Worn out left boots

Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

This may have been discussed before, but I haven't seen it.

Does anyone else wear holes in their left boot? Mine comes from tilting from the center pedal and back. I just had a pair of Lucchese boots resoled three weeks ago and there is a thin spot starting already. No matter what pedal I work I seem to hit the same spot on my boot.
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You can observe a lot just by looking

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Yup. Had my Justins re-soled twice now. I am starting to see the toe wearing through now. Hopefully I'll be retired or dead before I have to replace them. I hate breaking in new boots. I do have a pair of Tony Lama's that I could use if I had too. They have pointed toes and get caught in my pedal rods.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I have problems with the tip of the sole wearing because of "pedaling".

Kenneth Kotsay · From: Davie/Ft Lauderdale, Florida

My left shoe near the front tip is mostly gone from wear due to the left shoe going on & off the A&B pedals. The right shoe has no wear. This pair is about 12 years old. I just purchased a new pair about a month ago.
KEN

Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

I'm going to see if the shoe repairman can use something other than leather next time. The pedals on my MSA seem to be pretty hard on the soles.
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You can observe a lot just by looking

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Bill, if you're seeing measurable wear in only 3 weeks, you're doing way too much sliding when on the pedals. Under normal circumstances, any decent leather sole should go a year or two, and since most of what we do is pressing - not sliding - you should be seeing much longer service life than you're getting. Rubber and composite soles can wear out quickly becaus some of them have air bubbles in them...great for comfort, but lousy for longevity.

Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

Go see a bootmaker. Lucchesse and Tony Lama do not use the greatest leathers. And if you get resoled at a typical shoe repair place, they will use one of those precut replacement soles. Find a repair person who will cut your soles out of a proper sole bend that has been properly cured, cased and pounded. This will also help the wooden pegs keep the sole securely attached.
There is a reason cowboy bootmakers use different sole leathers and the other six leathers used in boots. For example, Lucchesses or Tony Lamas quickly get blown out in stirrups, especially if they get wet.
Someone has suggested replacing with rubber soles, but if they are real cowboy boots, you cannot sole with rubber because you cannot peg rubber. Without wooden pegs, the forty or sixty penny nail used for your shank cannot be secured. If you have shoes with high tops, which is what Ropers really are, you likely have shoe construction with a Goodyear welt, no stirrup-sturdy shank, and no pegs anyway, so rubber soles will be fine
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.

Olli Haavisto · From: Jarvenpaa,Finland

There`s a song in there, I`m sure...
Something like "She left me worn out with a worn out left foot boot"
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Olli Haavisto
Finland

Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

It is more like:
My sole's worn out, but Jesus still loves me.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.

Frank Raines · From: Ohio, USA

Chris
I like your last Post Smile

. Your answers are always great for us on the forum. What every become of that last JcH you were having made, any pictures??

Larry Dahl · From: Melbourne, FL USA

I had the same problem when I first started playing steel. I have always had the wide pedal Sho~Bud axes. I rounded off the corner of the 1st pedal with a grinder and file, and never had another problem.

Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

Not sliding, other than the small amount from downward travel while pressing the pedals. A certain amount of sliding on the soles is unavoidable when rocking between A & B pedals. My MSA has square top plates on the pedals and the corners have become sharp. It's 37 years old, and worn from lots of pickin'. They actually punch through kind of like a church key on a beer can. I've swapped with pedals from my C6 neck a few times, but I think I need to build them up on the corners with weld and work them down, I'm running out of pedals.

I only wear cowboy boots, whether riding horses, pickin steel, riding motorcycles, going to church, or just walking. They are all I've worn for the last 40 years. Sometimes I wear the square toe engineer boots when on the motorcycle, otherwise it's cowboy boots. I always play the steel in cowboy boots, it's much easier for me to work the pedals with them, the tall heel makes it easy to pivot between pedals.

I get about four to six months wear in a pair of boots. Absolutely, no way have I ever gotten a year or two wear from a pair of boots, at least not without resoling. I'm on my feet all day at work and I work the farm in them. I like cowboy boots.

I get my boots from a boot store that caters to Cowboy Action Shooters, they carry all the major better brands, and I've tried them all over the years.
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You can observe a lot just by looking

john buffington · From: Owasso OK - USA

I've got 4 pair of Champion Boots (El Paso, TX) and you'll get some serious mileage out of their product. Much more than TL, Justin or Dan Post. Just my experience.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

I re-soled my Justin boots three times.........and since I wore them only on Friday/Saturday nights, I couldn't figure it out.

THEN, I acquired my Emmons in 1972. There is a definite difference in the pressures required to depress them.

The BIGSBY pedals are extremely hard to 'mash'. I don't know if that is standard or if mine have simply decade thro' the years.

Steven Cummings · From: Texas

Ray, maybe I can help you out. Just send that old Bigsby on over here to TX and I'll play it a bit and see if I can it to loosen up for ya.
Or if you would rather I could swap you my old frypan and you won't have to be bothered by them hard to mash pedals. Shucks send me your boot size and I'll even throw in a pair of new boots, what color do you prefer?

Just trying to help out a fellow forumite Very Happy

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Lookin' on the sunny side....

Jerry Horch · From: Alva, Florida, USA

A plug for what I believe are some of the finest boots you can put on your feet.But now I'm a tennis shoe man .Check out www.paulbondboots.com custom made to your own foot,you pick toe ,heel,leathers ... everything.Had a pair since 78 believe it or not they still fit like a glove.Beautiful boots .
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Franklin D10 /Walker Sterio Steel JBL's /DigiTech Quad4/ Korg Toneworks/ Dobro DM 1000 / Santa Cruz Guitar VA

Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

Good looking boots. Thanks for the link.
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You can observe a lot just by looking

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

Find yourself a left-handed steel guitarist who takes the same size shoes as you do, buy two pairs between you and swap them over when they get worn. Winking

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