Replacing the insole in a riding boot.

[Mulesaw]

I got hugely inspired by @Tastech to do some more serious repair work on a riding boot this time home.

Our oldest son works full time as a rider at a jumping stable, and his old daily boots had come apart. The glues outsole had loosened completely, my guess is that it happened since the insole was only made of some pressed cardboard like material, and the uppers were only glued to the underside of it, so at some point everything started to loosen and the boot was damaged.

I took off the outsole and inspected the boot. The midsole was also some cardboard like material, and that was removed as well. 

I made a new insole from a piece of veg tan leather, tracing the remains of the original insole and guessing how the tip should look. 
The new insole was glued in place and I used a curved awl with a hook on it to make a lock stich to attach the uppers to the insole. Since the original sole didn't have a sewing channel, I thought that I'd better not change the design too much and that's why I chose the lock stitching method. 

When the insole was in place, I glued the sole stiffener in. I didn't have any cork filler, and I had too little patience to get some. So I tried to make my own filler from latex paint, sawdust and PVA glue. It looked all right, but I after letting it dry I as afraid that it would not hold up to the job, so I removed it all again. I didn't want to risk that the sole came off because of my homemade filler.

After spending a lot of time removing the sawdust paint filler, I decided to fill in the voids with some scraps of veg tan instead. That went surprisingly well, and after attaching the mid sole, I rigged up an old round sanding wheel, and roughed up the bottom and shaped it to correspond to the inside of the sole.

After one failed glue attempt where I had placed the sole too far back, I managed to get a decent positioning and everything was hammered tight. I don't have a heel press at the moment, but hammering seemed to do the trick.

I didn't time myself for the repair job, but given that a set of boots like those will most likely set you back around 600 US$, it is still worth spending a couple of hours doing it plus the added benefit that it is an interesting job and I like to learn something new.
The biggest surprise for me was that the original insole and midsole were of such a crappy quality. And also that the upper and the insole/sole only relied on glue to hold it together. Aside from that, it was daunting at first to separate the boot, but once I got started it all seemed fairly logical. And given that the boot was so damaged that Gustav originally wanted to throw it away, I didn't risk much except investing a bit of time and learning something in the case that I hadn't been able to repair it.

Damaged Cavallo riding boot.

Close up of the damaged part of the boot.

Sole, inner lining, midsole, insole with stiffener on it.

The new insole is glued in place prior to stitching.

Wavy stitching, done with a hook-awl, it doesn't look pretty, but I think it holds better than no sewing.

The white stuff is the remains of the homemade paint/glue/sawdust filler. Now the voids have been filled with veg tan that is glued in place.

New midsole installed and the underside has been shaped on the sanding wheel.

The sole is glued on again and the boot should hopefully hold up for a bit more use.

 

[PurpleBronc]

Thanks for putting up the photos.  I  will be having to do this to my riding boots when I get the time, so it's good to see how you did it.

If you had to use sole leather to replace the soles, and you needed to make holes for sewing, what would you use to make them? I'm scared to break my awl, because that sole leather is quite thick and hard.

Thanks!

[Mulesaw]

21 minutes ago, PurpleBronc said:

Thanks for putting up the photos.  I  will be having to do this to my riding boots when I get the time, so it's good to see how you did it.

If you had to use sole leather to replace the soles, and you needed to make holes for sewing, what would you use to make them? I'm scared to break my awl, because that sole leather is quite thick and hard.

Thanks!

Glad to be able to inspire a little :-)

I think I would use a regular diamond shaped awl if I had to make holes in leather soles. But I'd make sure that it was well sharpened before using it. So a bit of sharpening and stropping should help I think.
The hook-awl I used for attaching the uppers to the insole was a cheap one I got form the Internet (TEMU), it was not at all sharp when I got it, so I started by making it nice and sharp. And like in woodworking: Sharp fixes everything.

If you have leather soles, I think it also depends on if they are sewn along the edges (Goodyear welt as far as I have understood), or if they are sewn from the inside (McKay stitching I think it is called). 
I don't think you can do the inside stitching without a McKay stitcher which is a big sewing machine. But if it is a Goodyear welt, you can do it with hand tools.

  @Tastech is a pro, so if he chimes in with advice, I'd 100% go with what he suggests. This is my first attempt on this type of repair. If you needed advice on replacing zippers in riding boots, I'd be much more comfortable giving advice since I have done that a lot.

brgds Jonas

 

[Tastech]

@Mulesaw You actually did quite well for a first attempt and probably learned a lot on the journey . From looking at the first photo most would write off the boots  but they can be fixed to last quite a long time . There seems to have been a blowout ,where the boot has essentially burst at the seams . This is common yet easily fixed . I fix about 5 blow outs a week . To fix a blowout you have to "patch " the area . this is done by looking at the blowout area and open it up as far as it wants to go . Usually 10-20 mm either side . You separate the lining from the outer  so you have room to insert a glue brush and leather patch . the patch is inserted as far up as it wants to go . 25 -40 mm  is good . the same amount is left outside and will be tucked in between the innersole and sole when you are at that stage . . It's a 2 stage process . apply glue between the upper and lining and push the patch in while the glue is wet . this enables better positioning . Leave the rest hanging out for the second stage .

Replace the innersole with a veg tan leather sole . Not sole leather . Use the existing shank .  This is best done on a wooden or plastic last. Staple or nail the inner sole to the last pull the upper into approximate position apply glue and using lasting pliers and 30 mm x 1.2 mm nails  go around the shoe  the nails are temporary so only go in enough to hold every thing in place . check the symmetry and when happy tap the perimeter down . Remove the nails and belt it down good . 

With that type of boot the easiest way is not to stitch but to tack .  You can put another leather piece over the top 5 mm bigger all around and tack ( Rivet is the correct term ) the 2 new pieces together with the upper in the middle . Think salami sandwich . to rivet or tack you will need a steel last inside the shoe , so remove the wooden one if you have one . The length of tack will be determined by the overall thickness you want to join . you need a tack about 3 mm longer than the thickness . The tack will curve over and and back when it hits the steel . One of those 3 legged common cobbler lasts will be perfect ( that's what they were actually made for. A riveted shoe is very strong so fear not . But take care , tacks are sharp little buggers . When done ,rough the bottom to absorb glue and  glue a sole of your choice . When it comes to attaching heel blocks there is no law that says you can't use screws . For boots you need and extension piece and the correct bit . A screw gun is better than a drill . use countersunk plaster board screws and make sure the head sit flush inside the heel . Don't over tighten . Gently run your hand inside the boot feeling for raised tacks  and take care of them with a hammer  . There will be at least one so do it gently or you will tear a finger tip trying to find it  .

 The whole process is easy and comes down to common sense . I would only have to show someone once and they are good for life .

I got a thread going  about vintage cobbler tools and what not . I should do a chat or thread about steel repair anvils and their quirks . At this stage i will say that they are not created equally and i have a preference for a particular type . 

 Hoped this helped , and further questions or clarifications please ask .

[Mulesaw]

@Tastech

Thanks for the explanations. 

I sadly don't have a wooden or a plastic last, so I just hope that the insole will mould to the foot over time. 
I suppose I could have tacked it all together I never thought about that. My anvil is an old cobblers thing with a cast iron base that extends around 24" from the ground. I have different sizes of foot shaped anvils that fits on top of the base. Most of them seem to be for really small feet. The biggest I have is a size 8 as far as I remember. But I can move the boot around to get support all the different needed places.

Originally Gustav wanted to throw out those boots, but I sort of wanted to try to copy them, so for a long time my plan was to cut them open and copy the shapes and then try to make a new couple based on that. But I am glad that I repaired them. 

I need to find the time to make some wooden lasts so I can try to make a set of boots or jodphurs or Chelsea boots. But there always seem to be so much going on that it is difficult to find the time to do it.

In the mean time Gustav has ordered some new boots and those that used to be the daily boots are now in need of a repair job. I think it is the heels that are won on those. They are a different model with stacked leather heels.
I have replaced the outer rubber piece of the heel some time ago, but I thin that he has worn them down so much so that I need to replace the entire heel block.

I was wondering if I should buy real sole leather for that, or if I could take some thick veg tan and moisten it before compressing it - then leaving it to dry.
My guess is that sole leather is just heavily compressed veg tan, but I could easily be wrong here.

Brgds Jonas

[Mablung]

I think sole leather is tanned a bit differently as well to make it a bit harder and tougher. That’s just what I’ve gathered from a little reading, so I may be incorrect. 

[Tastech]

@mulesaw Sole leather is tanned differently and is harder .  You don't have to replace the whole heel block . you can build up the worn outside edge with skived wedges . That is the standard practice with cobblers . You do need a belt type sander do do it properly. You sand down the worn corner to a uniform taper , Glue  a piece of sole leather to it . trim it with a knife and sand it flat , some times it take 2 layers . Cobblers call this wedge leather a skive . We have a hand operated machine that cuts them . once the heel has been restored , put a few nails in the skive to secure it and use a heel rubber over the top . The heel is then sanded to a uniform shape .  On my shoes i put 2 rows of brass nails on the outside edge of the heel for better wear .

 No need to make lasts , just buy them . plastic ones last longer . Boot lasts are different to shoe lasts . they also come in different toe shapes and widths .  You can easily modify them to suit your foot by adding some leather to the sides and blending them in or you can take bits off by shaving them down . But you need to get them in the size you want give or take half a size . Ebay is the place to look . Etsy is a bit pricey .I just bought 8 pairs for $200 AUD delivered from England to Australia . Be patient and keep looking for them . get one pair your size and work on some shoes . you will learn a lot about them and base your next purchase based on that knowledge . Unless you nail it the first time . ( see what i did there lol)

Steel lasts are for repair only and size is not crucial . The main thing is that the toe tip of the last can reach the toe of the shoe . Essentially they are an anvil. You just move the shoe around to curl a tack from toe to heel . If doing boots you need a long stand on the steel last . They are everywhere if you look . people use them as door stops . Its always worth getting a professional set if you find them cheap . they are handy . There is a trick we use to hold the shoe down when stripping the soles and heels off . That is a loop of either leather or webbing that goes over the waist of the shoe and the other end is 100 mm off the ground . You step on the ground end and it pulls down and holds the shoe in place . its the poor mans clamp . Pretty logical if you think about it . 

 I have seen youtube cobblers at work but they don't really explain much , their emphasis is on entertaining the crowd not educating . Having said that cobblers and shoe makers tend to be a secretive bunch . I have never understood why . Afraid of competition i guess .  They also tend to be a bit cranky as well . I am neither .