These are my favorite boots. Ever. I bought them in 1998. They were quite pricey then but worth every penny. The store, in Leuven, where I got them no longer exists. I wore them with skirts, jeans, dress pants - you name it. They were so comfortable I wore them through my entire first pregnancy.
Two winters ago, they got totally wrecked in a terrible rain storm. The soles, which already had holes in them, I admit, came completely loose and the leather got white rings all over. Total loss, I thought. But I didn't throw them out. I simply couldn't. I wondered about it a couple of times, but I just couldn't do it. A couple of weeks ago, though I was convinced they were beyond repair, I decided to take them to the shoe mender. Not the regular shoe repair store but a real old fashioned one. The store as such is a delight, really. Wooden shelves, finished shoes in brown bags waiting to be taken home, the smell of leather and polish, rubber and yes cigarettes, too. I had to go back a couple of times, but the guy kept promise. He fixed them, colored them where needed, polished them and now they look like brand new again. I've actually never seen a sole finished this beautifully and perfectly. Many years and many boots later, they're still my favorites. I won't take them through the rain again, as they deserve respect after all these years!
Posts
