Anyone ever seen boots do this?

[AfghanVet]

First off, I know if you leave some shoes in, say, a car for too long it will separate the glue and the sole will come off. What happened to me was the foam part of the shoe just disintegrated. The whole sole came off of the boot leaving me walking on the literal bottom of the shoe without the sole.

[Another Kevin]

I've seen it happen, but only on boots that I should have replaced long before it happened. Normally, I manage to make a complete mess of the sole and the boot outer long before the midsole disintegrates. Scrambling on sandstone is hard on boots.

[QHShowoman]

I used to work returns at REI and I've seen the soles come off for a variety of reasons, but the worst offenders were Keen hiking boots (not so much their water shoes or sandals, probably because they're made a bit differently). People would return their Keens like crazy after less than a year of use for this reason.

[winger]

First off, I know if you leave some shoes in, say, a car for too long it will separate the glue and the sole will come off. What happened to me was the foam part of the shoe just disintegrated. The whole sole came off of the boot leaving me walking on the literal bottom of the shoe without the sole.

What brand of boot and do you have a pic?

[Pedaling Fool]

What brand of boot and do you have a pic?
Important info to know....

[T.S.Kobzol]

It happened to me once and I was 3 days from civilization. That was interesting. My left boot fell apart. I did actually have a backup sneakers but as luck would have it I lost my left sneaker 2 days before the boots fell apart. First day I used ducktape until I ran out. Second and third day were combinations of barefoot and partial barefoot and right sneaker on the left foot right boot on the right foot. It's interesting what happens when you're stride gets affected like this. I started having chafing issues and back issues within hours of this incident. When I finally made it to a road I hitchhiked to nearest town (Pinedale, WY) and bought new trailrunners.

[AfghanVet]

They were Salomon boots. Not sure the model info, I admit I bought them at Goodwill and they appeared fine in the store.

[AfghanVet]

Here's the picture.

[rocketsocks]

Here's the picture.
it happens, had maybe two pairs in 40 years that have de-laminated, Solomon may warrantee those regardless of how ya got em, give em a call for a postage paid return request.

Tipi Walter also has posted a photo of a pair of what I'll call expensive boots (I think most would) that de-laminated maybe he'll chime in.

[AfghanVet]

I had wondered about the warranty, I may give that a shot. In my fledgling hiking experience, I failed to carry another pair of shoes. Did what I estimate to be around 14 miles with no soles on my boots. Miraculously no blisters and no damage to my feet. The back of my knees are screaming but that's about all.

[rocketsocks]

I had wondered about the warranty, I may give that a shot. In my fledgling hiking experience, I failed to carry another pair of shoes. Did what I estimate to be around 14 miles with no soles on my boots. Miraculously no blisters and no damage to my feet. The back of my knees are screaming but that's about all.
Spoken like a true Vet..Oorah! I never had the pleasure to serve.

[AfghanVet]

This was my second time getting out and hiking and come hell or high water I was making it to Springer and back. In hindsight, it wasn't my brightest moment. I drank water out of a marked water source that was a spring with no filter. I ain't dead yet though. By the end I was zombie shuffling, stopped a whole bunch fell asleep on a bench at one point but I made it lol.

[rocketsocks]

This was my second time getting out and hiking and come hell or high water I was making it to Springer and back. In hindsight, it wasn't my brightest moment. I drank water out of a marked water source that was a spring with no filter. I ain't dead yet though. By the end I was zombie shuffling, stopped a whole bunch fell asleep on a bench at one point but I made it lol.
Long as the roof of your mouth didn't get sunburned, they can't call ya a bum. :D

[rocketsocks]

haven't read it yet, but found this.

http://www.salomon.com/us/warranty.html

[Venchka]

First off, I know if you leave some shoes in, say, a car for too long it will separate the glue and the sole will come off. What happened to me was the foam part of the shoe just disintegrated. The whole sole came off of the boot leaving me walking on the literal bottom of the shoe without the sole.

Yep. 3 pairs. Back in the mid-90s. Two pair were mine and the other belonged to Mrs. Wayne. I called Garmot, who made the most expensive pair, and they said, "Yes. We had a problem with the midsole back then."
I said, "May I have a new pair of boots?"
Silence.
The ultimate irony and "Shame on Wayne": The day that I made the boot buying decision I had a choice between full leather inside & out Norwegian welted old school Galibier boots and the Garmont leather & fabric and Gore-Tex lighter modern wonder boots. Dumb choice I made.

Wayne

[Franco]

I had the same thing with a pair of Garmont mids but they were close to end of life anyway.(loved the fit of those shoes...)
I think that those were made in Rumania.
Recently the same thing happened with a cheap pair from Target after only maybe 50-100 miles around town
There was a discussion at Outdoor Magic (UK forum) a few weeks ago about this , the main culprit was a German brand (from memory...) but several other brands were mentioned too.

[Bronk]

I used to work returns at REI and I've seen the soles come off for a variety of reasons, but the worst offenders were Keen hiking boots (not so much their water shoes or sandals, probably because they're made a bit differently). People would return their Keens like crazy after less than a year of use for this reason.I'd be real interested in hearing your opinion on Keen sandals and how they hold up when used in the water. I'm having a real hard time pulling the trigger on a $110 pair of sandals not knowing if I wear them canoeing the river all summer will they disintegrate? Most sandals I've bought for river use stay wet so often that they fall apart by the end of the summer and I'm buying a new pair every year. I need a pair of rugged sandals that can withstand the abuse of hiking and canoeing as some of my trips include trails that are only accessible by river.

[Wise Old Owl]

Nothing last forever - QHShowoman (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/member.php?5659-QHShowoman) is right the returns for workman's boots and the 1 year replacement warranty at Dicks Sporting goods is taken advantage of and workman use a revolving door with one purchase. Hey look at this way you wore them out and now is the best time to replace them. Get some new socks too. Interesting thread Afgan Vet

[rocketsocks]

workman's boots and the 1 year replacement warranty at Dicks Sporting goods is taken advantage of and workman use a revolving door with one purchase.

I'm a workman in the trades and have never done this....ever! Never returned a Stanley tape measure either. If the workers at Dicks replaced boots they shouldn't have, than that's on them....Not wise at all.

[MuddyWaters]

First off, I know if you leave some shoes in, say, a car for too long it will separate the glue and the sole will come off. What happened to me was the foam part of the shoe just disintegrated. The whole sole came off of the boot leaving me walking on the literal bottom of the shoe without the sole.

I had a pair of boots by Rocky in the early 90s this happened too. The rubber disentagrated by dry rot after a year or so just sitting in closet, and fell apart the next time I wore them. I was on a trip to Colorado, and I looked down in the plane and there was a bit of rubber on the floor and I thought "someones shoes are falling apart". As I was walking thru the Denver airport I determined it was my boots, hunks of rubber were flying off and sliding across the floor as I walked. By the time I rented my car and got to a mall, I was literally walking on foam with no rubber sole.

Rocky replaced them, with a pair that was not sized the same, way too tight, and I have never had another pair of Rocky boots.

[Franco]

I had a look at that Outdoors Magic thread.
The OP pair where Meindl but others had the same problem with Scarpa and Asolo too.

[rocketsocks]

I had a look at that Outdoors Magic thread.
The OP pair where Meindl but others had the same problem with Scarpa and Asolo too.
I believe Tipi's were Asolos.

[AfghanVet]

I'm glad I wasn't asking another stupid question only applicable to me lol

[rocketsocks]

I'm glad I wasn't asking another stupid question only applicable to me lol

Vindication by proxy...not a bad thing, hehe ;)

[Tipi Walter]

I'm glad I wasn't asking another stupid question only applicable to me lol

Late to the thread but here's my pic of my wonderful Asolo 520's---which started pulling apart in Mt Rogers, were fixed at home with glue and pulled apart on another trip---

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2010/Five-Miles-of-Living-Hell-on/i-kdg98RZ/0/M/TRIP%20107%20025-M.jpg
Wow, my new Asolo 520's seem like the perfect winter backpacking boot and I was impressed!!

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2012/Tipi-Walter-Grayson-Highlands/i-tfwrMdS/0/M/TRI%20132%20071-M.jpg
Yikes!! While on a 20 day Mt Rogers trip I notice a problem. Luckily I have some McNetts in my kit.

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/18-Days-in-the-Cohutta/i-FCb2rQt/0/M/TRIP%20142%20453-M.jpg
Further on in the Mt Rogers trip I noticed both heels to be separating. It's then that I use the glue.

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/18-Days-in-the-Cohutta/i-XkRSdqb/0/M/TRIP%20142%20617-M.jpg
Several months after using glue to fix the heels I do a long 22 day trip into Big Frog/Cohutta and ZAP this happens which really ticks me off. 520's fall out of my Circle of Trust. Sure when I got home I used sole glue and they seemed fixed but they sit in my closet and I have never used them again due to Failure in the Field. But my main hiking boots are still Asolos, the Fugitives mainly, but I never had sole delamination with them like with the 520's. I wrote a long rant about the crappy 520's in a trail journal entry of some time past.

[Franco]

Tipi
That delamination is a bit more common (the front part on a few of mine) than the problem the OP is commenting on.
What he had is the disintegration of the midsole .
It kind of dries up and just crumbles. I tried filling mine with some rubber but of course it was a fail.

[chiefiepoo]

I had the same problem with Meidl boots that I purchased new at Cabellas for $210. After 3 years and less than 500 miles the soles disintegrated just as pictured. Fell apart on day one of a Glacier NP backpacking trip. I had to have a pair of Keens delivered from Whitefish by courier as I did not have a car. no satisfaction from Meidl or Cabellas. Have spent thousands since then on gear and toys but not at Cabellas. Still have a case of butthurt.

[Gersh]

I had a pair of Merrells that fell apart with not even 50 miles on them.. Not to mention I had just started the 100 mile wilderness. Not a good situation. Needless to say I will not be buying Merrell again. I haven't found a shoe or boot yet that I can't destroy within a year.. the 2 brands that stood up for almost a year were Wenger and Mammut.

[lzeplin]

[QUOTE=MuddyWaters;1891986]I had a pair of boots by Rocky in the early 90s this happened too. The rubber disentagrated by dry rot after a year or so just sitting in closet, and fell apart the next time I wore them. I was on a trip to Colorado, and I looked down in the plane and there was a bit of rubber on the floor and I thought "someones shoes are falling apart". As I was walking thru the Denver airport I determined it was my boots, hunks of rubber were flying off and sliding across the floor as I walked. By the time I rented my car and got to a mall, I was literally walking on foam with no rubber sole.

Rocky replaced them, with a pair that was not sized the same, way too tight, and I have never had another pair of Rocky boots.[/

Yep I had two pair of rockys disentagrate setting in the closet, one pair was melted to the floor! These wern't cheap boots either. One pair was around $175.00 and made in the usa.. I've never bought anything else that said rocky on it and never will.

[lemon b]

Had it happen to a pair of EMS Franconia Notch Boots. Bottoms just fell off after maybe 600 miles. Back in 2004 or 2005.

[shelb]

/// Keen sandals and how they hold up when used in the water. ///$110 pair of sandals not knowing i///

While we do not have professions that keep us in the water all summer, my sons and I are frequently in the river, under a hose, or in Lake Michigan. We use our Keen sandals as water shoes, sandals, and overall summer shoes. I used to buy water shoes, sandals, and tennis shoes for the boys. I soon learned that spending the extra amount on a pair of Keens was worth it. The Keens took the place of THREE different types of shoes, and they lasted - not just one summer, but several!

Regarding the children's shoes, we have had a problem with the plastic buckle on the side. It has broken on two different shoes. However, I replaced it with a 25 cent key ring (the round thing you put your keys on). The store would have sent the shoes back, but the turnaround would have been about 5 weeks. This was quick and easy!!!

[88BlueGT]

This exact thing happened to my North Face boots. It's sad because they were extremely comfortable but after a hundred miles or so they just started falling apart. This is the only picture I have of the damage but it continued to get worse and worse until the entire bottoms had peeled off.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c53/88bluegt22/NFboot.jpg (http://s25.photobucket.com/user/88bluegt22/media/NFboot.jpg.html)

[ChuckT]

Hmm, you all are making me nervous about the Keen Mids I bought this Spring.