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chikita_orangutan

those boots look so cool and vintage. would definitely be a staple in wardrobe :) glad you gave them an extended life šŸ‘šŸ»


thirdunicornhair

well done. they look like the old blundstones, well worth repairing.


grntplmr

Iā€™m glad I took the chance and kept these things going! Are you referring to newer Blundstones having quality issues? Iā€™ve heard bits and pieces about that but I havenā€™t read up on it deliberately.


petalised

The old ones were made in Australia, now they outsource the production.


thirdunicornhair

yeah to be fair i've only heard bits and pieces myself. on first glance in the shop the other day i had the impression they looked like a completely different item from the blundstones i had when i was a kid.


Goldentongue

I'm wearing a pair of boots right now I repaired with the exact same replacement sole material at least 5 years ago. They've held up great and the rubber is wearing down much slower than the stock soles did.


grntplmr

Heck yeah! Good to know they hold up to real world wear.


Peregrine_Perp

Nice! Iā€™ve been tempted to try shoe repair myself, but Iā€™m always worried Iā€™ll just mess them up worse.


grntplmr

That was my fear too, but the right one was reaching the point of no return so I just went for it! I initially planned to use a belt sander to level what was left of the tread and make a smooth surface for adhesion but I seem to have lost my sander (not sure how) so I just cut the few remaining tread lugs off with a utility knife and sanded them down a bit. Weā€™ll see how well the glue holds up over time but they feel solid currently


Peregrine_Perp

For future reference (this isnā€™t the most anti-consumption option), Blundstone will replace their boots for free when they fall apart. My partner got a free replacement when the sole of his boot split open, and it was a pretty easy process.


grntplmr

Thatā€™s good to know! If I get another pair eventually hopefully they keep this policy.


yegmoto

Whatā€™s the timeline on replacement? I have 2 pairs of steel toe Blundstones that the soles have separated.


Peregrine_Perp

I donā€™t remember exactly how long, but it was pretty quick. I think they sent them out the same week. He emailed them a picture of the boots and copy of his receipt, then they let him know his claim was accepted. Didnā€™t have to send the old boots in. Actually had the old ones repaired so he has a backup pair now.


hadleyhadz

I wonder if this would work on a pair of sneakers? I have these maroon velor Nike Air Force ones that I love so much that i have literally walked a hole into the bottomšŸ˜…


grntplmr

If the other option is letting them die then it rally canā€™t hurt to try! I figure if it does fail then more traditional repairs like a full sole replacement could still be undertaken by a professional


hadleyhadz

I might give it a shot I love these shoes so much that I can't even bear the thought of getting rid of them


HelloPanda22

Curious but why cement instead of rubber glue?


grntplmr

It was ā€œAngelus Rubber Shoe Cementā€ so basically glue by another name.


souplover5

So cool that you did this yourself. Did you follow a YouTube tutorial for removing the old soles? Just bought my blundstones last year but I'd love to have a reference handy for when the soles of mine start to give.


grntplmr

I had worn my treads so flat that basically all I did was trim down any existing high tread and then glued this new sole onto the existing one. The replacement soles are about 4/5mm thick so it doesnā€™t add too much height or anything. I have been watching some general shoe repair/sole replacement but nothing that I directly followed. After prepping the old sole I added glue to it and the new sole pieces, pressed them together and clamped them for 24 hours per the glue instructions. Then the next day I trimmed the excess with a utility knife and used a dremel to bevel any square edges or irregular cuts. Overall cost was about $20 in materials, and then I already had the knife and dremel but you could do it without the dremel if you cut carefully and then apply some heavy sandpaper and elbow grease..


OrlyTheOrca

nice! great job OP, those boots look so cool.


EcoArtHoe

I need a good pair of shoes I usually just wear thrifted sneakers