Feb 15 2006
Saying goodbye to old friends…
I’m not typically a very sentimental person, but today marked the retirement of some old friends. Friends that have been with me on duty and off for seven years. That were with me when I fell off the wing of a plane at 3,000 feet, when I had my sole opportunity for full-auto fun with Uzis in the Nevada desert, for almost every range trip I have made since 1999 and a host of scuffles, brawls and sprints too numerous to count.
I am speaking, of course, about my boots.
I bought my first pair of Danners when I started at Vancouver Hospital in 1999. I had stayed away from uniformed work for almost 5 years and was in need of a new pair of “duty” boots. Danners were recommended to me as being the best bang for my buck, and as I had some disposable income at the time the price tag didn’t disturb me unduly.
I was not to be disappointed. The Acadias I bought were rugged, reliable and survived just short of seven years of daily wear without issue.
Shortly after I returned to Toronto I went hunting for a replacement pair, simply because the old Danners were starting to die. I was shocked that I couldn’t find a local dealer for them, and refused to consign my feet to an inferior product. Last week the Danners gave their last gasp, as the sole seperated at the toe on both boots, and for the first time water leaked into the boots themselves.
I could deceive myself no more.
Today, after a number of phone calls and some internet research I drove to Markham and bought a replacement pair of Acadias, officially heralding the end of the old ones.
I cannot, however, bring myself to just throw the old boots in the garbage. It seems that a funeral pyre is a more fitting end to boots who have served me so well, for so long.
No way you can get new soles stitched on? Then you’d have TWO pairs
Keep ‘em. I still have my last pair of worn out, clapped out jungle boots…somewhere. I’ve owned three pairs, each of which lasted for at least 4 years. Sentiment is reason enough.
Hey Mon,
Don’t you know the Soles can be replaced? That’s the overall beauty of Danners! That’s the primary reason I finally broke down and got a pair! What other boots could survive daily wear then endure mud, moisture and whatnot in a paintball game? Didn’t you just hose them off afterwards then reapply polish them?
I just hope my Danners last as long as yours. The only pair of boots I have that have lasted for longer than 10 years are my Daytons. Aside from a sole and heel replacement, I’ve had them for 13 years so far. Then again, I’m not very rough on them.
Burn ‘em I say, then you won’t always be wondering if some bum is giving them a new lease on life! *GRIN*
I bought my Caterpillers on a lark on opening day of “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.” They’re still in wonderful shape, but needed really good in-soles to be at all comfortable. They’re going fast, though, and I’m in the market for new boots.
I wish I’d have known, I’d have gone with you or at least given you the cash for a pair for me. Oh well.
Admittedly, the toughest boots I’ve ever seen are Tyler’s hand-made Calgary cowboy boots. He’s had those bitches 17+ years and replaced the heels once just before he moved to Toronto ten years ago (he didn’t truly need to, he was just being sure). It’s a shame they don’t make good uniform boots and the traction sucks in the snow, or I’d plan a trip west.
Danner has a factory outlet store here in Portland… I could go and price them there for you…
And they refurbish boots for pretty reasonable prices. See this link.
Dammit Freddy! Thats an excellent link! Gonna have to send my old ones in for a little re&re.
Patrick: I’ve taken those old boots all over town and no shoe repair guy I can find will work on them. Mind you, thanks to Freddy I’ve got a place to send the old ones for a new lease on life.
Cool…
Good idea … it’s damn shame to toss out a pair of boots you’ve spent years getting to conform to your feet!
Damn Mon,
If I knew you were having such a bitch of a time finding someone to refurbish them, I would’ve sent you the URL (as provided by Freddie)!!
That was one of the pages I went to just to research a bit on them before I committed $260(CAN) to get a pair of my own.
Get them refinished. It’ll probably be the pair you take camping/hiking with you when “J-I” gets of age to do such things.
Yeah, I blame myself for not doing even basic research and checking Danners website. Live and learn, n’est pas?
I’ll be sending my old pair in obviously. The only thing better than owning a pair of Danners is owning two pairs.
-GRIN-
Danner’s customer service is fantastic. I cut my new set of Pronghorns on some glass while walking through a post-fire flooded basement for the STL Red Cross. I wrote Danner via e-mail about the story and asked them how I would go about getting the boot fixed.
Long story short, they asked me to send in the boots and in about a week, they completely replaced the boots free of charge (save for the one way shipping).
If you have a cool story about how your boots kept your feet dry, saved a life, anything of that nature, write them and mention your problem. Couldn’t hurt and would take 5 mins. Cheers.
It kind of helps that I’ve driven by their factory outlet store a ba-jillion times.
The only time I went in there was last Christmas time my brother in law was here from Idaho and wanted to go there and get new boots. They’ve got some niiiice boots there. They’ve got some that they only make for the outlet store, imagine that…
As of Today my old boots are winging their way through the Canadian and US Postal services on their way to Danner for a quick spot of refurbishing.
I should have documented the process better, but I’ll update this entry as each step progresses.