How To: Resole Your Harley Davidson Boots

Replacing the soles on Harley Davidson boots is a challenging home project and most people will just buy a new pair. You may want to take them to a professional to be resoled. If you still want to go through it to save money, and your favorite pair of boots, here’s what you’ll need for this project.

Tools:
work gloves, sewing awl, small screwdriver or nail puller, small wood blocks, scrap wood boards, sharp knife, hammer, sturdy clamps.

Materials: (Most of these items can be purchased at your local shoe repair shop).
Buy flexible shoe-repair adhesive and heel fasteners.
Buy Vibram (for durability, slip resistance, and comfort) soles of the correct size.
heavy-duty waxed thread, rags, acetone, replacement rubber insoles, coarse sandpaper.

Time: about 2 or 3 hours.

First things first, you have to remove the old sole for the new one to go on. Harley Davidson boot-soles are normally welted (sewn) on but some are cement (glued on). If they’re welted, there will be threads visible around the upper edge of the sole. Look over the soles for attaching screws or nails in the heel; remove any fasteners with a screwdriver or a nail puller, and save them to attach the new soles.

After you remove the heel fasteners, separate the old sole from the rest of the boot. If the boots are welted, you’ll find three layers of material: the old sole, a center rubber layer, and a permanently attached leather layer. To separate the old soles from your boots, insert the blade of a sharp knife between the sole and the middle rubber layer; carefully work it around the boot until the sole is free. If the boots are cemented, there will be only two layers, the old sole and a permanent layer. Separate them in the same manner.

Once you’ve removed the old soles, clean the middle rubber layer with acetone until all glue and debris are gone. On welted shoes, check the sewing for breaks, and check the rubber layer for tears. If this rubber layer is torn, it must be replaced too. Remove the damaged rubber layer the same way you removed the sole, inserting the blade of a sharp knife between the rubber layer and the permanently attached leather layer. Mend breaks in the stitching or attach a new middle layer with a sewing awl and heavy-duty waxed thread, making stitches all around the new insole.

Once you have with the cleaned or replaced the rubber middle layer, use coarse sandpaper to roughen both the inside surface and the bonding surface of the new Vibram soles. Wear your work gloves, and wipe off any debris thoroughly. Be careful not to touch either the insole or the sole — body oils repel adhesives.

Apply flexible shoe-repair adhesive evenly to both surfaces; be careful around the edges. Follow the adhesive manufacturer’s instructions exactly; join the soles as specified. Align the new sole over the prepared boot surface and press it into place, starting at the toe and working down toward the heel; curl the new sole into place and stretch it toward the heel as you go.

Next, set the boot on a flat surface, sole up, and pound the entire sole with a hammer. To get a firm bond, clamp each boot between two flat boards for 36 hours or recommended drying time; place a small wedge under the sole just forward of the heel to assure the bond in the arch.

When the new soles are dry, trim off excess sole material with a sharp knife, working slowly around each boot to assure a quality finish. Finally, if the new Vibram soles have pre-drilled holes for heel fasteners, set new heel fasteners into the holes and pound them in firmly.

If this seems just to much to go through for you try a new pair of Harley Davidson Boots

Tags: Buyers guide, harley boots, Harley Davidson, Harley Davidson Boots, Harley Davidson Shoes, Harley Davidson tennis shoes, mens harley davidson boots, steel toe boots, steel toe harley boots, Steel toe Motorcycle boots, womens harley boots, Womens Harley Davidson Boots, womens harley sandals

This entry is filed under Harley Davidson Boots, Harley Davidson Boots-Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.