Heel and Toe: DIY Guide To Boot Repair

Heel and Toe: Guide to DIY Boot Heel Repair and More

Work boots undergo a lot of stress. And let’s face it, they’ll eventually wear out. Learn how to fix them up with this heal to toe guide Heel and Toe: Guide to DIY Boot Heel

These boots were made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do. One of these days these boots are gonna…absolutely fall apart.

Without a doubt, anyone who uses work boots on a regular basis knows that they’re made to take a beating, but they can only take so much.

It doesn’t really matter if you’ve bought the best boots on the market or not. There’s a good chance they’ll need some elbow grease and fixing at some point.

If you’ve been wondering how to do your own DIY boot heel repair, then look no further. We’ve got you covered.

Why and How Boots Fall Apart

You may have an arsenal of boots in your closet for work, camping, hiking, sports, or general everyday fashion.

Regardless of why you have boots or what your boots are for, there’s a chance that they may have started to fall apart on you.

Common ways boots fall apart include:

• Sole separation
• Heel separation
• Toe separation
• Rips, tears, and cracks

Maybe your boots are used for work or maybe you found a pair of vintage boots that you’d like to restore for sentimental purposes.

Either way, boots are usually made from leather, rubber, or canvas (more often, it’s leather, rubber, or a combination of the two). All of these materials can develop cuts and tears from scraping against surfaces or even just from stretching while you walk.

Leather, in particular, has a high tendency to crack if not properly cared for. Leather is animal skin, and when it’s attached to a living organism it naturally receives moisture and nutrients from the body. When it’s part of your boots, there’s no supply of those nutrients or moisture, and it will degrade and crack over time.

Heel and sole separation are very common, especially if you use your boots for hiking or have to walk long distances for work. Your entire body weight is resting on the heel and sole of your boots and therefore they undergo a lot of stress.

We’ll take a look at what goes into repairing boots, so you can get back to working, hiking, enjoying sports, or whatever else it is you do!

Fixing Tears and Cracks in Boots

A tear or crack in the fabric of your boot is a common sign that your boots are falling apart. If you start to see this early on, you might not be in that bad of shape. Catching it early is important.

For a DIY fix, here’s what you should do…

Clean Your Boot

This is an important first step. Make sure to clean your boot fully from all dirt, grime, debris, etc.

Chances are high that you’ve got a dirty boot on your hand and you don’t want to let that get in the way of any adhesives.

You can get by with just using a clean cloth and water, but something like isopropyl alcohol might get the job done better.

From there you want to let the boot fully dry. You can use a dry towel to speed up the process, but you may want to let the boot air dry for a while too.

Apply Duct Tape

Apply duct tape to the back of wherever the tear, crack, or rip is located. This will help keep everything in place for the next step.

Apply Adhesive

Use a shoe adhesive, such as Tuff Toe. Apply to the tear or crack and hold the separated parts together for an extended period of time.

Let it Be

Let the adhesive do its work by leaving the boots alone for a while. It may not take that long, maybe a day at most for smaller tears. For heavy duty rips, you might want to let it sit for up to 72 hours at most.

Seal Away

Finally, use a weatherproof sealant to tie everything together for additional protection.

The DIY Boot Heel Repair

Boot heels are a more significant problem than simple tears, cracks, and rips.

If your heel has completely fallen apart from your boot, you understand how difficult it can be to walk.

Your balance is completely off, it’s not good for your posture, and it doesn’t help if you need to lift heavy objects.

For a heel repair, you also want to make sure that you clean off the heel as well as the boot. You might even have an easier time with this if you heel is made from rubber. If so, go to town with some rubbing alcohol.

Use an adhesive again, and apply to the top of the heel and the bottom of the boot sole.

You’ll need to give the adhesive time again to do its work. One way to speed this process up is by filling your boot with something heavy, such as multiple soup cans.

Consider leaving the boot alone for up to 72 hours.

A DIY Boot Sole Repair

Sole separation is obnoxious. Feeling the flap of your boot sole catching on rocks and ledges is not only annoying but potentially dangerous.

Even if it’s only a small separation in the sole, it’s a sign of bad times to come and should be dealt with quickly.

For a good boot sole repair, be sure to:

• Thoroughly clean the sole and boot itself
• Apply adhesive to the separation area
• Move sole and boot together
• Hold in place
• Apply duct tape to sole and boot to lock it in place
• Let sit for up to 72 hours
• Use weatherproof sealant

Weatherproofing boots, while not directly necessary for repairing boots is a good idea simply because you’re aiming to extend their lifespan.

Weatherproofing, using mink oil or other materials, helps keep leather work boots happy, healthy, and free from separation and tears in the future.

Getting Help With Your Boot Repairs

Sometimes, you don’t have the time or means to do a DIY boot heel repair all on your own.

Sometimes, a boot is so far gone you might not even know where to begin (if only a simple tear or crack was all you had to worry about).

If that’s the case, contact us today for any toe, sole, or heel separation you may need help repairing!