Where can we mail order this thick boot heel
leather and rubber pads to cut to size?

Do a Google search for "cobbler supplies". You'll find a number of
businesses online who sell supplies for repairing shoes; leather, new
heels, etc. Of course, they usually sell to cobblers so you'll need to
buy items in quantity.

take it to a good shoe repair shop and have it done right.

I'm dismayed with that answer. How many of you here are wholly
incapable of replacing a boot heel, such that you've never done it?
Isn't this a *repair* group? Don't you "repair" things?

Believe me, I am the guy who always tries to fix something myself rather
than pay someone else to do it. Even if it takes longer or costs more, I
do it for the knowledge and personal satisfaction. However, even for
someone like me there's a point where the end goal isn't worth the
effort.

For example, something like replacing tires on automobile wheels. Yeah, I
could buy the tools and do it myself, but it's faster and cheaper to pay
the shop to do it. I only need to do it once every few years, so it
doesn't make sense to do it myself. It's one of the rare things I pay
others to do.

Could I repair a shoe? Sure, with a little study and the right tools and
supplies, I'm as capable as anyone. But by the time I've bought the
tools, ordered the supplies, and learned how to use them, I could have
bought new shoes for less money and a lot less effort.

While you can still find a cobbler (shoe repair person), it's not a big
industry. In most cases, it's a small mom and pop shop that have done
this for years. I doubt many young people are choosing to be a cobbler as
a career these days.

My wife has taken shoes to a local cobbler a couple of times. He has the
right tools and supplies, and the knowledge and experience to do the job
quickly. Still, while the repair cost was quite low, it still cost more
to fix the shoe than she paid for them. It was more because she liked the
shoes than a rational decision.

If you plan to become a cobbler, or even repair shoes routinely for your
family and friends, by all means do it yourself. If you're just trying to
save a buck or make your wife proud, there are better ways to that goal.

If you still insist on doing it yourself, and don't want to order 10
heels online, stop by your local cobbler and see if he'll sell you the
supplies you need.

Either that or make a pair of flip-flops from an old tire and some
string.

Good luck, and have fun.

Anthony Watson
www.mountainsoftware.com
www.watsondiy.com