Can Motorcycle Boots Be Resoled?

Can your motorcycle boots be re-soled? The short answer is it depends on which motorcycle boots you buy. However, this is the same answer for ANY boots, not just moto boots. Motorcycle boots by Nick's Boots are resoleable and even rebuildable. However, there's a difference between our boots and those made by others. We'll get into the difference shortly. 

But why is this? 

Whether Leather Boots Are Resoleable Depends On The Welt 

So, whether any pair of leather boots of any sort - motorcycle or otherwise - depends entirely on the welt, which is part of how boots are made. Now, shoes and boots basically have three parts, the upper (the part that covers your foot) the midsole and the outsole. The upper attaches to the midsole, and the outsole to the midsole.

The welt is the part of the boot where the outsole is attached to the midsole and the upper. There are a number of methods for doing so, but in the broad strokes they break down into two categories:

Glued, and stitched.

Most modern factory shoes made by very large brands that you can buy...pretty much anywhere in the world...are glued. Once they come apart, they're toast. You could pay to get them reglued, but it will cost more than it likely cost you to buy them in the first place. That's how the outsole is attached to the midsole and often enough also to the upper.

Those that are stitched, on the other hand, can be restitched. This is the difference. A boot that has a stitched welt, and not just decorative stitching, is attached to the midsole and to the upper via stitching. What comes unstitched can be restitched.

Why Aren't More Motorcycle Boots Rebuildable? 

The reason more motorcycle boots and other footwear like work boots and dress shoes aren't rebuildable comes down to labor costs and time, but also to how we, as a consumer, buy and treat footwear.

Most of the shoe industry makes products that are disposable. Wear until worn out, throw away, and get another pair. You can't spend too much money or time making a product like that.

Welting methods that allow for rebuilds such as Goodyear welting, Blake construction or McKay lockstitch welting (which is the process Nicks Boots uses) requires more time and more specialized labor, which isn't cheap. Output capacity is decreased and the costs of making the product go up.

If you're making a pair of boots that cost $50 at Walmart and will be replaced in a year anyway...why bother? However, a $500 pair of boots that's meant to last for decades? In that instance, it's worth it.

Motorcycle Boots by Nicks Boots Are Resoleable

There are many makers of motorcycle boots, some of which are very good, including us here at Nicks Handmade Boots. We won't tell you we're the best, but our product speaks for itself in terms of build quality, materials, and durability.

If we're trusted all over the country to provide work boots and wildland firefighting boots...you can trust that our motorcycle boots will be every bit as tough, comfortable, and rugged as our work boots.

Our motorcycle boots are made with the same old world methods of handcraft that our other boots are. A pair of Nick's can be resoled or rebuilt, and are made TO be resoled and rebuilt a number of times so that you can keep using them for...well, as long as they can be kept in good working order.

Depending on how well they're cared for, that could be decades. While there are some other brands making motorcycle boots like that, there aren't many of them.