Where The Rubber Hits The Road

[johnnycanuck]

Story time. 15 years ago I invested over $200 into a pair of Red Ring boots. Really expensive at the time but I justified it by telling myself I can get them re-soled for just $50 when they wear out. Well worth it! Right? Now its 15 years later and the “SuperSole” finally blew out. Uppers are in great condition. So I called up the Red Wing vendor that I bought them from to make sure the service is still available threw them. Well this is where the rubber hits the road. They don’t just replace soles anymore. You have to get a full service (re-crafting) it takes about 6 weeks and it costs $170 plus tax……? WTF.


I am a married man with 4 kids so finances are tight but I still like to get the most out of my money. I am also working on a plant site office. So I wear boots daily and the hallways are loud so I try to keep to rubber soled footwear. Leather soles, composite soles are loud. I leave my Bostonians, Allen Edmonds and Aldens at home. Now I know Blundstones are great boots. My last pair lasted seven years and are only $40 more expensive than this re-crafting. In fact Dr. Martens last about 4 years and are about $15 more expensive than the re-crafting. In fact $170 is over half way to a new pair of Red Wing heritage line boots.

So decision time. Do I spend that kind of money to have it re-crafted? or do you put that money towards a new pair of boots?

Opinions? Options?

Thank you in advance.

Johnny

 

[johnnycanuck]

Getting a local to re-sole footwear in not an option. Between myself and others I know, having local cobblers work on shoes, they end up having about a three month life span. I have never had a good experience re-soling unless the foot wear went back to the original factory.
Johnny

 

[AeroFan_07]

Save the money for something more along these lines.....https://whitesboots.com/

I used to be a Red Wing only guy...that's changed.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Save the money for something more along these lines.....https://whitesboots.com/

I used to be a Red Wing only guy...that's changed.

If I was to go with a different expensive boot other that Red Wing it would be these. https://www.rufflander.co.uk/brands/william-lennon/
Love the old British work boot Look. Reminds be of my Grandparents.
Johnny

 

[AeroFan_07]

Those look nice. I'm sold on Whites & Nicks as they run a high arch support.

 

[GHT]

Story time. 15 years ago I invested over $200 into a pair of Red Ring boots. Really expensive at the time but I justified it by telling myself I can get them re-soled for just $50 when they wear out. Well worth it! Right? Now its 15 years later and the “SuperSole” finally blew out.

Lets do the math. You spent two hundred dollars on a pair of boots that have lasted fifteen years. Now the soles have finally worn out but the uppers are still good.
If you divide $200 by fifteen (years) you get $13.33. divide that again by 365, (days in a year) and you get just slightly more than three and a half cents a day.
You say your budget is tight, so what do you buy daily or weekly that you wouldn't miss, that would amount to 25 cents per week? Twenty five cents per week, amounts to $200 over 15 years.
Inflation has taken it's toll, you now need about $300 plus

In fact $170 is over half way to a new pair of Red Wing heritage line boots.

Double the 25 cents to 50 cents and you could spend $400. What costs you 50 cents a week that you could easily go without? Give it up and buy yourself a new pair of boots.

 

[bn1966]

I had a £200.00 pair of boots 're-crafted' recently for close to half that! TBH in future given the service I got from the boots I'd just save for a new pair Re-crafted didn't make them 'new' again. I've tried the local cobbler route before with DMs (new Commando sole). It ended in tears a few weeks later when they started to come unstuck...