Awl Together Leather uses Vibram soles and a strength agent in all our hiking boot resoles, for a gauranteed repair! Despite their differences, the process of repair is very similar for many styles of performance outdoor footwear! This means we can repair your trail runners, backpacking boots, mountaineering boots, approach shoes, hiking shoes, and more.
Hiking Boot soles commonly use TPU midsoles that break down naturally over time. When this happens, the sole will literally crumble like wet chalk. Many cobblers don’t properly repair hiking boots, failing to remove all the deteriorated rubber before applying a new sole. If the old material isn’t fully removed, the repair won’t last. That’s why at Awl Together Leather, we take the time to completely remove the damaged TPU sole and replace it with a durable new option.
Hiking and Outdoor Footwear can be contrusted in different ways – glued, GoodYear Welt stitched, or Stitchdown, with the option for additional rubber rands (for extra toe protection) or foam midsoles (for comfort). Depending on your construction style and your wanted outcome, we can rebuild the sole like the original or go a new route! Here are our most popular hiking boot resole options:
The Vibram Bifida Cupsole is the most common sole we use, as it’s durability and versality is unparalleled. This sole wraps up on the upper, covering damage to the rand or leather. All our hiking boot resoles are glued with a strength agent added for additional support. The Bifida is also stitched 270* and has a waterproof glue bead applied to the toe. This optoin is hard-wearing and long-lasting for all your hiking adventures.
The Vibram Foura Cupsole is another great option for a hiking boot resole. The Foura is prefered by some as it has absorbing polyurethane layer embedded in the sole – aka it’s a bit softer. However, the Foura may disentegrate with time (5-10 years). Like the Bifida, it is glued with a strength agent added, is stitched 270* and has a waterproof glue bead applied to the toe.
If you want to retain or replace the rand of your hiking boot, we can do so! Most often we will reglue the old rand back to the boot upper and add a waterproof glue bead around the edge to protect it from the elements. However, if you wanted a full rand replacement, we can do that too!
Before we had all these modern footwear materials, boots were made using tried and true construction methods. We see this legacy in many brands offering what we call “retro” options. Some examples are the Danner Mountain Lights, Hanwag Grünten, as well as models from Limmer Boots and Fracap. These styles are usually goodyear welted, Norwegian welted, or made in the stitchdown construction methods. To resole these, we can simply remove the original outsole and add a new rubber outsole. If the midsole needs to be changed and/or re-stitched, we can provide that as well!
Common examples of sole include the Vibram 132 Montagna, which is Vibram’s heaviest lug and most dense rubber. The Vibram Fire and Ice is the exact same shape, however made with a special heat-resistant compound that is formulated specifically for extreme temperatures. Lastly, the Vibram 1275 Olympia fullsole features multidirectional leading edges and broad outer lugs to enhance slip-resistance, grip and stability with every step.
The options are abundant, but slightly different, for these types of lighter weight hiking footwear. As these shoes are more commonly made with EVA and foam midsoles, we have many options to resole these (as we aren’t required to change out the whole bottom each time!). If you wear your shoes very evenly, we could still replace the rubber outsole with a new treaded fullsole. In addition, we could replace just the halfsoles or just the heels, in the materials of your choice.
Our most common soles for trail running shoes or flatter hiking footwear are the Vibram Kletter 148, a classic lugged flat sole. The Vibram 1330 Newporter sole provides outstanding slip-resisting characteristics on oil or wet rocks. We have lots of materials that we would be happy to show you in shop!
These hiking boots are meant to be stiff and supportive, to protect your ankle from movement and the elements. If you love your boots but the sole has started to go, we can replace the entire thing or just a portion – depending on what makes sense for your pair.
On Mountaineering Boots, the midsole is often TPU or EVA, as they are lightweight materials that provides some additional cushion. If your midsole is damaged in any way, we can replace it at the same time as doing new rubber outsoles. See the cupsole options or “retro” optoins for come classic hiking boot resole options.
Re-sewing a popped seam, heel liner replacements, replacing lacing hardware (like eyelets and speedhooks), and mending holes are all common fixes that we provide on all hiking boots (including Lowas, Vasque, Salomon, Danners, Merrells and more!). We are always trying to keep your feet dry and comfortable, so we often are able to repair aspects without puncturing the waterproof lining. If it’s absolutely required, we will always discuss that first. Awl Together Leather holds the highest re-sewing standards and only sews in existing stitch lines – this looks better and extends the life of your boots!
Having a broken speedhook (aka a lacing hook) or eyelet can really slow you down! We replace all sorts of hardware types on hiking boots. Most commonly, we will open up the lining to remove the old hardware backing first, re-set the new hardware piece and re-sew the lining closed. This allows us to protect your foot from the back of the hardware (to reduce rubbing) and to protect your waterproof lining from being compromised. We carry hardware in many colours, shapes and sizes to achieve a close match to your original!
On a well loved pair of hiking boots, it’s very common to wear through your heelback / heel liners. Holes in the back of your hiking boots can be repaired with a new leather lining! We always use a durable but soft leather (in the color of your choice!), so your repaired boots should feel like they did when you first bought them!
Have holes developed in the flex points of your hiking boots? We can patch them! This usually entails backing the spot with a thin leather (internally) and then zig-zag stitching overtop. After repair, you shouldn’t be able to feel the spot with your foot whatsoever.
If you’ve only busted a seam, but there’s no hole through the uppers or linings, you may just need a simple re-stitch instead of a patch! That’s something we would need to see in person, to be able to determine what we would recommend.
If the edge or seam of your rubber rand has started to lift up, we can re-glue that for you! Additionally, we offer an “extra protection” 360 glue bead that seals the whole top edge to prevent future peeling.
Did you just notice something is askew with your boots but you leave for a hike SOON? Give us a call or send us an email with a photo and we may be able to help you out on a faster timeline! Some jobs can be done while-you-wait, while others may require a rush fee to be able to accommodate a quick turnaround.
An additional recommendation is to consider other things that may make your boots more comfortable. For example, wool socks rather than cotton (which holds moisture), or adding in an insole/insert with arch support, etc.
Merrell, Salomon, Danner, Lowa, La Sportiva, Vasque, Meindl, Limmer Boots, Hoka, Keen, Columbia, Oboz, Timberland, Scarpa, Zamberland, Hanwag, Fracap, etc!
When shopping for hiking boots, we always say it has less to do with the brand and more to do with how they fit your feet.