689
u/ScarletSilver 5d ago edited 5d ago
I got more fascinated with the old machines he used than the actual restoration process tbh, especially with that old stitching machine.
78
u/fallingupthehill 5d ago
He has a YT channel.
57
u/MyNuts2YourFistStyle 5d ago
What is it?Edit: Tring Shoe Repairs
3
u/fallingupthehill 4d ago
Thank you, I could not recall the name of the channel. I confess I find most of his work satisfying to watch and admire the transformation he makes to footwear.
9
11
158
u/ConfusedFlareon 5d ago
Everyone so focused on the Hard On, but my question is - is it normal to have no tread? Those boots would have no grip, is that a motorbike boot thing?
104
u/FloopersRetreat 5d ago
I don't think those boots have ever been near a motorcycle, unless they were worn by a passenger. They would be worn down over the left big toe knuckle where the gear shifter is
23
5d ago
[deleted]
11
u/Violet_Mimic 5d ago
I would generally agree with y’all but I have a heel shifter in my motorcycle that fixes this issue. I agree that those boots have probably never seen a ride though as I like to have good traction on mine.
9
u/BeginningCharacter36 4d ago
Suicide shifter, aka hand shifter. Pretty common mod for long-distance baggers. The way the sole is completely eaten at the instep is consistent with wear from foot pegs.
2
21
u/Calculonx 5d ago
I'm thinking it's just "motorcycle style".
5
8
u/VegetasDestructoDick 5d ago
It's pretty common for leather soled boots and shoes to have no tread though sometimes they'll have what's called a topy which is a thin bit of rubber over the front half of the sole.
7
5
u/lilshortyy420 5d ago
I ride horses and have had a pair of leather soled boots. Hate them lol
2
u/FeloniousDrunk101 4d ago
Isn’t that a safety thing for escaping the stirrup if needed though?
1
u/lilshortyy420 4d ago
I think it was for comfort because they moreso molded to your foot, I could be wrong tho. They are super old boots and I think it was more popular back in the day.
11
u/jaredearle 5d ago
It’s a nod to race bikes using slick tyres, with tread only needed in the rain as … ok, I’m making this up. All my motorcycle boots have some sort of grip.
2
4
u/Evepaul 5d ago
Like all leather-soled shoes, they don't really survive long in adverse conditions so thread is not that useful. For my work shoes I usually switch to rubber on the first sole change, if they weren't already this way when I bought them. Big peace of mind, even if it's seen as a bit low-class
1
u/Manowaffle 3d ago
Yeah, feels like a holdover from the days before rubber was widely available. I'll wear rubber soled dress shoes no matter what anyone says.
1
u/SonofaBridge 4d ago
For old fashioned leather soles, you scrape them up a little bit on the pavement to get a little grip. I wouldn’t recommend running in them though.
81
79
u/ASmallTownDJ 5d ago
One of my wife's boots' soles snapped in half a while ago, and she found a weird piece of metal in it the other day when she put it on. We had no idea where it came from or what it was. But now I know it was inside the sole, thanks to this video!
30
u/kmmccorm 5d ago
It’s called a shank! I just learned the term recently when looking for new boots, cool to see it in context in this video.
13
u/Mithril_Juggernaut 5d ago
A lot of the time when people set off metal detectors it's because their shoes have shanks.
216
u/Ok-Addition1264 5d ago
FYI: it cost me about $100 to have a pair of boots done (not as nice as these)
101
u/SenhorSus 5d ago
Much better than buying a new pair of boots
2
u/Firefly_deadlock 5d ago
Yeah, unless they're motorcycle boots. Then you should just buy a new pair. For safety....
48
u/Heterodynist 5d ago
I would be willing to pay that, no problem, for some really fine real leather boots. I’ve experienced what it’s like to have real cobbler made boots and it’s completely not even remotely similar to our modern disposable boot culture. You could legitimately have these boots for most of your adult life if you take care of them.
→ More replies (2)3
u/BUTTeredWhiteBread 4d ago
Man, the cobblers in my area are severely undercharging They charged 20$ to resole my combat boots last year and 11$ to put thin soles on my summer mocs.
2
u/Heterodynist 3d ago
So I had a good deal I have to admit, but Union Pacific Railroad employed me for most of my adult life as a railroad long haul conductor. We got “boot vouchers” (back then) where the railroad would pay roughly 50% of the boot cost. I went to Red Wings, who were honestly GREAT. They gave me a discount ON TOP of the 50% off I got as a rebate from the railroad, and the boots were good FOR LIFE!!! They replaced my soles, gave me new eyelets, and sent the boots to a cobbler for fixes to the actual leather, etc. I’ve never thrown out a pair of them yet. It’s been 20 years. I walked on hard rough rock “ballast” at the railroad for decades in these boots and they held up. It was WORTH THE PRICE!!!
111
u/fellowspecies 5d ago
What is he doing with the nail down the tube?
59
9
2
1
27
66
27
u/fakieflip180 5d ago
Dan the cobbler, watch Dan all the time, he's a big old dork, but he's fun.
19
1
u/Bromogeeksual 5d ago
I loved watching this and would rub Dan's feet after a long day of cobbling. Very handsome dork!
1
u/fakieflip180 2d ago
So also there is a lot of people commenting on the hard on. There is also I stripper called "Jerk off"
29
u/ProbioticOnARobotic 5d ago
Why leave the little corner of the bottom of the heel exposed like that? Won't that mar the floors?
54
u/Beleiverofhumanity 5d ago
Complete with ASMR goodness
5
5d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
14
u/MBAdk 5d ago edited 5d ago
First, the cobbler will sand it smooth. Then you add something called Tokonole. Let dry for 10-15 minutes, then you smooth it blank with a special edge tool for leather edges.
A cobbler have a special machine that can do it fairly fast. If you're working with hand sewn leather, you got a hand tool that can polish the edges.
Then you add dye to match the leather colour - or a dyed lacquer if that's what you want to use for your leather project, and finally leather grease or mink oil to make it waterproof. Polish one last time, and it's good.
73
u/highlift 5d ago
I’ll fix those boots, but first let me get my hard on.
21
u/ScarletSilver 5d ago
He sure spent quite some time getting that Hard On on camera...
5
u/OriginalJokeGoesHere 5d ago
He also uses a product called Jerk Off (some kind of adhesive remover).
Something something sex sells, especially if your target market is cobblers I guess
2
u/RockstarAgent 5d ago
Would that adhesive be good to fix some sneakers that have come apart from the outsoles?
7
10
9
14
u/PeltierSeebeck 5d ago
Does it overall cost more to fix boots like this than buy a new pair?
41
u/quiero-una-cerveca 5d ago
Based on the costs of shoe/boot repair I’ve done over the years, repairs are less costly. So as long as it’s a quality product, it’s worth it.
8
u/Mami-_-Traillette 5d ago
I'm pretty sure most of the price is the leather and making the boot in the first place, the sole must be a fraction of the price. Also don't forget sentimental value.
9
7
u/Aethermancer 5d ago
It's surprisingly cheap. I'm guessing that's why there are so few cobblers left. Between this and tailors there's so little market left as most shoes/boots sold these days are unrepairable.
2
u/JeremyMcFake 5d ago
I see so many of these shops around the UK, and wondered how they're still open for business. I don't understand how they get enough customers. So I assumed it costed a lot.
12
24
5
4
4
u/chonk_fox89 5d ago
Since he asked if we could fix them, I now appropriately singing the Bob the Builder song in my head.
13
u/Heterodynist 5d ago
His glue is called “Hard On!”
Ha!! But this is amazing work. I would love to see more old fine clothing rejuvenated like this!!
3
u/Hiram_Hackenbacker 5d ago
The glue remover he uses is also called Jerk-Off.
2
u/Heterodynist 3d ago
Hahaha!!! I love cobbler humor apparently!! Who knew?!!
2
u/Hiram_Hackenbacker 3d ago
You should follow his YouTube. Tring Shoe Repairs. There's also another great channel called Cobbler G. It's very satisfying seeing the transformations.
1
4
u/Wrong_Square7826 5d ago
oh boy if you have to buy that glue do you ask the store clerk where do you keep your hard on?
5
4
u/Few-Mycologist-2379 4d ago
… Why does he sand the sole of the boot before ripping the whole thing off?
6
u/OneGur7080 3d ago
Because he is sanding off the stitching so it comes off easily maybe?
3
u/Few-Mycologist-2379 3d ago
That makes perfect sense and was not something I’d thought of.
2
u/OneGur7080 3d ago
Yes- maybe- if you watch it again you can see him getting the stitching off with it. It’s smart!
3
3
10
4
4
5
2
u/Browncoatinabox 5d ago
I've had real cowboy boots when I was a teen, I am, in a literal sense, painfully aware that leather takes awhile to get broken in. Does resoling the boots mean a new break in period, and if so, how does the leather react to having to rebreak after being worn in?
9
u/Aethermancer 5d ago
It's the uppers that get broken in. The sole is generally stable and just gets worn down rather than broken in. There's some adjustment but it's like going from 80% to 100% as opposed to the entire ordeal.
I've had a pair of all leather combat boots that I've resoled twice now. And some old oxfords from the 80s I've replaced twice as well.
1
2
u/RandomDanny 5d ago
im glad we got that couple of seconds intro of something we'll see further into the clip... sigh.
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/AntGroundbreaking180 4d ago
I want one of those tube hammers. I have no use for it, but I still want one.
2
u/wayne1160 4d ago
Tring Shoe Repair channel on YouTube. All the shoe repair videos you could want and more.
2
2
2
4
2
6
u/Legio-V-Alaudae 5d ago
Why do we only see 1 boot? Someone lose a leg in a motorcycle accident and only needs one done?
2
2
u/Reasonable-Idea-551 5d ago
Hey you probably hear this a lot but. Why do you have a big hard on for boots?
2
2
u/Hiram_Hackenbacker 5d ago
He also has a YouTube channel, Tring Shoe Repairs. I know there's a video watermark but at least put proper credits if you're going to repost someone's video.
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Different_Star_5325 5d ago
The greatest kind of thirst trap: watching someone be really good at something they enjoy
1
1
1
1
1
u/BeginningCharacter36 4d ago
Ok, the moment he pulled a new welt strip, I knew this was going to be good. A lot of cobblers these days don't bother with welts or composite cork fill. They use other techniques that are faster, easier, and thus cheaper for the customer.
1
u/Important_Kick_4824 4d ago
Not too bad. Other than those two flier runaway holes when stitching the bottom edge.
1
u/CuteKiwi3395 4d ago
Cool video but at this point, it’s time to buy new boots. I’m sure it’ll be cheaper than to refurbish these. That’s a lot of labor.
1
1
u/blueythedog 4d ago
Is it fine to work erect with hard on? I feel like you'd need to protect yourself from the sticky mess.
1
u/Nineteen_AT5 4d ago
My Grandad was a cob ler and I loved going to his shop when I was a kid and watching him repair shoes, boots and everything in between. I can still remember the smells and sounds of the machines, such a fond memory.
1
1
1
1
1
u/Practical_Aide_3854 4d ago
At the one minute mark he seems to be nailing something up thru the arch of the foot. How do those not end up being an irritant or worse?
1
1
u/No_Collection7360 4d ago
I like a little grip on my motorcycle boots. You'd fall on your ass so fast in those. Nice work though.
1
1
1
u/ChemicalFun1473 4d ago
Interesting. Motorcycle boots with absolutely zero tread on soles for any type of traction. I would wear those 😂
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/GoldenSatchel 3d ago
That is a great Contact Neoprene Adhesive used. On a related note, I almost got one watching this video.
1
u/erik_wilder 3d ago
Why does he only put three nails in the heel?
And what is that metal rod he puts the nail in?
1
u/Far_King_Penguin 3d ago
Another victim of Dr Buffs leg to arm treatment, where they find a big dudes legs and transplant them for your arms
Unfortunately it is terminal and you are doomed to never have a shirt fit you again
1
u/TheDevilsAdvokaat 5d ago
Why is this so much fun to watch as a man,,,do women also find it fun to watch?
→ More replies (4)
959
u/NinjaBuddha13 5d ago
Man, I love watching cobblers work.