Cheap, DIY Boot Hole Repair

Now, I always have the best of intentions for all my tall boots. I plan to wipe them down every ride, polish them as necessary, and avoid water/mud/etc at all costs. However, life doesn’t always work that way. I forget my spare boots at home, and have to trudge through the mud in my tall boots; I get talking with a friend and end up in the wash stall without changing; or I am so exhausted after a show or XC school that my boots end up in the back of my car, covered in sweat, for at least a couple of days.

As a result, my poor, everyday Ariat tall boots developed a pretty sizeable hole. Now, I have a gorgeous pair of tall boots that I got for showing, but they are stiff and tight and just… not what I want to wear to the barn everyday. I want to wear my broken in boots. The one whose toe is so worn, I can’t even polish them properly anymore. The pair I could walk a mile in, and not have my back hurt. The pair that is so broken in that they have that little extra grip on XC. However, this was definitely an issue:

I debated just getting a new pair of boots. The current pair are being discontinued (Ariat Heritage Contours), so they are on a steep discount. However, they are still more than $150, and I hadn’t been able to find the exact size I was looking for. The new version, while I am sure it is lovely, is about $300. At this point, I figured I would take matters into my own hands. I would fix my boots myself. Enter, Shoe Goo.

This stuff was black and at my door for less than $7 with Amazon Prime. It promised a waterproof seal on leather. Why. Not. The instructions were pretty straight forward: apply to clean dry surface, let dry for 24 hours, and do not let it touch anything you don’t want it to get on or you can’t throw away. So I decided to fix my boot in the middle of our kitchen island, while drinking a strawberry daiquiri. The result?

No. It is not beautiful, but it is fully sealed. It is also nearly impossible to see when I am in the saddle, and I figure with a bit more abuse and dirt (and maybe even some polish for the rest of the boot), it will be even less noticeable. The finish is more rubbery than plasticy, so the boot maintained its flexibility. Could I have done a cleaner job with some disposable sponges or something? Sure… but I really just wanted a functional boot back and to seal off the damage so it didn’t spread. I think that was achieved.

I ended up riding in the boots on Sunday and doing a total of 25 minutes of trot sets. The seal held, and I didn’t notice any uncomfortable stiffness or rubbing near the ball of my foot, where I had made the repair. So was the $7 worth it? Totally. I am calling it a (small) step up from duct tape!