Shoes seem to readily fall a[art these days, presumably since rules were changed that demand glue is made safe to eat.
I bought some of this,
And it has proved effective but it was £3.50 for 5ml (I assumed that was a misprint when I ordedred it), is there any reason that something like Evo Stik contact adhesive would be any less effective?
And if anyone can recommend a decent walking boot.....
I'm sorry you wuz robbed. About ?7 for 110ml last time I bought.
I've used Shoe Goo (from the 110ml tubes) for some years to build up worn soles and heels (which seem these days to be made from very soft material - possibly to give better grip on slick rock) and seal minor cuts, openings in seams etc. I'm not clear what repair you need but ISTM the advantages of Shoe Goo include that it dries clear, remains pretty flexible, and can be spread either side of cut or seam to give a stronger join - more like a weld (where, if applied generously, it flows to give a smooth finish). But I don't worry about how walking shoes/boots look.
My starting point is not to buy shoes or boots with hollow spaces in the heel - it inevitably leads to problems for me but perhaps that's got a lot to do with my weight. It's not easy to avoid shoes built that way - even shoes that appear to be Blake stitched or with a Goodyear welt often aren't. Before buying, I usually squeeze the heel material between my fingers and watch how it reacts. If you can lift the insole and feel inside, that can give you a good indicator too.
That said, I've made good, long-lasting repairs to properly-made boots using Evo Stik but it's not quick.
First, you need to really clean and degrease the surfaces to be bonded and make sure they are really dry. I've had good results by coating both surfaces with Evo Stik, allowing the glue to dry and clamping the two faces together but even better results by allowing both faces to dry properly then putting an Evo Stik filling between the two Evo Stik coatings and clamping together.
The clamping shouldn't be excessive (a cobbler ruined a pair of my boots by excessive clamping) but should be evenly distributed over the whole joining area. That may take a little thinking ahead - I'm in a musical instrument workshop and have access to all sorts of clamps and blocks of scrap wood etc so it's easier for me.
I'd recommend allowing plenty of drying time such as doing the job on a Friday and not using the boots until after the weekend - or maybe that's just because I don't need my workshop most weekends :)
Nick
Its the fronts where i'm having problems.
I've bound it up with elastic bands and will leave it until next week.
I've repaired boots successfully with shoe goo (the big tube).
For a traditional pair of leather boots at a reasonable price, I would recommend the "Hoggs" boots sold by Countrywide. I have two pairs which I alternate for dog walking including some fairly rocky climbs in the Cotswolds. They have both done a few thousand miles and although they are beginning to look tatty, they are still waterproof (with occasional dubbinining).
In dry conditions I tend to use nylon boots made by Berghaus or similar. I have never invested in the super expensive Gore-tex ones and they don't stay waterproof.
In message , newshound writes
I suppose the 'which boots?' question depends on usage. Mine are Northwest, bought about 5 years ago for around forty quid, IIRC. They are excellent, keeping my feet warm and dry whatever the weather in Aberdeenshire. Having said that, I don't pop up and down Lochnagar on a daily basis, but I do wear them for dog walking every day, for at least half the year, and we have some fairly robust walks here, particularly in winter, which can be September to May :-)
They sound as though they might be similar to the Hoggs (which were around £50 last time I looked). I should have said that they are leather. The "walking boots" sold in the various outdoor shops tend to be much more expensive than these; the point I was trying to make is that you do *not* have to spend a lot of money to get robust boots, which is what you are also saying.
On 23/01/2016 13:47, R D S wrote: ... snipped
I've been very happy with my Meindl Digafix boots, and they've walked quite a few miles now.
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