About two years ago, I wrote about being frustrated with buying synthetic boots. I love boots, and I wear them throughout the fall and winter seasons, but I was fed up with how quickly my synthetic boots were wearing out. 2014 was the year that I decided I was done buying plastic boots — no matter what the price. The photo above is of the last pair of “pleather” boots I owned.
So, I invested in this pair of leather ankle boots that I bought for $59.99 from 6PM:
These boots have worn really well over the past two years. I absolutely love them — they’re comfortable even when worn for hours, and over time, they’ve molded to fit my feet perfectly the way leather does.
Near the end of February 2016, I slipped on some ice and twisted my ankle. I was fine, but the action split the side of my boot out. Whoops.
I was really disappointed and headed to 6PM’s site to see if, by chance, they still had any of my favorite boots in stock two years later. Nope.
I put the boots in the back of my closet and kind of forgot about them until I recently re-discovered them in the closet again. Could they be fixed? If so, what would it cost?
I did one more quick search for these boots on Amazon, and they had one pair in stock for $92.69. Getting my boots fixed had to cost less than buying a new pair, I thought.
I did a search to find a shoe repair in my area, and Crystal Lake Shoe Repair was the closest to me, so I headed over.
This was a first for me! I remember going to a shoe repair place as a child, as my dad always wore leather boots, and he’d periodically have the heels replaced on them. These are pretty distant memories for me though — I’d say I must have been grade-school age. I guess it’s a bit sad that I haven’t had a pair of shoes that were actually worth repairing when they became worn.
I wasn’t sure if the split leather could even be repaired, but the gentleman at the shoe repair assured me that it could! Great!
How much? $35.
I pondered over the cost for a moment. (Can I stress again how much I love these boots? They look great with everything from jeans to dresses. I love them.)
I asked how much it would cost to get new heels put on the boots too, as after two years of wear, they clearly needed them.
New heels: $20.
Now, I was up to $55 for my boot repair.
As someone who’s very frugal, I did consider whether or not it was wise to put this much money into a pair of boots that originally cost $60. Prior to heading to the shoe repair place, I had already searched 6PM for a similar pair of leather boots (it really is my favorite go-to for low and lower-priced clothing and shoes.) I couldn’t find anything I liked nearly as much as these.
I decided to go for it. The shoe repair required money up front, so I paid for my boots’ repair, was given a claim ticket and was told to come back in a week.
One week later, I picked up my boots. Indeed, they were able to fix the split leather! The repair to the right boot’s previously split side is not easy to see unless you look closely. The stitching through the leather lines up well with the original seam on the boot. It also feels like there is a fabric patch, for lack of a better word, that has been added on the back side of this repair in the toe of the boot to give it strength.
The new heels on my boots look great too, and the shoe repair even polished the leather to a nice, shiny black again.
I would definitely consider having my boots repaired and re-heeled again in the future as long as they continue to wear well. And, I’m thrilled to have my favorite boots back in wear-able condition as the weather turns cooler…
LorriY says
My Dad had boots he loved too and would always bring them to the shoe repair in the neighboring town. He’d even have them “resoled” as well. This was a very normal thing in our house. Glad this worked out so well for you, too!
instock says
HI Jill, I use shoe repair services for resoling my husband’s work boots. I have used them to clean suede boots (winter salt), plus they repair my leather purses (zippers, tears, straps, etc). The cost of repair outweighs a new purchase and looks new.
couponal says
I always buy Red Wings boots
They last me at least ten years
Always getting them fixed when needed
If you want to be frugal-Spend the big money with the first purchase and keep on repairing the item
This is with anything
Theresa says
I have a pair of leather little higher than ankle boots with chunky heels that have had for years. Re heeled at least twice. Love how they can fix anything. Even elastic on a summer sandal that was stretched out and not worn out sandal yet. Your boots look so much better polished. Now keep them polished. Polish is not that expensive.
Margaret Harvey says
In my town, we have a shoe repair shop that has been around forever. Or it seems so. The proprietor is now 89 years old, soon to be 90. Everyone loves to go there as much for the sociability as for the service.