Repairing Cracks In Leather Boots

[tabitha az]

i do restoration on boots.

i have a pair of 55 year old Military Boots that are surface cracked in the area behind the toe cap (where they bend).

Is there a product that is more flexible and dyeable that can fill in the cracks.

[shtoink]

Like Boot-Bondo...

You're talking about something that will apply as a paste, fill in the gaps and bond to surface, and still has the look and feel of leather. I'm not sure that such a product has been invented yet. It certainly sounds like an awesome product, but the closest thing that comes to mind is leather putty (a mixture of rubber cement and powdered leather), but it isn't something that would work for what you need.

When I was enlisted, I had a pair of boots repaired and all they did was cut out the damage and replace it with a sewn in patch. I ultimately ended up getting a new pair as they were never capable of passing inspection after that. Unfortunately, those kinds of repairs are undesirable for your situation.

Of course, I am nowhere near an expert in the subject, so it is possible that someone else may have information that is actually helpful for you.

[Art]

Tabitha,

Since you do restorations, I won't write a book about this. There is no one stop product to solve your problem, your are going to have to do it from scratch.

First I would clean the boots, tree them, and let them dry, at least a day or two in AZ.

Second, I would oil them with something like Montana Pitchblend Oil, that will dry without any residue. If the oil is gone in an hour or two, oil them again lightly, if not ONE COAT ONLY. Let them dry another couple of days for the oil to distribute evenly throughout the leather.

Now using an airbrush and Liquitex Soft Body Professional Artist Acrylic thinned with a little Liquitex Airbrush Medium, apply several light coats of color to the cracks, light coats, light coats and let them dry. Do just the cracks, not the whole boot, did I say light coats of acrylic.

Use a good cream polish on the cracked area and blend over the whole boot, then build up a good wax based spit shine over the whole boot with Lincoln stain wax polish.

You have a couple three hours work there.

Art