Ann Arbor Shoe Repair

If you’ve been keeping up with my blog posts lately you’ll know I’ve come to adding a few news posts from around the web on this subject. I’ve got a couple more today that are new and updated, so let me know what you think of em…

Reading Morocco: Chinese Imports hurt Moroccan Shoe Repair shops

Abdel Salam Jawhari, a 73-year-old owner of a shoe repair shop in Casablanca's upmarket Hassan I Avenue, Continue Reading »

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If you’re trying to save money on shoes, you’re not alone. Many people admit to having a penchant for shoe shopping and, given that designer shoes can cost hundreds of dollars, it’s definitely not a cheap habit.

Saving money on shoes boils down to making small changes in how you shop and where you shop. If you can adjust the way that you shop and the styles that you shop for, you’ll be able to save Continue Reading »

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Take it to the next level in some hot and sexy Women’s stiletto boots. Ankle, knee and thigh-high, these boots are made for walking! Stiletto boots can help an outfit go from zero to 60 in seconds. Accent an already hip and sexy ensemble or dress up a classic little black dress or tailored suit with any heeled boot.

Flirty, fun, and fabulous these boots come in a wide range of solid and hot colors. Continue Reading »

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Whether you have a collection of hundreds of shoes, or you simply stick to your favorite pair of sneakers on a daily basis, you will undoubtedly want to keep your favorite shoes around for as long as possible. Let’s face it. Shoes are not cheap. It can be difficult to find a pair of shoes that fit your feet properly. When you come across shoes that meet your specifications, it is wise to Continue Reading »

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I think you will agree that nowadays all fishing tackle stores and mail order outlets carry felt sole wading boots in a wide range of prices and sizes to fit the needs of the modern fly fisher. You always get what you pay for and a good wading boots with proper care will give the average fly fisher many years of service. Wading boots used for fishing are just not another pair of high priced hiking boots. They are designed to be wider and higher between the arch and laces plus added toe room to accommodate thick neoprene waders and the booties found on most of the better quality breathable waders. Good wading boots are constructed with quality workmanship and water resistant materials that will withstand the rugged abuse of river wading. I suggest that before you purchase any pair of wading boots try them on with your own waders and socks to get a proper fit.

With all that being said, after a couple of seasons are you just a little disappointed in the way those high dollar felt sole wading boots perform? Do they seem to be a little more slippery on some river bottoms than you thought they would be? There is a cure that will solve the problem, and it works on newer felt sole bottom boots and old worn out felts bottom boots as well.

If you have a pair if wading boots (old or new), with just plain felt soles try this fix: Find a reputable carpet store in your local area that sells and installs commercial grade water proof carpeting, the type used in offices, restaurants, hotels etc. This is not carpet used in residential housing or indoor/outdoor carpet used on patios decks. Ask to see some ruminates with short (3/8″or less) tight nap without a fabric or rubber backing. Tell the sales person what you want to use it for so he will know just what to show you. You will only need a piece 3′x 4′ to make four or five pairs of soles for your wading boots. Next, you will need to purchases Barge waterproof contact cement in the red and yellow can to glue the carpet over the existing felt soles. I have not used the Barge cement in the green can but I have been told that it is safer to use and works just about as well. The 32 oz. can of cement will do 5 or 6 pairs of carpet soles or felt sole replacements and it can be found at most major building supply stores or shoe repair shops. You will also need a couple rolls of ¾ inch reinforced strapping tape

If you want to remove the old felts soles from a pair of wading boots you can do it yourself: In an open work area away from flames or sparks, apply a liberal amount of acetone to the felt soles and allow them to sit with soles facing upward for 1 to 2 hours. Now using a heavy screwdriver, slip the tip between the felt sole the rubber sole of the boot at the toe end and pry the felt up. Then using a large pair of Vise Grip pliers, clamp down on the old felt sole at the toe end and pull it back and upwards; like opening a can of sardines, the old felt should peel off quite easily. However, if the felt soles are sewn onto the bottoms of the boots you will need to go to a shoe repair shop to have the felts removed, or you can just glue the carpet to the felts.

In your work area place the carpet on a hard surface with the backing up. Place the wading boot on the carpet and use a black marking pen, making an outline of the sole and mark “R” for right and “L” for left. If your boots have a raised heel, draw a line across the carpet sole for the heel. I use a very sharp filleting knife to carefully cut out the replacement soles about ¼ inch wader than the boot sole. If your boots have the raised heel cut it where the cross line is marked. Don’t worry about the replacement sole being a little oversized, you can easily trim it to size after the glue has dried. Now you are ready to apply the carpet to the bottoms of the boots.

In a well-ventilated work area, on a newspaper covered workbench, place blocks of wood on each side of the boots for support to keep the soles facing up. Then carefully apply a thick coat of Barge cement over the soles on the boots, making sure that the edges are well coated and allow the cement to become somewhat tacky. If the cement is absorbed into the felt soles apply another coat. Also apply one thick coat of cement to the hard back of the carpet sole replacements, and allow that cement to become tacky. Depending on the air temperature it may take 30 to 40 minutes for the glue to become tacky. This is contact cement, so carefully align the carpet soles with the bottoms of the boots and press them together the harder the better. Slip the boots on and walk around, stomping up and down, putting as much pressure as you can on areas of the bottom if the boots. Remove the boots and fold the upper part of the boots down into the boot opening. Use the strapping tape to very tightly wrap the carpet soles to the bottom of each boot. Make about 8 to 10 very tight wraps around the boot from heel to toe, then tightly apply about 3 pieces of tape from the bottom up and over the toe of each boot then do the same to the heels. The boot should now almost be completely covered with tightly wrapped strapping tape. After 2 to 3 days of drying, carefully remove the tape and using a sharp knife, trim the carpet as close as you can to the rubber sole of the boot. If you want a really neat job you can use a small propane torch to carefully seal the edges of the carpet.

I suggest that if you just want to replace the old felts with new felts replacements, this gluing method really works. However if you are not a handy man or you don’t have the time, just take the carpeting to a good shoe shop and have them put the soles or felt sole replacements on for you.

The quality and longevity of this project is dependent on the quality of the carpet, the amount of pressure that is applied to the newly glued replacements, and the proper application of Barge contact cement.

Good luck, good fishing and wade safely. For wading tips and additional fly-fishing how to tips and information please visit my site.

Stanley Stanton: Oregon Fly Fishing Guide and McKenzie River fishing guide, Visit: http://www.oregon-fly-fishing-with-stan.com For trout fly fishing tips, how to fly fish information, plus guided Rainbow Trout Fly Fishing, Steelhead Fly Fishing, classes for beginners and Oregon Salmon Fishing.

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Like most men I would rather wear quality leather shoes than any other. If you work on your feet all day, regardless of whether it is as a laborer or business professional you probably prefer wearing leather shoes to synthetic materials. Leather shoes and boots have been relied on for hundreds of years for their resilience and the way that they protect our feet.

Most leather shoes are made from cowhide but they can also come from other animals such as exotics like ostrich or snakeskin. Fine quality men’s leather shoes are made from only the highest quality leather. Italian shoemakers are famous for hand selecting the leather they will use for a shoe and then hand sewing the shoes as well. Another very popular form of leather for men’s shoes is suede.

It doesn’t make a lot of sense to spend a lot on leather shoes and then not take care of them so it pays to make sure that you know how to properly care for your leather shoes once you have invested in a pair. Cleaning and polishing your shoes is not only for cosmetic reasons but also helps to make them last longer. You must go beyond a simple polishing to be sure that your shoes last as long as possible, to really protect them you have to clean them, apply a conditioner, polish them and finally apply a waterproofing solution. If you don’t think you are up to the task or just don’t have time you can take them to a local shoe repair shop and drip them off and they will do it for you for a reasonable fee.

If you want to do it yourself here are some simple instructions to help you. The first thing you want to do is take off all of the grime and accumulated dirt with a good leather cleaning solution. After cleaning allow your shoes to dry for a bit before you begin to polish them. Proper application of a quality shoe polish can go a long way to moisturize, soften, and protect your leather shoes. To begin polishing, rub a little shoe polish onto your shoes and cover the entire shoe allowing the polish to sink into the leather before you begin to wipe it off. After buffing and polishing the shoes you will want to finish the process by applying waterproofing to keep your shoes protected from water and other elements that can harm you shoes.

Always take the time to go through the cleaning, polishing and waterproofing process before you wear a new pair of shoes so that they will last as long as possible.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about shoes as well as men’s leather dress shoes at http://www.mensdesignerdressshoes.com

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Ok so you might find the next few links interesting. These are from around the web, just random snippets that I’ve picked up in my reading, but I found some very cool information in them. You might too. Here goes…

seattle: Shoe Repair in Seattle

Best place in town is actually Ramuta's Shoe Repair downtown. They've actually rebuilt shoes for me, and not only that but they do shoes for PNW Ballet Continue Reading »

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Buying running shoes is not a seasonal event. It’s an investment if you’re running three times a week and thirty minutes each time. It would be best to check your running shoes for signs of wear and buy new ones before the old running shoes die on you. The more worn down a shoe, the less support it can give. Procrastinating on replacing old shoes can lead to injuries.

As a general rule, the running Continue Reading »

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How about these right… I think you’ll find the following nuggets of wisdom particularly insightful. Leave your comments below. Check out the second one in particular…

Established Shoe Repair and Retail Business

Established Shoe Repair and Retail Business for sale in the heart of Bucks County. For more information, please visit our website at www.vrdelval.com or call…

Euston, , NW1, sports shoes, shoe repair, sports : Ecademy Marketplace Continue Reading »

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Hey Readers! I’ve been comin across some crazy stuff the past few days from a few different blogs around the web which I just had to share with you. Check em out below…

The Cambridge Companion: 12 Holes: A Tribute to Jimmy’s Shoe Repair

Update: The Cambridge Companion will be screening at the Woods Hole Film Festival on July 27th and the Roxbury Film Festival on August 3rd. Sunday, January 13, 2008. Continue Reading »

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