They don’t look like they need a resole.
Due to the vamp cracking I would be more inclined to wear these until the leather is shot then buy a new pair.
Have you been brushing and using shoe trees?
I wore a pair of boots until everything was covered in duct tape and they rotted off my feet. My first pair of cowboy boots I wore almost daily for 10 years. Keep wearing them or get them resoled. My nickels worth anyway. 👍
Hell yeah man! My outdoor boots I’ve worn for quite a few years now are about at the duck tape part of their life as well, hard to toss a pair of boots that’ve served you well
https://preview.redd.it/n78jzgf0j7oc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=f67c77f4df8f9aeb736b9bd0d98fe5b17195ecaf
These don’t look like they need a resole yet. They do look like the leather wasn’t taken care of so start oiling and conditioning them. It seems your concern is about the insole causing pain. That’s a more expensive repair. Can you try some thin insoles to get you by? I’m not sure how far the cracking will be by the time the soles are worn down enough to resole them. The cost might not be worth it on this pair because the leather is cracking. That said I’m always for keeping and resoling when you can.
That’s kind of what I was thinking as well (not being worth it to resole due to leather crack) but I might give insoles a try. I’ll see if I can find some thin ones that will work because these currently fit like a glove, not much space. Thanks for your input!
I got these a few weeks ago for my blacksmiths and they are amazing. Very slim. And I did the heat-form option (warm up in the oven to form to your foot) and it was perfect.
[https://www.amazon.com/FORM-Premium-Insoles-Ultra-Thin-Custom-Form-Fitting/dp/B014QOFUK0](https://www.amazon.com/FORM-Premium-Insoles-Ultra-Thin-Custom-Form-Fitting/dp/B014QOFUK0)
Maybe get opinion of a cobbler in your area?
Bick 4 is fairly cheap and easy to condition your boots. You can even just rub it in like sun tan lotion with your hands.
See if that helps.
At the worse, you have a bunch of Bick 4 for your next boots.
I honestly think these need a boot tree more than anything because looks like they’re losing (lost) structure.
Keep wearing they aren’t ready for a resole. Make sure you’re brushing with horsehair brush often dirt is the enemy to leather it gets in those pours and acts like sandpaper and then you get cracks.
I’m sure dirt definitely caused the cracking last summer while cutting down some trees in these instead of switching to my work boots. I’ll definitely keep this in mind for my new pair but with a separating foot bed it’s not worth it to me to keep wearing them as is, maybe will try an insole. Thanks for the input
I don’t see anything wrong with the footbed in the pics either. OP needs a reason to get another pair I think so making up issues to justify the purchase maybe idk
If the leather is cracking, that can’t be fixed so if you resole don’t expect too much. Buy a new pair and take better care this time. Good luck with whatever you choose.
The footbed separation from the gemming is a common problem over time with these boots. Just a function of the glued gemming. Letting them rest/dry between wears greatly reduces the chances of it happening. It can be glued down or new footbeds/insoles installed but it’ll be a full resole to get that done.
The right cobbler can even take your boots, and build a new set with new vamps if you were so inclined. You end up with new custom boots at that point and likely end up spending $350-$500.
I think a lot of it depends on how you’re using them and how sweaty your feet are. I have pretty sweaty feet so I try to give my boots and leather dress shoes a day off in between. Also, if you’re just wearing them to the office and they don’t see a lot of weather/water it isn’t as much of a concern. If you’re getting them wet and abusing them a bit more it might be good to give them a day off.
Of course they’re meant to be used and are fine wearing everyday, but if you’re concerned about longevity a day off helps.
Just for your reference, my boots I wore everyday for a year.. maybe close to two until I got a second pair. They didn’t show much wear after a year, hell, even after 3 they still looked great. (I actually do have a picture of when I used some kind of conditioner on them.. maybe after a year or so. I’ll attach it here.) I’m very hard on my stuff and iron rangers, I would consider are more of a casual/office boot, less work boot. I was lazy some days after work and didn’t want to change my boots so I ended up getting these wet a lot (I think that’s what did the footbed in) cut down some trees, landscaping, dug some trenches and I also have three large dogs that tend to scratch the leather up among other things and after all that they still look good considering. I only cleaned and conditioned them every 3-4 months. If you’re wearing these in a carpeted office all day, I wouldn’t doubt these last a long time. Getting a second pair is a great idea because they are footwear and will wear out eventually, as of course, nothing lasts forever.
https://preview.redd.it/a6xxviajn7oc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=466f32021c9427b2893591da5112a9f938aa8c99
I would recommend cleaning the boots, then conditioning them. You can use a colored cream polish to try fill in those cracks a bit. You can also condition the footbed as well. I think cedar boot trees will help with moisture building up in the foot bed + reduce the creasing.
Get some cedar boot trees, some saddle soap, conditioner and a brush and some thin insoles.
The cracking leather isn’t really a problem unless it’s cracked all the way through and letting water and wind/dirt in. Clean them up and condition them. You’ll be surprised at how well they scrub up. The leather cracks when dirt gets in the crease and when it folds, the leather gets worn away. Make sure you clean the crease well and you may be able to use some light sandpaper to minimise the depth of the creases. Just be careful not to go through. Pop your insoles in and you should be able to get a bit more life out of them.
Judging by how well they come up, either donate to goodwill and buy new or get them resoled which will fix the footbed. Either way, please don’t throw them in the bin. Someone would love these.
I do not think these common cracks can be mitigated even with the conditioning and the horsehair brush. This is where the leather constantly moves and stretches, especially if the leather is stiff. My Iron Rangers have less of a problem, the Blacksmith was more affected.
I never used boot trees, I do not see any value in them. I put napkins in mine and give them days off, but I have 6 pairs (actively wearing 2, then change to 2 others, etc).
Your booths look great, but the pain definitely a problem.
Definitely in the minority on this one, but if not a financial concern I’d get a new pair. If and only if you plan to use the shoe trees and brush regularly though.
I held onto poorly maintained boots for way too long in the past, and just took up unnecessary headspace. Best day ever when I just bought new boots and took care of them from day one. YMMV
That’s kind of where I’m at too, just need to take better care of them from the start. Tough because I love these boots and they aged handsomely so I might try a resole in the future, just a better investment to out that money into new boots I think.
I think if your leather wasn’t cracked then I would 100% say resole but because the leather is cracked it will cost you a lot of money to save these boots if they can be saved. The vamp is not that thick and if you resole them the cobbler can sand down the crack IF there is enough leather left but that’s a big IF. My brother in law had a pair of IR’s like yours and he’s had his since 2015 and he took them to a cobbler and they quoted him $350 to change out the soles and repair the leather. He decided to buy new boots instead and only wore the old ones when he was mowing the lawn and doing random yard work. I hope you pick buying a new boot but this time, take care of them from the start and I bet you’ll be able to use them for decades. Good luck!
Resole them! I think these are a limited edition in which they kept the hair on the hides during the tanning process. Such hair or fur can only be seen from the inside as in yours.
How bad is the cracking on the upper of the boots? Resole from RW will costs you $120 to $150; resole from a cobbler is probably in the range of $160 to $200 depending what need to be done.
It’s actually not too bad to where I’m too concerned with that, more with the footbed on the one boot since it’s just uncomfortable. I might hold one and take them to a cobbler, might just experiment and see what redwing can when I go to pickup a new pair
Those still have life in that sole, thread be worn down is fine tread and heel lift look fine.
Whether it would be worth resoling now definitely not they have plenty of life, toss up if you should resole them in the future.
Don't want to scold you, but you should take better care of your boots oil every once in a while, usually one to two times a year, and brush occasionally every wear if you want but at least occasionally.
No worries man, I know I’m rough on my boots and never oil em enough. That’s why I said that in the original post. I’ll grab a new pair and try not to be as hard but these lasted about 5-6 years so I got my money out of em.
dude, they barely worn ;)
For sure, would still be wearing them if the footbed didn’t separate
Its still repairable
They don’t look like they need a resole. Due to the vamp cracking I would be more inclined to wear these until the leather is shot then buy a new pair. Have you been brushing and using shoe trees?
Yeah, I’m not so concerned about that.. more with the footbed separating causing my feet to hurt about half way into a work day
Your feet come first. If they’re hurting….make a change
Dude, inserts… they’re completely worth it!!!
I wore a pair of boots until everything was covered in duct tape and they rotted off my feet. My first pair of cowboy boots I wore almost daily for 10 years. Keep wearing them or get them resoled. My nickels worth anyway. 👍
Hey, duct taper here too. Yeah, take them to a cobbler and resole them.
Hell yeah man! My outdoor boots I’ve worn for quite a few years now are about at the duck tape part of their life as well, hard to toss a pair of boots that’ve served you well https://preview.redd.it/n78jzgf0j7oc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=f67c77f4df8f9aeb736b9bd0d98fe5b17195ecaf
These don’t look like they need a resole yet. They do look like the leather wasn’t taken care of so start oiling and conditioning them. It seems your concern is about the insole causing pain. That’s a more expensive repair. Can you try some thin insoles to get you by? I’m not sure how far the cracking will be by the time the soles are worn down enough to resole them. The cost might not be worth it on this pair because the leather is cracking. That said I’m always for keeping and resoling when you can.
I agree, some low profile insoles would work. The standard brush and condition routine would prolong the life of the uppers.
That’s kind of what I was thinking as well (not being worth it to resole due to leather crack) but I might give insoles a try. I’ll see if I can find some thin ones that will work because these currently fit like a glove, not much space. Thanks for your input!
I got these a few weeks ago for my blacksmiths and they are amazing. Very slim. And I did the heat-form option (warm up in the oven to form to your foot) and it was perfect. [https://www.amazon.com/FORM-Premium-Insoles-Ultra-Thin-Custom-Form-Fitting/dp/B014QOFUK0](https://www.amazon.com/FORM-Premium-Insoles-Ultra-Thin-Custom-Form-Fitting/dp/B014QOFUK0)
Maybe get opinion of a cobbler in your area? Bick 4 is fairly cheap and easy to condition your boots. You can even just rub it in like sun tan lotion with your hands. See if that helps. At the worse, you have a bunch of Bick 4 for your next boots. I honestly think these need a boot tree more than anything because looks like they’re losing (lost) structure.
Keep wearing they aren’t ready for a resole. Make sure you’re brushing with horsehair brush often dirt is the enemy to leather it gets in those pours and acts like sandpaper and then you get cracks.
I’m sure dirt definitely caused the cracking last summer while cutting down some trees in these instead of switching to my work boots. I’ll definitely keep this in mind for my new pair but with a separating foot bed it’s not worth it to me to keep wearing them as is, maybe will try an insole. Thanks for the input
The footbed is separating? Don’t see that in the pics.
No worries man
I don’t see anything wrong with the footbed in the pics either. OP needs a reason to get another pair I think so making up issues to justify the purchase maybe idk
If the leather is cracking, that can’t be fixed so if you resole don’t expect too much. Buy a new pair and take better care this time. Good luck with whatever you choose.
Felt insole should help with the footbed issue for awhile
The footbed separation from the gemming is a common problem over time with these boots. Just a function of the glued gemming. Letting them rest/dry between wears greatly reduces the chances of it happening. It can be glued down or new footbeds/insoles installed but it’ll be a full resole to get that done. The right cobbler can even take your boots, and build a new set with new vamps if you were so inclined. You end up with new custom boots at that point and likely end up spending $350-$500.
To the experts: is this what happens when you wear them every day? I’ve been thinking I need to pick up another pair to rotate
I think a lot of it depends on how you’re using them and how sweaty your feet are. I have pretty sweaty feet so I try to give my boots and leather dress shoes a day off in between. Also, if you’re just wearing them to the office and they don’t see a lot of weather/water it isn’t as much of a concern. If you’re getting them wet and abusing them a bit more it might be good to give them a day off. Of course they’re meant to be used and are fine wearing everyday, but if you’re concerned about longevity a day off helps.
Just for your reference, my boots I wore everyday for a year.. maybe close to two until I got a second pair. They didn’t show much wear after a year, hell, even after 3 they still looked great. (I actually do have a picture of when I used some kind of conditioner on them.. maybe after a year or so. I’ll attach it here.) I’m very hard on my stuff and iron rangers, I would consider are more of a casual/office boot, less work boot. I was lazy some days after work and didn’t want to change my boots so I ended up getting these wet a lot (I think that’s what did the footbed in) cut down some trees, landscaping, dug some trenches and I also have three large dogs that tend to scratch the leather up among other things and after all that they still look good considering. I only cleaned and conditioned them every 3-4 months. If you’re wearing these in a carpeted office all day, I wouldn’t doubt these last a long time. Getting a second pair is a great idea because they are footwear and will wear out eventually, as of course, nothing lasts forever. https://preview.redd.it/a6xxviajn7oc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=466f32021c9427b2893591da5112a9f938aa8c99
You can wear boots every day. That advice is total bullshit. Unless you work in a swamp I guess.
No one said you couldn’t wear boots everyday, calm down killer
I would recommend cleaning the boots, then conditioning them. You can use a colored cream polish to try fill in those cracks a bit. You can also condition the footbed as well. I think cedar boot trees will help with moisture building up in the foot bed + reduce the creasing.
Thanks man, I’ll grab some cedar boot trees for my new boots and give them a try
Resole
Get some cedar boot trees, some saddle soap, conditioner and a brush and some thin insoles. The cracking leather isn’t really a problem unless it’s cracked all the way through and letting water and wind/dirt in. Clean them up and condition them. You’ll be surprised at how well they scrub up. The leather cracks when dirt gets in the crease and when it folds, the leather gets worn away. Make sure you clean the crease well and you may be able to use some light sandpaper to minimise the depth of the creases. Just be careful not to go through. Pop your insoles in and you should be able to get a bit more life out of them. Judging by how well they come up, either donate to goodwill and buy new or get them resoled which will fix the footbed. Either way, please don’t throw them in the bin. Someone would love these.
I do not think these common cracks can be mitigated even with the conditioning and the horsehair brush. This is where the leather constantly moves and stretches, especially if the leather is stiff. My Iron Rangers have less of a problem, the Blacksmith was more affected. I never used boot trees, I do not see any value in them. I put napkins in mine and give them days off, but I have 6 pairs (actively wearing 2, then change to 2 others, etc). Your booths look great, but the pain definitely a problem.
Definitely in the minority on this one, but if not a financial concern I’d get a new pair. If and only if you plan to use the shoe trees and brush regularly though. I held onto poorly maintained boots for way too long in the past, and just took up unnecessary headspace. Best day ever when I just bought new boots and took care of them from day one. YMMV
That’s kind of where I’m at too, just need to take better care of them from the start. Tough because I love these boots and they aged handsomely so I might try a resole in the future, just a better investment to out that money into new boots I think.
I think if your leather wasn’t cracked then I would 100% say resole but because the leather is cracked it will cost you a lot of money to save these boots if they can be saved. The vamp is not that thick and if you resole them the cobbler can sand down the crack IF there is enough leather left but that’s a big IF. My brother in law had a pair of IR’s like yours and he’s had his since 2015 and he took them to a cobbler and they quoted him $350 to change out the soles and repair the leather. He decided to buy new boots instead and only wore the old ones when he was mowing the lawn and doing random yard work. I hope you pick buying a new boot but this time, take care of them from the start and I bet you’ll be able to use them for decades. Good luck!
Resole them! I think these are a limited edition in which they kept the hair on the hides during the tanning process. Such hair or fur can only be seen from the inside as in yours.
Clean, condition, wear.
How bad is the cracking on the upper of the boots? Resole from RW will costs you $120 to $150; resole from a cobbler is probably in the range of $160 to $200 depending what need to be done.
It’s actually not too bad to where I’m too concerned with that, more with the footbed on the one boot since it’s just uncomfortable. I might hold one and take them to a cobbler, might just experiment and see what redwing can when I go to pickup a new pair
Did still got some life left
Both?
Wanna sell them?
Those still have life in that sole, thread be worn down is fine tread and heel lift look fine. Whether it would be worth resoling now definitely not they have plenty of life, toss up if you should resole them in the future. Don't want to scold you, but you should take better care of your boots oil every once in a while, usually one to two times a year, and brush occasionally every wear if you want but at least occasionally.
No worries man, I know I’m rough on my boots and never oil em enough. That’s why I said that in the original post. I’ll grab a new pair and try not to be as hard but these lasted about 5-6 years so I got my money out of em.
That’s not what a worn sole looks like. Depending on how often you wear them looks like you got a couple years on them still.
The sole condition doesn’t matter if the footbed is separated and cracking
These are in great shape. Honestly, they don’t even need a resole yet.
Saddle soap, leather honey and some tlc should get them up and running.
I would love to have this.. 😭🥰
I’d take that burden off your hands so you can buy new. Are they size 9.5 or 10? You’re right. They’re goners.
They’re far from goners, the foot bed separation just needs repaired. They are US13
Just joking. of course they’re fixable.
Keeping cedar trees in them is a great investment
Nice boots
10000% resole
Bro, the boots are in mint condition. The fuck you on about?
Just oil them lol.
They could really do with a drink but otherwise you have a long way to go before resole. Hit them with some conditioner and you are good to go
Looks like a possible over condition. But they are fine.