Cowboy boots are meant to last. So, if they wear out, they worth a repair. No matter how you care for your boots, they will wear out one day. Mostly, the soles are the part that gives up before the others. This is because it is essentially what touches the roads and other surfaces.
If you have a pair of worn-out cowboy boots, no worries, you can still get them back as new ones. Repairing the cowboy boots will cost you something between $30 and $100. This is for repairing them at a cobbler. However, if you will repair them yourself, it will go much lower.
In this article, we will give you a guide to repairing cowboy boots. Starting from regularly checking them for damage to ways of repairing them and the cost of doing so.
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Checking Cowboy Boots for Damage
First, there are two major parts of the cowboy boots, the upper leather part, and the soles. Mostly, cowboy boots have high-quality leather which lasts for years. So, if you find any problems with this leather in a short period, you probably had a poor quality product.
To check the boots, go over every single boot and inspect everything. Check the leather for any tearing and the stitching as well. Also, check the shanks and eyelets then go to the soles.
The soles here include the outer, inner, and midsoles. Since the soles, especially the outsoles, are the most subjected to damage, they need careful inspection.
Press hardly at the center of the outsoles. If you find them softer than usual, then it is a sign they are wearing out. Further, check the edges where the welt and soles intersect. If there is any tearing at this part, you need sole repairing or replacement.
Finally, take an overall look at the soles. If you find any unusual marks that you can’t remove with water or other cleaning products, resole the boots.
Any tearing in the stitching needs repairing at a cobbler. This is because they have a special sewing machine or manual kits that can penetrate the leather. On the other side, damage at the soles needs soles replacement or at least replacing part of it.
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How to Resole Your Cowboy Boots?
To know how you can resole your boots, you should first understand how the soles are made. The outsoles of the boots are either rubber or any similar material.
It attaches to the upper part of the boots with welts. Welts are small leather pieces that are sewn around the upper part of the boots to which the soles attach. Hence, soles stitch to the boots.
For high-quality boots, there might be double stitches and double welting as well. This means they connect the outsoles and midsoles. Then, both connect to the upper part of the boots. So, the soles will last longer and won’t tear easily.
When you decide to resole your boots, you are going to remove the outsoles and maybe the midsole too. Then, you get a new pair of soles and stitch them back to the boots. According to how the boots were originally stitched, this is how you will re-stitch them back.
However, if your cowboy boots are not high-quality ones, we recommend you don’t repair them. The soles and stitching them is a process that costs money and effort. Also, the boots won’t last longer than the time that already passed after resoling. So, don’t repair your boots unless they are worth it.
Now, with the resoling process which has two options. Either to do it yourself or to get someone else does them for you. The price depends on the method you choose.
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Getting Your Cowboy Boots Resoled at a Cobbler
If you decided to go to a cobbler, make sure to choose a professional one. Cobblers should know the particular way cowboys are designed. Also, they should be able to determine which part of the sole exactly needs replacement. For example, a half or whole sole or just the heels.
A whole sole replacement means you will get a brand new sole for the cowboy boots. Whereas half-sole stands for the front part of the sole discarding the heels. Likewise, the heels can be replaced alone as well.
Resoling Your Cowboy Boots Yourself
In this method, you should first figure out which part will you repair. After that, get a quality replacement kit that includes soles, heel pads, and nails or glue.
Nails are what you will use to attach the heel to the soles. Alternatively, it might be attached using glue but this is not always the case for high-quality cowboy boots. Also, cowboy boots that use nails for fastening the heels are easier to repair.
Additionally, you can use heel plates which are hard pieces that attach to the heels from the bottom. These are beneficial as they prolong the lifetime of the boots. Also, you can replace them easily at any time.
How Much Does Repairing Cowboy Boots Cost?
Now, that you know your boots may tear or the soles wear out, you probably guess that the cost depends. Generally, tearing in the stitches is not costly. It is just the cost of the service itself. On the other side, if the tearing is in the leather itself, unfortunately, you might not be able to repair it at all.
Coming to the soles, if you will replace the soles only, it is something around $30. Similarly, if you will replace a half sole, it may cost you higher but less than $100. However, if you will replace the whole soles, this may cost you $100 or above.
Also, don’t forget that the cobbler himself will take money for replacing the soles. Different professionals will take a different amount of money.
Final Remarks
High-quality cowboys will last for years as long as you care for them. One easy way to take good care of them is to regularly clean the whole boots after each use. This way, you prevent the accumulation of dirt and debris which might lead to wearing later on.
Yet, boots wearing out is something you cannot completely prevent. So, if you know your cowboy boots are high-quality ones, invest in repairing them. When you do so, you can wear them for extra 2 years or so.
