If you are on the move over rough terrain or through rubble, your footwear is one of the most important pieces of gear you will be relying on. Cheap boots fall apart quickly with rough use, and sneakers and sandals are less than optimal choices for rough terrain and fail to protect your feet sufficiently from hazards. A pair of good, durable, comfortable boots will set you back a few hundred dollars but are entirely worth the investment.
Unfortunately they will not last forever and like all things wear out, and the rougher the use the faster they will wear out.
If a SHTF scenario comes to pass and move on into a PAW it's unlikely that you will be able to buy a pair of boots of the same quality and materials you can today, and cobblers (professionals specializing in the repair and manufacture of footwear) are already hard to find. Making good, comfortable, and durable footwear from scratch is not an easy thing. Primitive foot coverings aren't too difficult to make, but lack many of the qualities we've come to expect and rely upon in modern footwear and if you end up having to resort to them you will find yourself having more frequent foot injuries.

So, what to do when your high speed modern footwear starts to wear out? Switch to homemade sandals or moccasins? Those will probably be adequate (and perhaps comfortable) for camp wear or light chores around the homestead, but aren't an optimal solution for use at heavy labor or long distance treks over rough ground.

I'm not a footwear repair expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I'd like to share some ideas on how to repair your current boots to extend their useful lifespan and I would welcome additional thoughts, ideas, and tips from others on how to do so. If by chance one of the forum community members is a professional (or gifted/experienced amatuer) their input would be gratefully received.

Aside from shoe/bootlaces, the first part of your shoe that is likely to wear out under heavy use is the sole.

If your footwear has a molded sole it is unlikely that you will be able to resole the boot without a professional cobblers shop. These soles are hot molded and glued to the boot.

For this reason, I do not recommend many of the "high speed" lightweight boots on the market to be used for bug-out gear, and prefer boots with the older welt style construction.

If your footwear has a welt sole (sewn on) you should be able to replace it yourself. A welt sole is one that extends past the edge of the boot itself, and will show the stitching that attaches the other sole to the middle sole.

The outer sole may be both stitched and glued on, so you will first need to remove the stitches and carefully separate the sole from the mid sole using a thin bladed knife and steady (but careful) pressure. Do not try to rip the sole off, as you may damage the mid sole, adding to the repairs needed. Be aware that some boots will also use nails or screws to hold on the sole and/or heel as well. Pull the nails out carefully or remove the screws with a small screwdriver and save for reuse.

As vibram soles are unlikely to be items you've packed in your bag, you will have to use improvised material for your new sole. The tread from biased tires can be cut (with much effort) to fashion replacements. Steel belted tires could be used in theory, but the steel cords used in their construction would make cutting to shape and size quite difficult, not to mention leaving small sharp steel cords sticking out the edge of your sole and presenting a cutting/puncture hazard. Thick leather could be used, but will wear out much faster on rough ground, is difficult to waterproof sufficiently for a boot used under PAW conditions, and tend to lack the traction needed.

Once the old sole is off the boot, clean the mid sole very thoroughly and inspect it for punctures, cracks, or splits. Try to remove any residual glue that may have been used.

The middle sole is usually made of rubber, and can be replaced if needed...most often as a result of the mid sole cracking just behind the ball of the foot. Found materials that might serve for this would be flat sections cut from large inner tubes or heavy rubber sheeting in layers. Moderate stiffness is desired, so you may have to use more than one type of material to substitute for a repair of this type. Carefully remove stitching to the inner sole and replace with new material and re-stitch. If you have contact cement or rubber glue available, lightly roughen the surface that will come into contact with the outer sole to aid the glue in bonding the 2 together.

Take your new outer sole material and cut it to shape, erring on the large size...you can always pare off excess with a sharp knife later. If you have contact cement or rubber glue, now is the time to apply a thin layer to the inside surface of the new sole and place it in contact with the mid sole, and if possible insert a wooden block inside the boot and strike the sole with a hammer to help it adhere, or stand wearing the boots and rock gently back and forth to put pressure on as much of the sole/mid sole joint as possible.
Using an awl, carefully restitch the new sole to the mid sole and use a blunt wooden wedge with a hammer to "tuck" the exposed threads up into the sole material after you are finished.

Later I will try to explain how to make repairs or replacements to the upper portions of your boots.

I keep Shoe Goo and heavy-duty needles in my preps, but I haven't gone so far as to come up with a shoe repair plan.

I also try to keep at least 3-4 pairs of boots broken in at a time, just in case.

A buddy of mine just cut out soles from a used tire that still had decent tread, punched some holes in it to run laces through and made himself sandals. Looked ugly, but seemed to work well for him. I've not worried too much about shoes since.

I love going barefoot, and find my feet toughen up a lot real quick. Anyone else like going barefoot?

I believe those were refered to as "Ho Chi Mihn Sandals".
They'd be better than nothing, but would lack the protection provided by boots.

As far as going barefoot, I grew up on a beach and spent most of my childhood (when not in school) barefoot. The soles of my feet were quite tough, but I would still advise boots for field wear. As comfortable as bear feet are, and as tough as the soles of your feet may get just simply the hazard of debris you may encounter makes durable footwear a necessity anywhere outside of camp. In the PAW all it will take is one shard of broken glass, one rusty snip of metal from an old can, and you could die without modern medical treatment. Not from the wound itself, but the infection you are likely to get.
The downside to sandals (I've worn those plenty as well), is that they fail to protect your toes and the sides of your feet. Once again, if you get into rough terrain or debris you need boots.

Sorry if it seems like I'm trying to rain on your parade....I'm really not. I think sandals would be fantastic for camp shoes, bathing, and light chores (ones that don't involve axes, heavy objects, or fire/hot liquids).

Tetanus, an acute infectious disease characterized by tonic spasm of voluntary muscles especially of the jaw and caused by an exotoxin of a bacterium (Clostridium tetani) which is usually introduced through a wound — compare lockjaw

I doubt your feet are tougher than dirty broken metal pieces.

Okay, here are some tips on how to repair or replace the upper portion of your boots. Please remember, I am NOT an expert.

I'd personally rate this type of repair into 3 catagories:
1- Mending
2- Patching
3- Replacing.


Mending- this is the type of repair you will most likely want to make if the tear in your boot hasn't resulted in the loss of material. You simply need to butt the edges of the tear together and sew it closed using a butt stitch, as described here courtesy of Elizabeth Jones (aka Maestra Damiana Illaria d'Onde, SCA). I'm sure you are capable of coming up with a substitute for linen thread, but I should point out that any thread you use should break before tearing through the material. This applies to any sewing, not just leather, so no attempts to use thin strands scavenged by un-braiding a steel cable should be considered

Butt-Stitching 101: (Edge-Flesh Stitch for Turn Shoe or Edge-Grain Stitch for Later Shoe)

* You need a curved awl, straight awl, linen thread and beeswax for this procedure.
* You can soak the thread by the skein in melted beeswax to thoroughly penetrate, or just run through a cake several times
* Smooth the beeswax with the heat of your fingers several times to remove excess
* Measure out your thread five times the length of your seam. The real measure is 3 times, but as a beginner more is safer.
* Do a couple of stitches on a practice seam so you can gauge the depth and width of the stitches before starting the real piece.
* The thinner the leather, the wider the seam probably will be so as not to tear the leather.

These instructions are for a right handed person:

* Make hole with curved awl, about 6 at a time. Holes should be about 1/4 -1/6" away from edge and 1/4 - 1/6" apart (4-6 stitches per inch). Hold leather with edge up in left hand. Use index finger of left hand under leather to apply slight pressure. With awl in right hand, use index finger to push and guide the awl point through the middle of the leather. As a visual guide the stitches end up being spaced about the length of the curved part of the awl. You may stab yourself if you don't pay attention. You'll heal - keep going!
* Open up the holes initially with the straight awl. Point in the same direction that they were made (towards the edge). Wiggle the awl left and right (not round in a circle) while pushing in, then wiggle it out in the same way. This will help you see where the holes are and create an initial tunnel.
* Starting at the top of the seam (away from the sole), hold the join of the two seams in the left hand. Straight awl the top two holes on the bottom piece of leather and push the thread through. The first thread end should be one inch longer than the second.

Straight awl the first two holes on the upper piece of leather from the edge out, so the thread can be inserted through the middle. Pull the two threads straight up together

Take the left thread and turn it to the left at a 90 degree angle. Hold it down with the the left thumb to keep it out of the way and maintain it in proper position.
Straight awl the 2nd hole pointing DOWN (towards join) and going THROUGH both pieces of leather. Awl will stick out the length of stitch plus a little. Be careful not to tear the leather, and wiggle it gently out so as not to disturb the leather fibers. The angle is slightly diagonal from right to left pointing down in order to start at the right side of the top stitch, and left side of the bottom stitch. This allows the thread to cross itself inside the leather and makes the join stronger.
Pass the thread (well-waxed and with a nice straight and trimmed point) through both pieces of leather. Pull down gently. (This is the hard part and where you will get the most frustrated!)
Straight awl the next hole pointing UP (through both pieces of leather from now on) towards the middle.

Pass the thread upwards though hole. Pull up gently but firmly.

The leather should be rounded and slightly raised where the edges are squashed together.

Repeat the last four steps until the end.
Tie remaining thread in a small but tight bow, (or a knot if you have to) so the edge is secure for lasting.

You may find it beneficial to include an overlapping patch of a soft thin leather (deerskin for example) on the backside of this repair, both to add some strength to the new seam as well as to help seal the boot. If possible apply multiple thin layers of beeswax after the repair is complete.

you could always combine some ideas here...
Keep your boots on and make HCM sandals that are strapped and glued to the bottom of your boot. Not perfect but it could get the job done!

I usually wear my boots out from the inside out so I was thinking of a good supply of insoles!

This is one of the tasks duct tape is piss-poor at..... Don't even try it...

Fear not...I'll cover those later

Like said before get a good pair of welt made boots. I wear these about everyday working construction and wear them most of the time when not at work. These are 3.5 years old and Just last week I replaced the leather laces. Thats all that has been replaced on them. However they are due for some new soles. In PAW the soles could go another 3 years easy until thier was nothing left. Then do the tire sole thing that was mentioned above

Are those Goodyear Welt boots?

Okay, here are some tips on how to repair or replace the upper portion of your boots. Please remember, I am NOT an expert.

I'd personally rate this type of repair into 3 catagories:
1- Mending
2- Patching
3- Replacing.


Alright...patching.
This is what you will need to do if you've torn a chunk out of your boot upper, or worn a hole right through the leather.
It's much the same as mending, but you will first need to remove the damaged material by cutting out a circular or oval area encompassing the damage.
The next step is to place a piece of fabric or paper (rumpled until it is soft and very flexible) and place it inside the boot covering the hole. You want this to be smooth and as free of wrinkles as possible. Once in place, trace the hole onto the paper. This will provide yo with a cut out guide for the leather patch you will create.
Lay out the paper on top of the leather you will be using (which should be as close to that potion of the boot in thickness as possible) and use a wooden stick with a slightly blunted point to indent marks through the paper onto the leather patch material. Once done, play connect the dots with the indentations on the leather to indicate where to cut. Trim the patch to size, and use the butt stitch described above to sew it into the hole. Once again, including a thin layer of deerskin (or other soft leather) on the inside of the boot that slightly overlaps the edges of the patch will make this repair less likely to cause irritation. You want as smooth a surface on the interior of the boot as possible to avoid irritating the skin of your foot while walking.
And again, wax the patch, with particular attention to the joint.

Yes that's considered the style of sole. Sewn on replaceable sole.
The boots are Wesco. Warning they last along time but took 3 months to break in. After that they have been great the last 3 years

Here is an interesting link to how the stitches/stitching works

http://cowboyoutfitters.com/mapr.html

Thanks for the brand name. I'll look around for them.

Here is the Wesco site https://www.westcoastshoe.com/wesco/
Of course you can find them cheaper if you look around but if you want a custom fit you can order them here

Okay, here are some tips on how to repair or replace the upper portion of your boots. Please remember, I am NOT an expert.

I'd personally rate this type of repair into 3 catagories:
1- Mending
2- Patching
3- Replacing.

Okay, this one is the real pain in the butt and a very good reason to take excellent care of your boots and try to avoid this level of repair.

If you've completely torn a portion of your boot apart to the degree that you will not be able to mend or patch it, you are going to have to replace that section of leather. If this is the case, it's better to do it sooner rather than later as the longer you try to wear the boot with this damage the more you will stretch and distort the leather. You will see why that's important very soon.

Start by cleaning the boot as best you can. Brush off and wipe off as much dirt as possible. Do NOT use a great deal of water! Water will make the leather stretch far to easily under any pressure, and as it dries it will shrink and is prone to becoming more stiff. At most lightly dampen a cloth to wipe the boot down with.
Next, very carefully start to remove the stitching holding this portion of leather to the rest of the boot. On some boots one piece of leather may be overlapped with one or two others, and if this is the case for you you will need to tie off the stitching of the other boot portions and add extra stitching to those areas as you complete your repairs.
Once you've completely detached this portion of leather you need to use it as a pattern to trace a new piece to be cut from a new (tanned+stretched) hide. Remember that this piece was flat once upon a time before the pressure of your foot inside the boot stretched those bumps into it. Flatten it the best you can, lay on your new leather and trace and cut the piece out. It may be helpful to you to pre-punch the holes for your stitches using your awl at this point.
Line up this new piece and it's stitching holes on the old boot. Using a whip stitch connect the new to the old.

Use ample wax on the seams. You may find that you need to tighten the stitching after a few days of wear.

If you've really destroyed your boots, you may have to not only separate the torn leather section from another part of the upper but also separate it from the sole of the boot. Refer to the first post in this thread on resoling your boot and good luck.

I burn up my uniforn allowance with a pair or two of boots (yipee, Free Danner's) then leave one in the box for future use. Also, I can make boots and moccasins so I'm good.

Lots of good tutorials on foot coverings...
http://www.simpleshoemaking.com/
http://www.hollowtop.com/sandals.htm
http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/14813
http://sewing.about.com/od/freeprojects ... tterns.htm
http://www.ssrsi.org/sr1/Textile/shoe.htm

Shoe goo and leather patches keeps things together.
I have covered toe holes many times in the past 6 yrs