next pair lasted about 3 months and the sole came apart, the store replaced them at no charge. This pair lasted about 2 months and they started coming apart, even the leather seams started coming apart. I was in a fix I didn't like, I was telling my cousin about the boot problem when he tole me about fixing his boots with Gorilla Glue. He had some in his truck so we glued up my boots and set them in the sun. Let me tell you it Worked. Over the next 2 years I used 2 bottles of Gorilla Glue on those boots. The Rocky boots I have on now are being healed together with Gorilla Glue. Gorilla Glue - Good Stuff. Buy it you will Like It.

Now for the water proofing. I use Snow Seal on all my boots and shoes. Snow Seal is a bees wax sealant and it works well. Just rub it on and set in sun to dry in. It doesn't breakdown the leather or break the bond on the soles. I have been using Snow Seal for over 50 years. Again - It Works.

 

[flyrod444]

Order some barge cement off Amazon. It is a contact type glue that the shoe repair shop uses. I use it to glue felt onto sandals that I use for fishing. The felt wears out before the glue does. I've repaired the soles of several boots with it and they all held up well. You simply apply it to both surface's let it dry 15 to 30 minutes and stick together firmly. It's ready to go next day.

 

[Sixes]

There is a guy in Canton that has been in the boot repair since I was a little guy playing Little League. He restrung my old Wilson a2000 several times through the years.

I've never had boots resoled, but I know a lot of people that have used him for that, and he still does a bunch of leather work.

One of my coworkers had his daughters softball glove repaired and restrung a couple months ago.

 

[Nicodemus]

That old pair of Chippewa snake boots is well over 30 years old and on its third set of soles. Unfortunately, we no longer have a cobbler anywhere in Southwest Georgia anymore.


Figuring up, I do believe they`re 40 years old. Still good too.

 

[Wifeshusband]

Nic, do you rub anything on those boots to keep them looking so good after 4 decades, e.g., leather protector?

 

[Nicodemus]

Nic, do you rub anything on those boots to keep them looking so good after 4 decades, e.g., leather protector?

Snow Seal or Red Wing Boot Oil. The pair on the right are only 3 years old now, and I plan for them to last me the rest of my life.

 

[1982ace]

That old pair of Chippewa snake boots is well over 30 years old and on its third set of soles. Unfortunately, we no longer have a cobbler anywhere in Southwest Georgia anymore.


Figuring up, I do believe they`re 40 years old. Still good too.


View attachment 1058095

There’s a guy I’ve used in Lowndes County that resoled a pair of chippewas. “Leather shop” In Clyattville ga

 

[uturn]

I 1st met a cobbler when and old master carpenter that I worked under saw me pitching a fit over my 5 pocket nail bags that I had repaired a couple of times with fishing line..that was in the early to mid 70’s and once I saw the light there has been no looking back! Been getting my boots resoled ever since...some I’ve had nearly 40 years as well!

I don’t buy boots that cannot be resoled its one of my must haves in a boot! Of course some boots are just plain throw aways...like most rubbers!

Only problem is a True Cobbler is all but non existent any more!!!

 

[jrickman]

Some of the frufru “stylish dress boots” out there now are as well made as anything you can find. A lot of them are hand made in the US or at a plant down in Mexico that has been stitching up leather for 200 years, with real cork beds and good year welt construction. If you aren’t looking for a high cut boot, some of the Wolverine and Thursday boots can make a nice “any time / any place” boot. My wife bought me some Thursday President Boots for Christmas a few years back and they have carried me many a mile around town and the woods. Just have a cobbler put some vibram lug soles on them and scrub em down with saddle soap and apply snoseal. Shine em up for church, and wear them into the woods that afternoon. You might get some funny looks in the dove field, but you’ll be wearing those same boots next year while most will have gone through 2 pairs of box store glue sole specials.

 

[Gaswamp]

Home | (rmresole.com)

 

[cramer]

I have a pair of redheads that are 20 y.o. . I have put gorilla glue on the soles twice and they keep going. I use them for working at the club, not to hunt in. They were supposed to be water proof , but never were.
I put gorilla glue on my rocky's last season. Still going strong.
I've also used gorilla glue on tennis shoes when the edges loosen up.

 

[Maydog]

Home | (rmresole.com)

I've visited RM Resole's website, do you know if you purchase the sole for the type of boot you need resoling then send them your boots?

 

[sleepr71]

I’ve had the worst luck with the soles on Rocky Boots,and Wolverine Durashocks. My Snake boots are Rocky & both soles have crumbled to nothing..gone!

 

[BriarPatch99]

Rocky boots .... Brand new ...took out box wore about five minutes...

 

[Gaswamp]

I've visited RM Resole's website, do you know if you purchase the sole for the type of boot you need resoling then send them your boots?

Call them first