January 20, 2016

These Boots Lasted, But They're Done

Good bye old friends.

In 2010 I did a post about making my old boots last. At that time they had logged 22 years of faithful service. Then I used them for five more years. Now I am going to start making a new pair last. They probably will be my last.

I try to make my possessions last as long as possible.  It is part of my anti-planned obsolescence, anti-upgrade, anti-progress-for-the-sake-of-progress crusade. Or put another way, my pro-make it last plan.

A case in point would be my leather hiking boots. In the 27 years I used them they passed over thousands of kilometres of this beautiful Earth, ranging from mountain tops to endless sandy beaches.

My new boots were a steal of a deal in 2004. But I wasn't done with my old ones yet - they were only 16 years old at the time. Just getting started.


Hello new friends.

However, I knew that I would eventually need new boots, and have been carrying the new ones, waiting for the time me and my old boots could agree on a retirement date. Now, with separating flattened soles and wrecked rands, we agreed the time has come.

Enter the newly treated brand new-ish pair.

If these boots last as long as the old ones, I will be an 80 year old dude snowshoeing through the woods, my "new" boots as weathered as I am. There is a goal to work toward. It starts tomorrow - the snow is great.


Pillowy, powder prevails in the back yard woods.





5 comments:

  1. May you two (or three?!) have many happy miles ahead!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. I hope it will be a long term relationship with many happy miles together.

      Delete
  2. I love this post. I think it is a brilliant achievement to have had (and used) them for so long. You make me want to be a better person, to make my things last longer, I am not bad at it these days, but you are the King! Kudos to you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am going to keep them around for when I need footwear at times a serious tread is not required. I don't think they are quite done yet. Where do old boots go to die?

      Delete
    2. To answer my own question:

      They spend time in the garden, then perhaps become part of the garden. When the time comes I will put some dirt in the boots, and plant something nice in them. Amazingly, we are not there yet as I am still wearing them occasionally.

      Delete

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