Orvis Side Zipper Wading Boot Sole Failure

[Ceviche]

I have this pair of Orvis Side-zipper wading boots I bought maybe ten or so years ago, and the sole is separating from at the heel of the boot. This not a stitching failure but at the plastic attached to the boot and the sole welt. See picture below.

I don’t think something as simple as Shoe Goo or Barge cement will work. Thinking epoxy might be the best route. Anyone have experience with this?



BTW, I actually bought this at the Bellevue Orvis store when Leland Miyawaki was working there. They were in the middle of doing inventory, or something like that, and we’re initially hesitant to sell the boots to me. Leland stepped up and told them to hook me up. I still owe you a thank you, Leland.

 

[Brian Miller]

You can try some Aquaseal SR (shoe repair), creating masking off on both sides of the missing rubber. The stuff is flexible and has strong adhesion because it's flexible. It has been excellent for repairs of rands delaminating from the uppers on a pair of boots. But that looks like a tricky repair because there it doesn't appear there are two good surfaces to adhere to so I'd take them to a local show repair shop to get their opinion on whether they're repairable, and an estimate first. You've got nothing to lose except a little time and some gas and may find they can do a professional job at a surprisingly low cost.

I've had had both my "beach boots" expertly repaired by a local shoe repair shop for just $25 where they restitched all of the worn seams plus gave me a generously sized sample tin of Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP (leather preservative) and told me keeping them "greased up" would give me another 10 years.

 

[Ceviche]

You can try some Aquaseal SR (shoe repair), creating masking off on both sides of the missing rubber. The stuff is flexible and has strong adhesion because it's flexible. It has been excellent for repairs of rands delaminating from the uppers on a pair of boots. But that looks like a tricky repair because there it doesn't appear there are two good surfaces to adhere to so I'd take them to a local show repair shop to get their opinion on whether they're repairable, and an estimate first. You've got nothing to lose except a little time and some gas and may find they can do a professional job at a surprisingly low cost.

I've had had both my "beach boots" expertly repaired by a local shoe repair shop for just $25 where they restitched all of the worn seams plus gave me a generously sized sample tin of Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP (leather preservative) and told me keeping them "greased up" would give me another 10 years.

My problem is the cracked plastic.

 

[Ceviche]

Here’s another picture.

 

[Brian Miller]

I guess I rambled, explaining that a shoe repair shop might be able to fix it inexpensively or otherwise tell you they can't, and I still recommend it.

Aquaseal SR is a pretty fair filler with good adhesion and strength because of its flexibility when cured. After a good cleaning of the surfaces with alcohol, if you can use masking tape to mask off the remaining edge of the heel cap and create a  "form" around the top of the heel then use something like a popsicle stick to spread and slowly build up the Aquaseal SR into the gap like caulking it might hold. It fills gaps between and adheres a synthetic upper to a plastic rand very well.

 

[SurfnFish]

JB weld...fill the crack and then trowel on a filet over the crack

 

[jaredoconnor]

After 10 years, it's possible the plasticizers have fully leached out. If so, they might not be repairable.

 

[Xoxo]

I bought a pair of Orvis boots. It was my second pair, the other ones lasted over ten years. I have fished in these boots pictured for about 5 years or 6 years before this happened. First the felt came off on the last day of a fishing trip. When i got home i took them in to a shoe repair who reglued them.

The following year on a fishing trip on the Yakima in Thorp this happened. (This photo is from one of my jokey fishing reports from the old forum.) The felt came off again, and this time took some of the sole with it. My same foot of my waders also sprung a leak. I still wonder if i had stepped in something toxic and it was coincidence it was the same boot. Mostlikely the shoe repair place used the wrong glue.

I should have contacted Orvis but i didn’t figure it would get me too far. So i had to fish in my boots that i had for many years. However having the felt come off in the first place made me wonder about Orvis. It seemed weird to me that because as a lazy ass fly fisher i had not been hiking in at all when it happened. And like i said these boots were not old or heavily used.

 

[Tim L]

Dave, you're as stingy as the rest of us but I vote new boots if you got 10 yrs outa those. Treat yourself!

 

[Stonedfish]

Hard to tell from the picture, but is it possible to lightly lift the outer black material above and below the crack? Say to get a small brush under there?
If so, that might provide a longer fix if you can get whatever adhesive you use under there before pressing that area back together for the final fix.
SF

 

[Matt B]

I don’t think something as simple as Shoe Goo or Barge cement will work. Thinking epoxy might be the best route. Anyone have experience with this?

I tried some JB plastic weld (epoxy) on a sort of similar shoe repair once. It did not last and wasn't worth the purchase or the effort.

 

[Ceviche]

Hard to tell from the picture, but is it possible to lightly lift the outer black material above and below the crack? Say to get a small brush under there?
If so, that might provide a longer fix if you can get whatever adhesive you use under there before pressing that area back together for the final fix.
SF

I was thinking of doing something like that. Hoping the adhesive would anchor into gaps and help hold things together beyond just where the plastic cracked (probably from smacking my boots together to knock off dirt and mud).

 

[Ceviche]

I tried some JB plastic weld (epoxy) on a sort of similar shoe repair once. It did not last and wasn't worth the purchase or the effort.

Did you only epoxy the outside or at the crack or went for a holy mess approach?

 

[Matt B]

Did you only epoxy the outside or at the crack or went for a holy mess approach?

I got all in the crack and outside the crack but it wasn't a situation where I could use a brush or stick to get it all up in there like you could with that damage.

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

Are you wading moving water in those boots? Here's why I ask: w/ the damage in the front of the boot, every time you wade upstream or into the current, that crack is catching the water/current and there's a bunch of drag from not only the current, but you stepping against the current which is creating a bunch of stress on what isn't broken (yet). My $0.02, even if you can fix it, it will fail again and when it does I suspect the whole bottom is going to come off. I had a similar issue and tried to fix it, noticed the fix had failed one day somewhere between putting the boots and when I had gotten to the river. I thought it might last the day, so went for it even though the fix had failed. About an hour into the day I was moving upstream and mid-step the current finally provided too much for the damaged boot to handle and the bottom of the boot came off. The ensuing step didn't end well.

 

[Brian Miller]

...My $0.02, even if you can fix it, it will fail again and when it does I suspect the whole bottom is going to come off. I had a similar issue and tried to fix it, noticed the fix had failed one day somewhere between putting the boots and when I had gotten to the river. I thought it might last the day, so went for it even though the fix had failed. About an hour into the day I was moving upstream and mid-step the current finally provided too much for the damaged boot to handle and the bottom of the boot came off. The ensuing step didn't end well.

@Ceviche , there isn't a lot of extra detail in your photos but the rand failure appears to be at the heel cup. I consider wading boots as safety equipment. The experience @Long_Rod_Silvers and @Jojo both had are a big reason I recommended taking them to a shoe repair shop to get their opinion on whether it can be properly repaired and keep you on your feet.

And if a shop can do the repair the cost might be surprisingly low. Given they are not street shoes and the post repair problems mentioned I'd also ask about the adhesive they would use. Aquaseal SR is a flexible urethane formula that has worked very well for me with a couple of pairs of wading boots that I wanted to extend the life of.

 

[Ceviche]

Are you wading moving water in those boots? Here's why I ask: w/ the damage in the front of the boot, every time you wade upstream or into the current, that crack is catching the water/current and there's a bunch of drag from not only the current, but you stepping against the current which is creating a bunch of stress on what isn't broken (yet). My $0.02, even if you can fix it, it will fail again and when it does I suspect the whole bottom is going to come off. I had a similar issue and tried to fix it, noticed the fix had failed one day somewhere between putting the boots and when I had gotten to the river. I thought it might last the day, so went for it even though the fix had failed. About an hour into the day I was moving upstream and mid-step the current finally provided too much for the damaged boot to handle and the bottom of the boot came off. The ensuing step didn't end well.

Mostly, I haven't used the boots in moving water really that much. Primarily float tubing. Most likely the reason they lasted me so long.

 

[Ceviche]

By the way, are there any manufacturers that makes zippered wading boots? Having that zipper makes them hella easier to get on and off.

 

[Brian Miller]

Virtually all neoprene dive or float tube booties designed to wear with fins have side zippers. Back in the early 1970s I occasionally saw wanabee non-airborne soldiers and even airmen wearing jump boots (plus paratroopers & PJs wearing a spare dress-parade pair) that took some effort to do the "ladder lacing" for increased ankle support so they'd have side zips put in at a shoe repair shop. Being a climber at the time using the "French technique" for ascending steep snow slopes with an ice axe and crampons I couldn't imagine someone doing that to a pair of boots and expecting the boots would hold up and still provide ankle support.

 

[Ceviche]

Here’s a 2011 review of the Brogue boot.

Orvis River Guard Side-Zip Brogue - Fly Fisherman

The Orvis River Guard Side-Zip Brogue has a roomy toe box, and a wide, stable footprint for difficult wading situations.

www.flyfisherman.com