How to repair ski boots. What to do if your ski boots have a problem

Skiers will understand me well. Especially those who have experienced this at least once. And if you have not encountered it yet, then sooner or later you will definitely encounter it.

Salomon ski boots

So, you buy Salomon ski boots (or similar) with Pilot bindings. Not those in which pensioners ride in the park, but those in which you can show good results on a prepared track. You get the appropriate bindings for them and install them on the skis. This whole construction costs a lot - whoever rides will understand me. And after a very short time of skiing - several seasons - a problem happens to them. Namely, lightning breaks. I must say that the design of the boots and the way the zipper is installed there is fundamentally different from the usual winter boots. In boots, everything is simple - pulled out a broken zipper and sewed another one. This is done in any shoe shop. The Salomon is a completely different story - the complex high-tech design of the boot is designed to set records in them, and not replace zippers.

In short, when this happened to the boots,

the first thought is to go and buy new ones, it is unlikely that something can be done here.

Nearest sports shops

Immediately after skiing, we went to the nearest sports shops. The most surprising thing is that at the beginning of the season, both in Decathlon and in Sportmaster, only one Salomon running model was on sale: Decathlon sold only one size, and Sportmaster had any sizes, but the boots cost about 14 thousand rubles, which too much even for the start of the season, if you're not going to set records.

Fischer and other brands are not suitable due to mounting mismatch. About in these stores, apparently, they have not even heard of.

What is discussed on the ski forums

What to do? As usual in such cases, you need to turn to the Internet. It turned out that this topic is quite popular on the skiers' forum and is discussed every year. It needs to be repaired, that's for sure. Some forum members found good specialists in their areas - in ordinary shoe repair shops.

Need to try. In the first workshop, they immediately refused to take the shoes, they said, come when the master is there, talk to him, we cannot accept such an order without him. But in the second, having carefully examined and assessed the scale of the disaster, the master suggested a variant of how to insert a new zipper without affecting the rigid structures of the boot.

In short, either the master was afraid that I was photographing the shoe in his presence, or he was just a super-master, but two days later Salomon looked like new!

The master walked around the rigid design of the boot very filigree.

For what price? 450 rub! If you are interested - write, I will tell you the address of the workshop.

There is only one conclusion - always look for options, and do not rush to do what first comes to mind!

This is certainly not a hookah from a bicycle pump, but my enlightenment is getting closer and closer, and therefore here is another concept of masturbation. The idea was born last year: Lake carbon summer shoes were so summery that already at +1 feet they quickly gave oak, regardless of the speed of twisting. A visit to the shops led to disappointing conclusions: warm shoes started from eight thousand so.
Throw away eight grand for a thing that you will use 10-15 times a year best case- this is too much for an aeronautical engineer. But there are plenty of ways out even if you've been eaten. The first is not to ride in the winter. The way out is bad, because if there is no ice and snow, then why not train in a deserted frozen park? The second is to ride in ordinary boots. But after contact pedals it is very sad and uninteresting. There are still a lot of options for illegal mining of goodies, but we will leave them aside as law-abiding citizens.
I chose, as Monty Python said, something completely different. At home, there were wonderful Fila M90 rollers with a collapsed boot (the mounting points of the frame fell out). The bottom of the boots was carbon fiber and it only remained to figure out how to screw spikes to it.
The spikes are usually screwed to special steel platforms laid with inside boot. Finding these platforms turned out to be a non-trivial task, and yet in one of the stalls in Sokolniki they were found for either 200 rubles or 300 rubles - I don’t remember already. Work boiled over. All references to the mounting pads were cut off from the rollers - the sole became even. The holes were filled with poxypol. 4 holes were drilled for the embedded pads, the pads were pushed in, the spikes were screwed on.

(now the spikes have been removed - only the holes for them remain)

Still glued on the bottom thick layer insulation so as not to stomp spikes on the floor. In general, on the street -12 - it's time to break in. I'm leaving. I feel like a king! Warm! To the waterfront park. The training began, I got on the regime, I twist. Half an hour is a normal flight. But at the 45th minute, SUDDENLY, my legs became VERY cold ... And somehow at once. U-turn, home, legs under hot water ....
The debriefing showed that it was necessary to seal the ventilation (you don’t have to be a cap here, but because I wanted to test it sooner, I went without sealing).
There was also a worse problem: the top bucket periodically clung to the bike frame and threatened to scratch it. The buckle was removed, it remains to replace it with a thin strap. And then it snowed! Everything turned out to be unnecessary.
Ski-ski-ski!
And for skis, I have two pairs of boots - the old Russian X-3 and the new X-9. The old ones were scattered in places, in places they were killed (the firmware of the cafe flew off) - in general, they were used only to ride someone on skis. I tried to ride in them - in addition it turned out (after some new bots) that the piece of iron was worn out there and they backlash decently. Ride them in general without joy. It’s a pity to throw it away - after all, they were good, they didn’t even get wet at the marathon on the wet reservoir, they were warm ... In general, they lay with an eye to alteration.
And here is a new cold autumn. Roski are waiting for a new life.

A cursory analysis showed two options for alteration: fill the sole with epoxy and screw the spikes to the resulting thick sole or cut out part of the sole to install the spikes deep. The second option was chosen. The sole was gnawed out with an electric sharpener.
In the photo on the left is a bot with a sawn out sole, on the right is still a whole

It turned out that the sole of the ski boot consists of different materials and that it is propylene almost to holes. But this is bullshit. After the sole comes a heat-insulating insole (not to be confused with the usual removable insole that goes further) - it is hard, thick (about 5 mm) and tightly attached to the bot. But do not screw spikes to the stubs of the sole ...
There were two options: tear off the carbon thread somewhere and screw it to the carbon fiber, or make aluminum pads and screw it to them. Sheet aluminum was at hand, which determined the development of the process. A plate was cut out of winged metal (with an ordinary hacksaw), holes were drilled in it for spikes and for additional fastening in the nose.
The whole thing has been screwed together and tested by the brave foot of the designer-your-tester. Everything was fastened and quilted, the metal platforms were not felt after installing the insoles.
It remained to make the second bot and glue the plates to the soles with some kind of heat-insulating glue.
Friends advised to mix Moment (on polyurethane) with rubber filings - a mixture with good adhesion and poor thermal conductivity should have been obtained (because a considerable amount of air was also mixed with the rubber powder - an excellent heat insulator drag.
Rubber filings were obtained by sawing out the soles of an old slipper on the same sharpener. In the process, the sharpener died for a long time (I think the brushes are already 15 years old without repair) and the missing rubber dust was taken from polyurethane dust left over from sharpening roller wheels. It's useful sometimes not to clean everything clean =). On the this moment the boots look like this and are waiting to be tested.

It was not possible to hide the spike deeper than the plane of the sole - to build up the sole is the next stage. Perhaps not necessary. In general, I accept orders to convert your ski boots into cycling shoes. The reverse transformation is not planned yet =).

I switched to bindings and boots of the NNN system not so long ago, I ride in them only for the second season. I switched because of weak Salomon SNS bindings, which, if broken, can sooner or later lead to breakage of expensive cross-country skis. I also switched due to the limited choice of shoes for SNS and my own laziness of the presence on many modern top-end cross-country skis of the integrated NIS platform for NNN bindings with the possibility of manual adjustment and without the need to drill extra and extremely unwanted holes in the ski. However, NNN seems to have another ambush lurking. Not in bindings, but already in boots - an extremely weak sole. Which can suddenly burst even for a top pair after just a few trips with the Dmitriev Group. :-(

Client #1 - Rossignol X3. I bought it in "Trial-Sport" for almost 8 tr. Died after only six one-day trips with the Group. Fortunately, there was no departure from the route, and the boot, thanks to an impromptu dressing with adhesive plaster, withstood another 45 km.

Client #2 - Fisher XC Control. I bought it at Juvent to replace the aforementioned Rossignols for 6 tr. I didn’t find anything cheaper than acceptable quality and convenience. I served less than one season or 12 trips with the main engine (including last year’s Hundred). past hundredth run on Monday.

Client number 3 - cheap Chinese Nordway Tromse from Sportmaster - for a new one? :-)

It can be seen that the crack is formed in the same dangerous section- at the junction of the toe with the main sole. In no shoe repair, they even try to repair "Fischer": shoemakers "heal" only broken rubber soles, and here it is hard plastic. It's a pity to throw it away (the crack is just starting). Maybe you can still somehow save in some advanced workshop?

For comparison, the old Salomons of 2011, which went through fire and water, two hundred and many trips of the State Duma along the gully, as well as numerous walking on city asphalt from home to train stations and back.

Whatever they did with them - they put a patch in the place of the bend of the foot, cut off the plastic retainer, stitched all the seams. The sole and axles were heavily ground on the asphalt, but the sole itself is simply indestructible. :-) It is completely monolithic, without a toe joint with an increased concentration of stresses, like in NNN, and without sharp changes in thickness.

Or even more ancient Spine Advance boots of 2008, which have served continuously for 4 seasons and are still serving at the opening / closing of the season. Also with an indestructible sole.

So think about what is better - to return back to the immortal SNS boots, but with weak bindings, or to buy NNN-Chinese every year in Sportmaster, as in the well-known advertisement "if you can't see the difference, why pay more"?
Maybe experienced skiers know how to get around this NNN disease? :-) That is, pick up inexpensive shoes, but with more reliable soles. I would be glad if someone shares who NNN regularly serve several seasons of intensive skiing.

Safety, the quality of skiing depends on the equipment. Active use, difficult tricks lead to damage. Repairing ski boots is an expensive procedure. Some problems can be fixed on your own.

Losing inventory at the beginning or in the middle of the season is unpleasant. Rivets, fasteners can break, the sole can also peel off. The question arises, how to repair ski boots yourself. Experienced skiers know how to fix minor problems. Beginners should familiarize themselves with the basic tips, recommendations, nuances.

Zipper Replacement

Lightning fails frequently. Difficulties arise due to the special design of shoes, stretching materials, plastic parts. The best option will contact a professional. Ordinary workshops are rarely taken for such work. In some cases, do-it-yourself zippers are repaired on a ski boot.

Sew on the torn part - an easy option. It will take strong thread, not a sharp needle, scissors. The plastic spring is sewn to the fabric base. It is difficult to fasten at first, as the zip dog is tight. This method will help until the thread is erased. The measure is temporary. It is better to find a professional and replace the entire zipper.

Boot recovery

Cracks in the plastic liner are common. Appear from blows, wear, frost, falling. In most cases, a complete replacement of the element is required. You can make repairs on your own when the cracks are small.

You will need to make stainless steel patches. The holes are scrolled carefully so that the screw enters tightly, with effort. Do not put one big fortification. The boot has a curved shape. To avoid displacement, put two strips of steel with a thickness of about 2 cm. The option is suitable for the outer part.

Attention! Do-it-yourself repair of parts can weaken the structure, reduce reliability, and reduce the level of safety. Broken items need to be replaced.

The folding tongue of the boot burst - it is enough to pull the edges with a thick thread, apply a piece of durable fabric or leather. You need to use glue that remains elastic after drying.

Damaged seams

With prolonged use, the threads are erased, the seams are torn, depart. Often breakage occurs at the folds. You can repair on your own. You will need a thick thread, needle, scissors. Material ski equipment dense. It is better to use protection for pushing the needle (thimble). Tighten the edges until tight. By removing the torn old threads, you can use the existing holes. Fasten the end of the thread well. Will last until the next abrasion.

Fastener recovery

Wear, sharp jerk, inaccurate use lead to damage to the fastener. If the fasteners are made of fabric Velcro, then you can fix it yourself. You will need a piece of dense fabric, a thick strong thread, scissors. The torn part is connected by a thread. From above and below it is fixed with a cloth, stitched. A broken ring can be replaced with wire. Replace with an original part as soon as possible.

If the sole came off

The loss of the sole of a shoe is a breakdown that is difficult to fix. Reestablish original view by hand is impossible. A temporary measure is to glue, fasten with screws. Hats (preferably flat ones) should be located on the inside of the boot. The nose is screwed separately - it has a different location, so a separate screw is required.

What is required for repair

Equipment and materials depend on the nature of the breakdown. For seams, fabric tears, a thick thread, a needle, dense fabric or skin. It is better to take needles with a blunt end - there is less risk of sticking into a finger. Sometimes glue is used - after hardening, the composition must remain elastic, otherwise tears will appear again.

For plastic elements - boot, inner, outer parts, fasteners - you will need stainless steel plates, flat head screws, screwdrivers. Thin plastic is pierced with a hot knitting needle slowly, carefully. Areas with a thickening are drilled.

Sequencing

Before repairing shoes should be washed and wiped dry. Shoes are dismantled, the damaged element is removed. Plastic parts are disinfected before processing (alcohol, acetone).

Attention! Best Algorithm actions in case of breakdowns - an appeal to a professional master, a complete replacement of faulty elements.

For patches, strengthening the base, joints of cracks, only stainless steel is taken (exposure to snow, ice - rust appears). When the fabric breaks, protruding threads are removed, and roughness is removed.

An experienced skier can immediately determine the degree of damage and the possibility of repair. Most have their own secrets for repairing inventory. Correcting the situation with your own hands requires skill, certain skills, special equipment.

Wear and tear on your ski boots can be reduced with proper care. Do not use detergents with solvents. Shoes must be dried after each ride. Fasteners should be checked, do not pull, fasten smoothly. Watch your foot position. It should be comfortable and the girth should be tight. After two or three years, a situation may arise when the foot is not placed in working position. This may indicate an expired service life.

Remove inventory for summer storage should be in places without direct exposure to the sun, well ventilated. Shoes are washed, fabric removable parts are stretched. Dry away from heaters. For washing do not use synthetic aggressive compounds - soap solution, environmentally friendly products.

Important! Caring for ski boots will extend the life of your shoes, but will not protect them from cracks, chips, or tears. Equipment is selected according to the style of riding. Anatomical features, degree of comfort are taken into account. With minimal changes, the parts are checked for changes.

Proper service professional master, replacement of parts is a guarantee of safety. Malfunctions reduce the quality of shoes, weaken the fasteners. You can repair it yourself, but only if there is no other option.

Shoes are one of the most important parts of your outfit. From her right choice and the quality of performance depend on the comfort and health of the user. Sometimes you have to change several pairs of shoes before you can find the perfect one, not to mention the fact that the purchase new shoes almost always a financial event for the outdoor enthusiast. That's why it's so important to extend the life of your shoes. proper care and timely repair.

The following advice will be valid both for classic trekking shoes made of full-cut leather with a minimum of seams, and for lighter models made using wear-resistant textiles. Our material is based on the experience of experts from the American magazine Backpacker and the advice of specialists from McNett, a manufacturer of repair products for clothing and equipment designed for outdoor activities.

Backpacker- one of the world's most authoritative publications dedicated to outdoor activities. The journal has been in print since the spring of 1973. In each issue you can find travel reports, equipment reviews and helpful tips. Since the early 1990s, the magazine has been publishing its Equipment Guide twice a year, in which the Backpacker Editor's Choice award is awarded to the most interesting and best pieces of clothing and equipment. In addition to the magazine, the publishing house publishes small brochures on tourism topics, - descriptions of interesting hiking trails or useful tips.

McNett- a manufacturer of products for the repair and care of clothing and equipment for outdoor activities and useful accessories for outdoor. Combines several trademarks. Gear Aid - means for repairing shoes and equipment of a wide range. McNett Tactical - camouflage, knives, repair kits for hunters and the military. Aquamira - means for water purification. M Essentials - care and repair products for water sports equipment. OutGo - towels for outdoor activities.

When repairing shoes, you should not use universal superglues, since their joints do not have the necessary elasticity. The basis of your kit will be polyurethane glue. This is due to a number of its positive properties:

such a composition is characterized by high fastening strength; it swells significantly when hardened, which allows it to penetrate into porous substances (leather, EVA foam) and securely fasten them; high adhesion allows the use of such a composition when gluing leather, rubber and textiles with polyurethane processing, which are actively used in the manufacture of trekking shoes; water resistance; high elasticity of the obtained adhesive joint, including at sub-zero temperatures; high wear resistance.

In the American and European markets, the most popular and reputable products of this kind are McNett Freesole and Shoe Goo. They are actively used and recommended by both experts from leading publications on tourism and independent reviewers. Sometimes a polyurethane sealant can be used in repairs - this is usually for bonding textile materials. In this case, the most universal remedy can be considered McNett Seam Grip, which is also used in sealing the seams of awnings and backpacks, as well as in the repair of inflatable travel mats and sleeping bags. Any other polyurethane-based adhesive - Anaes, Desmocoll, Sekunda - can replace Freesole and Seam Grip. But, as practice has shown, such analogues do not have the same versatility of use and are only suitable for gluing the sole and upper elements of the shoe.

Second important element of your shoe repair kit will be a strong adhesive tape, which is useful for bonding surfaces to be bonded in field conditions repair.

For achievement maximum strength adhesive bonding requires thorough cleaning and degreasing of the surfaces to be bonded. This is where cleaning wipes come to the rescue. alcohol based. As a rule, they are packaged in individual packages and weigh almost nothing. They can be found both as part of ready-made repair kits (for example, Therm-a-Rest Instant Field Repair Kit), and in pharmacies.

How to seal holes in shoes?

Sometimes, as a result of intensive use, small holes may form on the fold of the boot in its toe part. This is a fairly common phenomenon for shoes with textile uppers.

Thoroughly clean the area around the damage to remove dirt and dust. The smallest particles from the fold line are well removed with a toothbrush. For best results when cleaning, it is advisable to use an alcohol-based cloth - it will degrease the surface. Then extrude the Seam Grip and spread it over a large area over and around the hole. The polymer is quite flexible and forms a sealed seam over the damaged area. Drying will take 10-12 hours.

A layer of Seam Grip glue bridges a tear in the flex of a Salomon Wings Sky GTX boot (photo courtesy of Backpackers Complete Guide to Outdoor Gear Maintenance and Repair)

Shoe sole repair

If you notice a delamination of the top of the boot along the edge of the sole, then it is most advisable to stop this at an early stage, without waiting for the boot or sneaker to “request porridge”.

Using a flathead screwdriver or other tool with a similar profile, you need to carefully and carefully remove the dirt and debris that has accumulated between the sole and the top of the boot. Additional help at this stage can be Toothbrush. The more thorough the cleaning, the stronger the adhesive bond will be.

Next, fill the syringe with Freesole or Seam Grip polyurethane sealant. Then squeeze it straight into the gap between the sole and the top of the boot along the entire length of the peeling area. The syringe is needed for more deep penetration and accurate distribution of the adhesive, so in the absence of it, you can use a clean screwdriver or wand.

Tighten the sole and upper of the boot tightly with strong adhesive tape. In some problem areas such as the toe, additional pressure will be required for effective bonding. To create it, you can use a pencil or a stick tied with adhesive tape. It will take 10-12 hours for the polymer to dry.

If the sole has peeled off, then it is necessary to clean and degrease the surfaces to be glued as much as possible. Therefore, in addition to removing mechanical impurities, it is important to use an alcohol wipe. Next, you just need to fill the entire cavity of the sole with shoe glue and squeeze it tightly with the top of the boot. For complete drying in this case, much more time is required - from 12 to 48 hours. The glue will inevitably squeeze out of the sole - if the aesthetic side of this moment confuses you, then its largest fragments can be carefully cut off after hardening.

The example illustrates the repair of the Asolo Stinger GTX boots, which was carried out by Melanie Robinson, one of the expert testers of Backpacker magazine. The photo clearly shows the consequences of an untimely repair of a peeling outsole - part of the EVA foam midsole, on which the cushioning functions lie, crumbled while walking

If the heels of the shoes are worn out

Many hikers experience increased heel wear on the soles of their shoes due to the nature of their gait. This is especially frustrating in situations where the rest of the boots are still in good condition, and their replacement is hardly justified. In this case, the following method will help to extend the service life.

Place a piece of thin tape around the perimeter of the heel. The formed edge will not allow the Freesole glue to spread, which needs to fill the cavity that has appeared as a result of the wear of the sole.

In order for the outsole in this area to be as even as possible, it is important to carefully distribute the polymer and place the boots on the most even surface. It will be possible to use the repaired shoes only after 48 hours, after the adhesive has completely cured.

Of course, such a sole does not differ in the same strength as the factory one, however this way allows you to extend the life of the sole for at least one season. In order for the glue not to contrast in color with the black sole, you can use the McNett set with Freesole glue and Color Sync Black.

Applying toe protection

A significant part of modern trekking boots have rubber toe protection. If there is no such element on your pair of shoes, and the skin in this place suffers from external influences, then you can apply it yourself. Here is the method recommended by experts from McNett.

First, clean the toe of the boot and stick a strip of thin tape that will serve as a border for the polymer application area. Next, treat the smooth leather surface with sandpaper small granularity. The surface will become matte. Treat it with an alcohol wipe and remove the debris formed from the emery. Next, using a sponge, apply and spread the Freesole adhesive over the entire surface you have treated. Remove the tape after 30 minutes. Glue forms a smooth waterproof glossy surface. The final drying will take about 12 hours.

An alternative to this method is to apply a layer of shoe wax to the toe, such as Holmenkol Natural Wax. This method is not durable, but at the same time does not violate the aesthetic component, which is so important for many users.

Care of trekking boots

Timely cleaning of shoes significantly increases the life of its operation. Dust particles and dirt are an abrasive that gradually destroys both textiles and leather. Shoes should be cleaned after every hike.

First, take out the laces - they can be thrown into the washing or dishwasher. Next, just wet the shoes with a sponge. Water will dissolve impurities. When cleaning, use a non-aggressive detergent, such as dishwashing detergent. This process is greatly facilitated by specialized products that are sold in the form of a spray or cleaning gel, such as Grangers Fabsil Footwear Cleaner or Nikwax Footwear Cleaner Gel. When cleaning, follow the manufacturer's instructions. In any case, work should be completed detergent using a brush with soft bristles - a shoe or dish brush will do. For cleaning hard-to-reach places suitable toothbrush. The remains of the cleaning solution must be washed off with water using a sponge. Remember that leather trekking shoes are required natural drying, - Avoid contact with radiators, household heaters, fires, etc.