09.26.06

Boots

Posted in Sunday Times Columns at 9:35 pm by Sarah

An interesting story. I had a pair of camel coloured calf length boots which were very comfortable but barely worn – especially in the last few years. This weekend I decided a key gap in my wardrobe were black calf length boots. I have knee high ones and ankle ones but not calf length. If only I could dye the camel ones I thought. I searched our village but sadly they didn’t stock shoe leather dye. Passing a garage I remembered the mother-in-law bragging about dyeing shoes with spray car paint. Aha! I bought satin finish black car paint spray, stuffed the boots with newspaper, went outside and sprayed the boots. They looked great!

Next morning I dressed on the way to the airport for my mini-break in Edinburgh and noticed that when I took the newspapers out the leather went a bit soft and the camel colour showed through in the tiny cracks. Undaunted I kept going – sure I’d get away with it for the weekend and then touch up on my return.

However, once I got into the car and started driving, I began to notice the smell of the paint! By the time I got to the airport I was nearly overcome with toxic fumes. I went straight to the Ladies, inspected the boots – LOADS more camel coloured cracks appearing and I realised I couldn’t get on a plane with the stink. So, took ‘em off, dumped them in the bin (the other women thought I was CRACKED watching put a pair of seemingly perfect boots into the bin). Fortunately I had other black shoes which matched my jeans, and off I went. Down a pair of perfectly good, if rarely worn, camel coloured boots. Dammit. I must complain to the mother-in-law.

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