Cowboy and western boot repair by mail

Good western boots are built to be resoled. But they have parts most shoe shops rarely handle: stacked leather heels, shanks, pegged or stitched welts and tall shafts. Here's what the work involves and how to pick a mail-in shop that does it regularly.

What a western boot resole usually includes

• Full soles. Usually leather, sometimes a composition or rubber sole for traction. Drew's lists both leather and composition options for western boots.
• Heels. A new top lift, or a full stacked heel rebuild if the heel base is worn or made of man-made material. Tulsa Shoe Rebuilders says it replaces man-made heel bases with stacked leather, at extra cost.
• Welt and shank. If the welt is damaged or the shank spring has broken, they need replacing. These are often charged on top of the base resole price.
• Finishing. Dyeing the sole edges and heel base, new sock liners, and polishing or oiling.

Specialty work worth knowing about

Western boot specialists often offer work a general shop won't do:

• offset heels or lifts to correct pronation or supination, and changes to heel height (Drew's);
• spur shelves, rawhide counters and saddle vamps (Drew's);
• side zippers or orthopedic build-ups (Tulsa Shoe Rebuilders);
• restoration of vintage or heirloom boots, and repair of pet-chew damage (Tulsa Shoe Rebuilders).

Published prices

Few shops publish western boot prices. Of those in our directory, Drew's lists western boot repair (full soles and heels, edge dyeing, restitching, sock liners and polish) starting at $140 plus shipping. Tulsa Shoe Rebuilders lists cowboy boot resoles from $65 a pair, with extra charges for parts like shanks and heel liners, and for shipping. Those starting prices cover different amounts of work, so compare what's included, not just the price.

Brand programs

Some western brands send owners to a partner shop. Tecovas sends owners to NuShoe for mail-in resoles. It notes that NuShoe can't repair damaged shafts, vamps or counters; for those it recommends a local cobbler. Check your boot brand's website before you choose a shop.

Mail-in shops that list western boots

Filter the directory by "Western / cowboy". At the last check that included Cobblers Direct, Daub's, Drew's, Mr. Cobbler Co., NuShoe, B. Nelson, The Cobblers and Tulsa Shoe Rebuilders. Before you ship, read the questions to ask a cobbler. With western boots, ask especially about heel height and how the shop will finish the heel base.