I’ve put these boots through a hell of a lot. It’s fitting that instead of throwing them out I decided to upcycle them and make them into a whole new boot. Yea for leather restoration.
I love recycling clothing, boots included. In order to live a sustainable lifestyle sometimes you have to give boots a new life instead of just going to Nordstrom and buying a new pair of Jessica Simpson fancy boots. Luckily there are companies out there with awesome leather restoration products like Rub ‘N Restore. You may want to consider a conditioner for your leather boots too for ultimate effectiveness.
These fake leather boots have carried me through a few adventures. 16 months ago my clutch went out in my Subaru on my way to work. Dressed in a business skirt, I tried to push my clutch less Japanese made car through an intersection that I have driven through many times. I suddenly realized that this particular intersection actually slanted slightly downhill and my SUV was getting away from me! A smarter gal may have let go of the steering wheel and let her SUV crash into the cement wall ahead of her but I thought, hey I work out! I have upper body strength! So I tried to haul my business skirt clad body and my black synthetic leather covered heels back into my Subaru Outback. (Meanwhile the lovely citizen’s of Arcadia, California were honking at me)
It did not work out well for my Subaru or my fake leather boots and my SUV dragged me through the intersection. Did I stop wearing my distressed boots after this little incident? Nope, I still wore them to work and got so many complements on my distressed vintage looking leather boots! Yeah, but I did not purposely distress them! That day was quite stressful but these boots would see better days.
Like the last time I wore them in public.
It was a rainy morning at Santa Anita Park. I showed up at 7AM with the worst coffee I have ever had in my life in my hands (Don’t ever order a coffee at Whole Foods. The employee refused to make my dirty chai with milk and used almond milk. Almond milk belongs in smoothies. Almonds don’t belong any where near coffee beans.) It was so bad, yes I am still complaining 8 months later. After watching the last of the runners complete morning workouts, Judy, Amy and I wandered the back stretch in the rain looking for their horse, Gator Don’t Play.
And we looked, and we looked. We wandered through the entire back stretch in the rain and the mud and the puddles and could not find Richard Baltas barn. In this time I walked through so much sticky back stretch mud. Also I discovered these boots were no where near water proof. Let me tell you something about back stretch mud; It is a special kind of mud that will stain your boots forever.
Unless your friend runs a delightful company called Rub ‘N Restore and sends you product to not only remove back stretch mud but also refurbish your old synthetic leather boots into a pretty cherry red color. Every time I use Rub ‘N Restore’s awesome products I’m shocked at how easy at home leather restoration can be. It makes me want to go to the thrift store and buy more vintage boots to restore!
Thank you Lessandra for giving these black boots a whole new will to live! Not only that but the vinyl filler filled in all the cracks and holes in theses boots from being drug through a parking lot once upon a time!
Thanks to Rub N Restore’s amazing products, these boots are once again made for walking! I can’t wait to start wearing my newly restored vintage boots to work in the fall!
This week I’m linking up once again with these fantastic blog hops!
http://www.sunnysimplelife.com/
http://www.niftythriftythings.com/
http://www.artsyfartsymama.com/
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Have to say I don’t think the filler will hold up forever on vinyl boots, which take a helluva lot more abuse and flex than, say, a sofa. Let me know! The Red Chili color is HOT! Be sure to post a pic of yourself showing off your lovely legs in a pretty dress with dem boots!
I will for sure!
Amazing. I have a couple of boots I am going to try this on. For whatever reason I have not thrown them away. Shoes are the one thing that I hoard. 🙂
I never heard of a product like that before. The boots look great in that bright color. Thanks for sharing at #fridayfrivolity! Xx
Thanks for sharing your boots makeover at Sew It Cook It Craft It!
Wow! What a transformation! Bravo!
Thanks for linking with #SecondHandSeptember on SpyGirl.