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Bally's curling boots are immensely popular in many parts of the world, which is easy to understand. Super comfortable, warm, good quality. If you also take care of your boots in the right way, these expensive gems will stay nice looking and in good condition for much longer as well. Here's a guide on how to care for and repair your Bally curling boots, or other boots of similar types.
Things to think about during everyday use of curling boots
Curling boots are made of several different natural materials, such as calf suede, sheepskin lining and natural rubber galoshes. One mistake many people make is to wear their comfortable boots day in and day out. Then the sheepskin and suede will never dry up properly, and when they are damp they wear much faster. Therefore, you should always leave the boots to rest for a day between uses, at least as often as possible. It will significantly affect the lifespan in a positive direction.
When you come home and take off your shoes, it's good if you directly brush them off with a shoe brush, so that dirt doesn't settle. Don't use a suede brush for this, but a regular shoe brush with horse hair. Start by brushing the suede and do it down towards the rubber. Then you go over to the galoshes and the sole edge, if necessary, you may also wipe the rubber with a regular dishcloth with warm water. Make sure you remove dirt from the brush when you are done. If you have received minor marks, a cleaning rubber for suede is excellent to easily rub it off.
No need for shoe trees in Bally curling
Curling boots are a shoe that, unlike most other leather shoes, doesn't need to have shoe trees in them. The galoshes and the rubber sole provide sufficient structure so that the suede does not contract when they dry. On the contrary, the shoe trees can instead press unnecessarily on the fur lining so it loses in volume. With advantage, you may place sportfresh or just a net bag with cedar shavings in each shoe, it helps to absorb moisture and also has antiseptic properties that are good for the environment in the shoes.
The natural rubber used for curling boots is a little more sensitive to harden over time, to avoid this it is good if they never are stored in direct sunlight, and never near radiators or directly on floors with underfloor heating (all this also has negative affects on the suede). When spring comes and you won't use the boots for a while, make sure to store them in a relatively cool and dark place, so the rubber and for that matter also the leather stays fresher until next season.
Care for and protect curling boots
The suede needs a good waterproofing spray such as Saphir Medaille d'Or Super Invulner, spray the shoes with this before the first use. As curling boots are often used in quite demanding conditions, they can get a little dirty and worn after a while, even if you follow the above tips and let them rest and brush and dry them after use. Therefore, they need to be washed at regular intervals.
Use Saphir Medaille d'Or Omninettoyant suede cleaner, and the included brush, which you rinse under water and dip in containers with Omninettoyant to then work up a lather in the suede. You can also wash the rubber with the product. Then let the shoes rest until they are completely dry, and then brush the suede gently with a suede brush to lift the fibers again.
If the suede needs care and a new colour, you can use the Saphir Medaille d'Or Suede Renovateur spray in the same colour as the shoes. It also provides good protection against moisture. If you have Bally curling boots with different colors of suede and rubber, cover the edge of the rubber with masking tape. Spray at a distance of about 20 centimeters over the entire suede area, then let it dry for a quarter of an hour. For best waterproofing, you then also spray with Saphir Medaille d'Or Super Invulner.
Over time, the rubber galoshing and the soles may solidify and become stiffer, especially if the shoes have not been stored and treated properly over the years. Then there are tricks to use to soften the rubber again, and this also reduces the risk of it cracking. Start by cleaning the rubber with very hot water and a stiff brush, a shoe brush with horsehair or dish brush may work, but the best is a shoe brush with wild boar brush. It's ideal to use Tarrago's rubber boot clean and care product, which is also perfect for this purpose. Let the shoes dry and see if it gave the desired result.
If this does not help, you can buy regular silicone spray that is available at hardware stores or similar, spray liquid in a container and then brush the entire rubber surface of the shoes with the silicone. Allow to stand for 24 hours before wiping off any silicone residue. If the shoes are still stiff, repeat the brushing but then seal the shoes completely tightly in a plastic bag, and let the shoes be stored for three days. Then wipe off excess silicone on your now hopefully softer shoes.
Repair curling boots
Beloved boots that are used a lot in tough conditions will, no matter how good the quality, wear out and get damaged. Severe issues is recommended to take to a cobbler. Minor damage to the rubber galoshes you can repair yourself, especially if it is, for example, on the toe where the rubber does not move, using our repair kit for Bally curling boots, which you can find here.
When repairing the boots, start by gluing any damage together with Atomlim. Apply the glue thinly (in a well-ventilated room or outdoors) and press the surfaces together for at least 30 seconds. Immediately wipe off any glue that has been misplaced, for example if it has been squeezed out and landed on top of the surface you are gluing together. As always with superglue, be very careful not to get it in places you don't want glue, and always watch your eyes. It's a good idea to wear thin protective gloves.
Fill in gaps
Next, fill in any gaps or damage left in the rubber sealant with Quicksohl rubber putty. Carefully sand the surface to be filled, so that the patching compound can adhere properly, and make sure it is dry and clean. Apply the rubber paste in a thin layer, no more than 3-4 mm, and shape into a smooth surface. Leave to air dry for a day or so. It will shrink slightly as it dries. If you need to fill in more, repeat the procedure with more layers of Quicksohl. The finish can be cut and/or sanded to get completely smooth if needed.
Finally, spray the galoshes with Saphir Tenax. Cover your hands with gloves and wear non-sensitive clothing, make sure you have, for example, newspapers as a base, and do protect areas of the shoes that you do not want to be stained with, for example, masking tape. This is because the paint sticks very strongly.
A cobbler can also re-sole and make other major repairs to your curling boots. Here it varies a bit between the different generations of Bally boots which repairs often needs to be done and how they can be fixed. In some cases, the cost is very high or the damage cannot be repaired, but skilled cobblers can fix a lot.
For Bally's curling boots the most common model found in homes today is generation 2, which was manufactured from the 90s until 2015, where there was a major shortage to a foam rubber material in the wedge heel base that often wears down. A good cobbler can replace it with a better rubber.
In generation 3 made between 2015-2019, the bad foam heel base was replaced with a better one in EVA rubber, however, they were redone so that the outsole became smaller, which caused more wear on the galoshing, so here repairs at the bottom of this are more common. Depending on how big the damage is and where it is, you can try to repair it yourself or go to a cobbler.
Finally, today's generation 4 of Bally curling boots, which went on sale in the autumn of 2020. Now they have for the first time gone from their own Bally rubber soles and use a new type of rubber sole from well-known Italian sole manufacturer Vibram, which is really durable and also has excellent grip on all types of ice. Hopefully, today's generation of Bally curling will last even better than before.
If you have any further questions on how to care for your curling boots, or other questions on shoes and shoe care, don't hesitate to contact us at ktj@skolyx.se and we'll make sure you get help.
Pictures from Bally.eu.