How to Extend the Life of Your Work Boots

By sowing frugality we reap liberty, a golden harvest.

AGESILAUS

Leather work boots are expensive. My husbands Georgia Giants were $120.00, but they're worth every penny. He is in those boots over 50 hours a week--climbing ladders, pounding pavements and moving heavy things. He was wearing another pair of boots that didn't have supportive soles and his feet were in pain. He desperately needed metal bottomed shoes for extra support on the ladder and the Georgia Giants fit the bill except for one thing. His work uniform requires black boots, and the Georgia Giants were brown. So, I dyed them black for a dollar. Yes, it was easy, and it saved us $120.00 and Mr. Peasant's achy tired feet. Here's how you can do it, too.

Dyeing your boots for a dollar.

Get some Kiwi Black Leather Dye at Walmart in the shoe department for a dollar. The dye will stain the table, carpet, flooring, clothing, and hands so put a thick layer of newspapers down on your work area and wear gloves. Remove the boot laces and place the boots on top of the newspapers. Take a damp paper towel and wipe the boots to get rid of any dirt. Once they are dry, take nail polish remover (acetone) and go quickly over the shoe to remove any old shoe polish. Even if you've never polished your shoes before, they are usually polished in the factory. Getting rid of the polish is important so the dye can soak into the leather. Go over them quickly with nail polish remover just in case. I took duct tape and covered the soles of the shoes to prevent dye from dripping onto the soles of the shoes.

Now apply the dye. The tip is covered in a sponge like a bingo dopper. You have to press it down on the shoe to get the dye released into the sponge. Now carefully drag the sponge tip over the shoe. Carefully apply a layer. Be sure not to press down too often, or you'll get dye drips. Press down to release a little dye and then drag. Press down only when you need more dye, then drag. I went over the boots 3 times with dye. The dye doesn't have a heavy odor so you can leave the boots inside to dry overnight. The next day use a shoe polish and buff them. The dyed boot color lasted 7 months, and Mr. Peasant is VERY rough on his shoes!

Kiwi Products on Amazon

Fixing a worn out sole

The next fix for these same Georgia Giant boots was the sole. The right boot had a very worn area on the edge of the sole. It looked like parts of the sole tread had chunked off the side. The left boot was completely fine. To repair your worn sole or to build up an area where a chunk of the sole is missing, buy some Shoe Goo for $4 at Lowe's in the glue section. It is a clear rubber epoxy. It has a strong smell, so you might want to use it outside or use a fan inside. Shoe Goo needs 24 to 72 hours to dry, so be sure to allow enough time for this. If you need to wear the boots for work on Monday, the Shoe Goo must be applied by Friday night.

Place your shoes on newspaper. Squeeze the tube like toothpaste onto the sole of the boot. I rip a piece of the cardboard packaging to spread it into the problem area. Take the cardboard and push the goo into any holes or gaps.

Shoegoo Products on Amazon

If you are building up a worn down area on your sole, build up several layers of Shoe Goo. Allow each layer to dry slightly before adding another layer on top. The Goo will dry clear and magically the surface will settle flat. If you are trying to build up the sole near the edge, you may need to re-shape the goo while it's drying so it doesn't slide down over the edge. Check on the boots a few times the first hour while drying and if necessary push the goo even with sole's edge until it's firm. In the beginning, it will look like the worst clear cake frosting job, but don't worry. It has a way of drying perfectly smooth on it's own.

                           

We are constantly scraping the bottom of the peanut butter jar or squeezing out  the last bit of toothpaste. Why not scrape six more months of use out of your old boots? We have dyed and built up Mr. Peasant's soles twice now. We are hoping to get another 6 months of use. That would be an entire year of extra wear for $10. It's a very easy and inexpensive way to mend those beat up shoes. Why not give it a try before you throw out a perfectly broken in pair of work boots? I hope this helps you.

Thank you for reading!