Brand new pair of hiking boots, $1.00

After the theft of my backpacks and, along with them, my second pair of shoes, I have been wearing the same hiking boots basically every day. They were never premium quality boots to begin with so the wear and tear was beginning to take its toll.

After only a month of constant wear, the soles started to come apart.

While wandering around in Quito, Ecuador with my daughter, we stumbled upon a tiny hole-in-the-wall shop that made custom shoes.

Sydney could not find a pair of already-made shoes which fit her and were in a style she liked. To have a pair made-to-order was only $12.00 so I ordered her a pair. (Sadly, when we went to pick them up the next day, they weren’t ready. She had to catch a flight back to the US so we couldn’t wait for them and had to get a refund.)

However this story is about my hiking boots. While in the store the first time, I asked if it were possible to repair them where the soles were coming separated from the uppers. The young man who worked in the shop said yes so I took off my boot and handed it to him.

I took a stool and waited while Sydney tried on shoes and looked at the different styles that were available.

About 20 minutes and $1.00 later, I had what essentially amounted to a brand-new hiking boot.