Author |
Rubber rot on mountaineering boots - any ideas? |
|
|
19-Aug-2015 3:49:55 PM
|
All, my La Sportiva boots have a strange case of rubber rot - the rubber in the heal (only on one boot!) is totally de-naturing - it's turning into rubber powder. They haven't been exposed to anything strange, just carted around the tropics for five years. Has anyone seen this before? Any ideas on getting them repaired?
|
20-Aug-2015 2:39:21 AM
|
I just replaced a pair of 12yo Technica hiking boots that had exactly the same problem (in both boots). The side of the sole started flapping and when I looked underneath that cushioning rubber was crumbling. They'd mostly been used in dry climates (western US & North Africa) so it might not be related to moisture?
|
20-Aug-2015 8:37:22 AM
|
Highly unlikely dryness - I've just lived in the Solomon Islands for four years within a couple of hundred metres of the ocean most of the time - high temps and humidity - maybe salt?
|
20-Aug-2015 10:11:09 AM
|
Shoe Goo.
|
20-Aug-2015 3:25:16 PM
|
Had a similar case in hiking boots when I worked in an outdoor store a few years ago.
Turned out the guy was using them on a dairy and standing in cow shit all day, apparently the ammonia or something will chew out the foam/rubber over time.
DEET will also do it, along with whatever customs uses to dip dirty boots in as you come back into the country.
|
20-Aug-2015 4:59:14 PM
|
On 20/08/2015 pmonks wrote:
>I just replaced a pair of 12yo Technica hiking boots that had exactly the
>same problem (in both boots). The side of the sole started flapping and
>when I looked underneath that cushioning rubber was crumbling. They'd
>mostly been used in dry climates (western US & North Africa) so it might
>not be related to moisture?
So according to Mike, stop pissing on your boots Peter
P
|
20-Aug-2015 5:16:16 PM
|
>So according to Mike, stop pissing on your boots Peter
>
Always piss facing downwind... Maybe it confirms my suspicion of salt being the culprit?
|
20-Aug-2015 5:55:46 PM
|
On 20/08/2015 mike3091660 wrote:
>>
>Turned out the guy was using them on a dairy and standing in cow shit
>all day, apparently the ammonia or something will chew out the foam/rubber
>over time.
>
Can not see this as being a reason to dissolve boots - cow shit doesn't contain ammonia , they wouldn't have any gut left .The urea in urine break down over time to ammonia , but yards and pits are washed out after every milking so highly unlikely . Pretty silly to be wearing hiking boots versus gum boots @ $80 a pair
|
20-Aug-2015 7:28:10 PM
|
On 20/08/2015 wallwombat wrote:
>Shoe Goo.
+1
Caveat for Capt Mulch:
Certain types of foam/sponge deteriorate at an alarming rate anyway ... ??.
I don't know if this is due to UV light, age, or other factors, but do know that an old motorcycling helmet of mine effectively lost all its padded lining due to a similar event, and that item was stored in darkness, non-humid conditions, never came in contact with chemicals, etc.
The cynical side of my thinking says to me that it is a capitalist plot to ensure upgrade buying down the track...
;-)
|
21-Aug-2015 8:11:49 AM
|
>
>The cynical side of my thinking says to me that it is a capitalist plot
>to ensure upgrade buying down the track...
>;-)
That sounds more like it...
The rest of the boots are good, so I'm going to have to find an injectable fix - at least making a mold / form around the heals will be easy.
|
22-Aug-2015 3:38:17 AM
|
On 20/08/2015 PDRM wrote:
>So according to Mike, stop pissing on your boots Peter
But I like the shiny look!
|
22-Aug-2015 9:35:27 AM
|
I've read about Sugru, never used it but it might do the job:
https://sugru.com
|