I think I am just unlucky when it comes to wading boots as I appear to be continually fixing felt soles. Last year I spent the first part of the season using glue to stick bits of carpet on to my boots and in years gone by have come home to find felt soles missing from my boots. I have become a bit of an expert in it or at least in making a half arsed attempt at fixing them that works. To be fair last year I only had problems because I could not get a hold of the wonder gunk that is evo-stik!
In case you have this problem I present you with a rough guide on what to do if you have a terminal felt sole problem. Also, you do not need to throw out that old pair of boots when you can stick a new sole on those bad boys to create a pair of back up boots.
What you need:
- Roughly 48 hours – 24 for drying the boots and 24 for drying the glue.
- Wading boot with a hanging or fully off felt sole or alternatively a piece of thin carpet. You can also pick up some felt soles off Ebay.
- Evostik Impact adhesive – it can be bought on Ebay for around a fiver with free postage. Do not buy anything else – this is the stuff that works.
Method
- Dry boots for at least 24 hours, the boots and felt sole should be as dry as you can get them.
2.If part of the felt sole is still hanging on in there it is up to you whether you take the whole thing off however I usually just stick down the part that is hanging off without any difficulty. Go ahead a pull the whole thing off if you want, I just worry that I might tear the felt or something. Of course if you are applying carpet or a new sole then you will need to take it off.
3. Pour the gunk over the sole of the boot and spread around with a screwdriver so that every mm is covered. Do not pour it on to the felt sole, their is no need to put it on two surfaces.
4. Wait 5 mins for it to dry and becomes tacky, it can be quite runny so sit it up somewhere.
5. After 5 mins it will be tacky to the touch, push down on the felt and it will stick just fine. Sometimes I stick a chair leg into the boot for a half hour to give it a bit of pressure. You can even put the boot on and push down for a few mins to make sure it has all stuck.
6. Wait 24 hours for it to dry, you can probably get away with 12 and then its totally fixed.
Do not bother with any other kind of adhesive as Impact Evostik is the only one that works, I have binned boots that have fallen apart which still had the felt soles attached to a crumbling sole which has been attached with evostick however have watched soles float away with some other stuff.
If you have any other working patches mail me them.
Excellent tip, will seek out the Evostik. Many Thanks.
Just what I needed . Thanks off to eBay now to buy impact evostik.
It is good stuff! Glad to be of help!
I recently found an old pair of rocky boots, leather is fine, but the sole is crumbled off to the point where its pretty much a leather sock, I was worried that due to the crumbleyness, that any glueing would just be a waste of time, Would the Impact Evostik work for this? The tread is fine, it just all completely separated.
Sure would 🙂
Thanks Alastair, I wish had discovered this ages ago.
PS Tool Station are selling it for £2.95.inc vat.
Sure beats a new pair of boots Harry!
hi would you be able to stick felt soles on to rubber treads
I reckon you could stick felt soles on to your bare feet with Evostik!
Or, just find yourself some very thin carpet and use that! I have done that in the past.
Alistair
how u doing Alistair I hope wife and kids all doing well I left the river as it was causing mixed emotions and cant wait to get back and show what I’m made of I’m really looking forward to next season and I suppose u r too ill have all the tickets I need and be as far as I know straight through and through I hope their is a change in river management as I think their needs to b e and I’m not getting at u Alistair it is one or two others but their job they did do although I thought it was over the top to remove everything he had I know u were not involved I’m happy too u were not as this crap can drag deep good luck Alistair my friend or I still see u as a friend ok
Thanks for the tip, I wish I’d known about it years ago. But shop around. I just paid £7.19 for a 500ml tin from Scewfix, compared with Amazon, £10.26 and claims RRP £16.18.