After a ride this morning I was putting my gear away when I really took a look at my Sidi Sympatex riding boots and said, I think out load, "Holy Cow - these things look like Crap!". Here's a quick snap of them showing just a few miles of wear and tear.
(Click to enlarge and see the full extent of the wear)
Many years ago as a young lad my grandfather gifted me with a shoe shine kit complete with daubers, rags, brushes and a few tins of polish. The only problem at that time I think was that the only shoes I owned were a pair of Converse Chuck Taylor High Tops in white--not exactly the ideal candidate for spit shine practice.
As an adult, I still keep a shoe shine kit on hand, since I now actually own a few pairs of shoes. I no longer have the exact kit or tools from my grandfather as I have replaced various items with new as they've exceeded their useful life.
I decided to pull out the kit and have a go with my boots - the result can be seen below. While there are a few battle scars that cannot be repaired or hidden with polish, overall I have shown some love back to some items that have taken good care of me for many miles, and likely will for many more.
(Click to enlarge and see how they look after a little facial)
