no waste: repair vs. replace

I was on my morning walk with Anise when it happened.

Sneaky girl that she is, I'm convinced that she times her business for when she sees another person or dog—that way she can spring on them while I'm cleaning up after her.

This particular morning was no different. Well. it was a little different. A man across the street was out with his two dogs—his little cotton balls that don't weigh even a tenth of what Anise does. He was out with them...off leash.

BOOM!

Suddenly I was on the ground and there were three dogs in front of me instead of one. The two little dogs had silently run across the street to check Anise out. Anise naturally sprang into action. She adores small dogs. But, in the process, I gained two muddy knees and one broken Bearpaw boot.

Oh, I was irritated. I tweeted my displeasure to Bearpaw. A sole should not rip so easily from a shoe (even worse, this was my second pear of Bearpaw boots to die this way). They ignored me.

My first thought was immediately to buy a new pair. I want a sturdy warm boot to be rough on outside and refuse to pay UGG prices (andas it turns out, Bearpaw prices have climbed closer to UGG prices. Boo). I can't spring for that right now. I scoured the internet for any sale or possible way to replace my boots without settling for cheap junk. It's cold and I need them!

In the midst of my searching, I remembered this year's goal. In particular, I remembered a certain blog post from the blogger who inspired my goal. My google search switched from finding new boots to fixing my current ones. While I wouldn't personally go as far in my no-waste desire as to never buy new clothes, I do think that repairing our existing ones has become a lost art that certainly contributes to waste.

Step 1. Clean/Step 2. Glue/Step 3. Clamp/Step 4. Dry. Easy!

One search result and $6 in epoxy later, my broken boot was drying and I was hoping for the best.

I know it's filthy. These kiddos are for tackling the dirty, cold outdoors.

Just a few days later, Maryland's first legitimate snow put my DIY to the test—and it passed! Anise and I went for a walk and the only wet feet were hers!

That's one less pair of boots in the landfill and $80+ not spent on new boots. It's a start.