Last week I bought a new pair of Alpinestars boots and this time I went for the Goretex lined boots.
The Goretex boots seemed to be the sensible way to go and my previous boots (Alpinestars SMX) had done sterling service over the last six years and 60,000 or so miles but they were on their last legs – the heels were well-worn down and the sole on the left boot had gone through and the right was looking like it was going that way as well.
I wondered about whether it was worth it (cost-effective) to get them re-soled but a bit of time on the internet suggested that it wasn’t quite as straightforward as having an ‘ordinary’ pair of shoes done – mainly because of the boots molded sole and although they can be repaired/resoled I was struggling to find anywhere for less than around £50 or so.
Some years ago I had some heels repaired on a pair of Sidi Vertebrae boots (which I still have and the repair has been spot on) and these were done by a local cobbler – so I thought maybe it was worth asking him whether or not he could do anything with the Alpinestars boots.
He could and for £16:00 has done more than a decent job and a job that has given the boots some more life and they will certainly be fine for dry weather. I had to leave them with him for a few days as there is an issue about the time it takes for the glue (that’s probably not quite the right technical term to go off and cure, but as the place I used was pretty local to me in Manchester it was hardly an inconvenience.
Anyone that has bought decent motorcycle boots will know that they don’t come cheap – my new boots last week cost me £160 and a new pair of SMX are probably the best part of £200 – but for a fraction of that my SMX boots live on, which just goes to show that some of the old skills and the traditional cobblers can be well worth a visit.
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