I found this boot on eBay.
Look at the back of the boot… notice how the previous owner cut a slit in the top? Brilliant!
Not that I’m a proponent of taking a knife to a vintage boot. But personally, I would rather see boots worn and enjoyed on someone’s FEET …not chopped up and made into cowboy boot purses, and such.
I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.
— Jack London
Yeah… that’s right. Got it?
This is a simple alternation which could be done at almost any shoe repair shop. The slit in the back acts as an extra deep top scallop and opens the throat of the boot to accommodate a larger calf.
You need to have a couple of rows of stitches around your cut. Remember, vintage boots are especially prone to tearing… especially if you’re tugging hard on the tops and your 40 year old leather has gotten somewhat fragile with age.
When I’m bidding on eBay, I always e-mail the seller and ask for the calf measurements. With a short top boot, like an Acme, you won’t have a problem… but the for a factory boot made in the 1960-1980’s, it’s smart to double check.
There you go. Ready? Walk like ya mean it!
Photos courtesy of eBay seller buxxomrider.
