The Legend of Topknot's Boots

I got my wonderful, thigh-high bucket boots from Museum Replicas a couple of years ago. They were way too clean and nice, and I had to take off the poofy leather dongle thing on the front strap, but they were cheaper than anything else I'd seen like them and a few cans of mink oil knocked down the fancy suede to an acceptable level. The soles were a little flimsy, but what do you expect from costume boots, right?

Over the last 2 years I've worn these boots in parades, on ships, island, beaches, taverns, and wherever my piratical feet might take me. They've been the but of jokes, the subject of compliments, and the final resting place of one dead mouse, and I hope to wear them for as long as I have both my legs.

I mentioned the flimsy soles, and that's the point of this post. See, on Tortuga last, while enjoying the blazing fire at our lovely tavern, I burned the bejeezus out of the sole of my right boot. The thing actually melted and crumpled, bringing to light just how cheaply made these boots had been. My foot was unharmed - thanks to the copious volume of Nelson's blood I had consumed I actually didn't feel a thing - but the boot sole was history.

After much hilarity and derision from my compatriots, I, wielding the awesome authority of my temporary position of Tavern Keep, decreed that from that point onward, at all pirate events involving fire of any kind, Kate would be responsible for reminding me not to get drunk and burn my boots.

So where to turn when your pirate boots need to be resoled? I searched for shoe repair shops and found that most of them had negative feedback through Citysearch. Then I put out a call to my mates on Portlandia and received a couple of recommendations. One was from the Quartermaster, for a place called Dorian's Shoe Repair on 6th downtown. I decided to brave the traffic and construction on my lunch break today and drop my beloved boots at Dorian's.

I was immediately put at ease by the proprietor, a bearded young cobbler whose name I did not get. He showed me exactly the soles I needed, and assured me that they'd be more robust and slip-free than the originals. They would not, alas, be fireproof, so Kate still has a job. He told me that he has done costume pieces before, and that he could extend existing boots into bucket boots for a modest price, should anyone requre that service. He's a member of a recreationist group and has made, repaired and modified boots for trappers, english soldiers, knights and kings. I feel my feet are in good hands.

I pick up my boots in 2 weeks (or so I'm told). I will report as to my satisfaction with the repair at that time.

Topknot