What To Do With Old Hiking Boots?

As time goes on, you would have worn your hiking boots for miles on different terrains.

On some occasions, you would have had to fix them, maybe re-sole, dye, waterproof, or revamp them so that they would look good. You want to ensure that they last a long period and they serve their purpose for as long.

However, at one point, they won’t be able to serve the hiking purpose any longer. You would probably abandon them in a corner and watch them rot away.

If you are big on keeping the ecosystem safe, you wouldn’t want to throw them away. But, on the contrary, if you are not, it still would not be safe to the environment for you to throw your hiking boots away.

So, instead of making your hiking boots rot in a corner, you could use them for other creative things. You can do many things with old hiking boots, and we will talk about them in this article.

Before we get into it, take a minute to recall where you could have probably dumped your old hiking boots. Now that you remember, we can get into it.

So, what can you possibly do with your old hiking boots?

Let’s find out!

Contents

What To Do With Old Hiking Boots?
Conclusion

Your old hiking boots shouldn’t end in one corner of your home. They could be more beneficial to you or others than that. For instance, other than hiking, they can serve more purposes than you can imagine.

What can you do with them?

Idea #1: Give them away

One major thing you can do with old hiking boots that you don’t wear anymore is giving them out. It is a better option than making them waste away in your home.

They would be of better use to whoever you give them to than lying around with no use in your home. But, of course, they have to be in good condition before you can give them out.

They still need to look presentable, wearable, and pleasant. Then, you can give them away to your friends or family who may need them.

Another option is to donate them to groups or persons who need them and make them happy. For example, you can donate them to orphanages or organizations that accept donations.

You can also give them to outdoor groups like scouts, Girl Guides, and any other. However, before you send them out, you have to ensure they are in good shape. If they have accumulated dust in your home, you can clean them before you give them out.

Idea #2: Sell them for a token

Another thing you could do is to sell your old hiking boots. But, of course, you wouldn’t get them for the price you got them, or even at a price close to them.

However, you could make little money from selling them. Better still, you can get a good deal if you have not used them much, and they still look good to an extent.

There would be someone who could still use your old hiking boots. You can sell them on Craigslist, eBay, Facebook marketplace, Etsy, and other local online marketplaces.

However, you should know that you probably won’t sell them for much since they are used. So, don’t get too excited, hoping that you will make a lot of money.

However, the good thing is you’re better off with a few dollars than having them lying around in your home or throwing them away.

Regardless, don’t forget to clean them up before putting them up for sale. No one wants to buy dirty hiking boots!

Check out this YouTube video to guide you on your sale.

Idea #3: Recycle your hiking boots

Another idea is to recycle your old hiking boots. Some organizations accept old shoes and footwear and use them for other purposes like making basketball courts, new footwear, playground, tracks, and more. An example of such an organization is Nike Grind.

They have a program where they reuse old and used footwear for other purposes. So, you can recycle your boots through them if you feel comfortable doing that.

Plus, they accept footwear of any brand, so it doesn’t matter if your hiking boots are not Nike. However, they will not take your hiking boots if they have metal. So, if they are not, they are good to go.

You can recycle with Nike Grind by dropping them off at any Nike retail store. Another option is to mail your hiking boots to them directly. So, instead of creating waste in the environment or your home, you can recycle your hiking boots for a better cause.

Check out this YouTube video to help you recycle your hiking boots.

Idea #4: Fix them

If you are not ready to let go of your old hiking boots yet, you can fix them. Sometimes, people abandon their shoes or boots because of minor faults or issues.

If that is the case with your hiking boots, you can fix and wear them on the trails again. However, it could be a long and stressful process, especially if you have avoided doing that for a while. Also, fixing your hiking boots for a longer use would cost you some money.

But if you would rather have them than throw them away, then you had better fix them. You can give them to a professional to help you, or you could go DIY.

You can meet a cobbler if you need to re-sole or sew a torn part. Also, you can dye or condition them if you abandon them because they have lost their color a bit.

You can also waterproof them again with a waterproofing spray if they now lack the feature. You can do many things to bring your hiking boots back to life, and you can do that based on what your hiking boots need.

Once you fix them, you can wear them for a longer period before it gets to the point where you have to give them up. Even at that point, you can still use them for other purposes.

Check out this how-to-fix hiking boot method on YouTube.

Idea #5: Use them for yard work

Your hiking boots can’t only be useful on hiking trails alone; they can be of good use around your home. For example, if you do a lot of gardening or yard work, you could wear your hiking boots for them.

You can use your old hiking boots, especially when they are worn out and almost beyond saving. Plus, you can use them for all the dirty work around your home.

They will protect your feet from harmful objects on the field. In addition, they can get dirty instead of your feet, and you can feel comfortable doing your yard work.

Lastly, you can also use them to shovel snow, clean your pond, and do other dirty jobs you do around your home.

Idea #6: Use them as a doorstop

Instead of watching your hiking boots waste away or lay around accumulating dust in your home, you could use them as doorstops. If you have those annoying doors that won’t stay open no matter how hard you try, you can keep them open with your boots.

Of course, your hiking boots are probably not heavy enough to keep your doors open on their own. So, you have to reinforce them with other materials.

You can fill them up with sand, small rocks, gravel, stone, or anything that would make them weigh more. After that, you can place them wherever you want, and they would serve the purpose of doorstops. That way, you don’t have to worry about the annoying or not-so-annoying door.

Idea #7: Use them as flower planters

You can also use your hiking boots as flower planters. They can serve as flower pots to grow beautiful flowers.

What you need to do is to fill the boots up with soil and place the flower or vegetable seed at the hiking boots’ opening, water the seed and watch it grow. You can also place planters inside your hiking boots.

You can place them on your porch and make them beautify your home. Additionally, you can get creative and hang them on trees if you have them on your site. So you tie the hiking boots’ laces around the tree’s branches and leave them hanging there.

Idea #8: Use them as umbrella stands

Another creative thing you can use your old hiking boots for is umbrella stands. If you don’t have umbrella stands in your home and you have old pairs of hiking boots lying idle in your home, that’s something.

So, clean your hiking boots, and maybe paint them so they look attractive. Then, anytime you get back home from the rain you can leave your umbrella in them. They can also hold your umbrella when you’re not using them. However, don’t forget to dry them if they get wet.

Idea #9: They can serve as a decoy

You can also use hiking boots as decoys in front of your home. For example, if you are a woman living alone, you can place your pair of old hiking boots at your front door, so it seems like someone else lives with you.

Idea #10: They can serve as a birdhouse

Your hiking boots can serve as a birdhouse to birds. You can tie them to trees, and they can serve as environmentally cozy homes to birds, and they can nest in there.

You can use one of the pairs as a feeder and fill it with bird seeds. Then, you can either hang it next to the other one or place it on the ground. So, ensure you tie them on strong and sturdy branches with the opening facing upwards so birds can get inside them quickly.

Idea #11: Use them as mailboxes

You can use your old hiking boots as mailboxes in your home. If other people in your home have old hiking boots that they don’t wear anymore, you can line them up and place everyone’s mail in their hiking boots.

It is better than splattering the mail on the table or kitchen counter messily. So, you can write each person’s name on their hiking boots and distribute the mail. That way, everyone can pick up their mail from their boots when they are ready, and you can stay organized.

Idea #12: Use them as a decoration

One other thing you can do with your old hiking boots is to use them for decoration. For example, you could fill them up with dry flowers and hang them on your door.

They would look beautiful, and people would probably commend your creativity. But, of course, you could also use them to decorate your Christmas tree.

So, you can paint them in different colors, so they don’t look old, faded or bland. So, get into your creative mode and beautify your hiking boots for decoration.

Idea #13: Use them to cover the table base

Your old hiking boots can be useful and serve as cover for the base of your table. If you have two pairs lying around the house, you can wear either of them on each table base leg.

They can beautify your dull table look and at the same time protect them from wear. Also, your hiking boots can stabilize your table, especially if their legs are unstable.

You could also make your hiking boots attractive by painting them or decorating them before wearing them on your table’s legs.

Idea #14: They can serve as a mirror frame

You can also use your old hiking boots as a mirror frame. First, of course, you would need to cut the upper part of your hiking boots and glue them around your mirror so they can have a new look with the frame.

You have to clean your hiking boots and maybe transform their looks before using them as a frame. Also, you can paint them in multiple colors and patterns or any design you like.

Conclusion

Hiking boots wear over time after long-term use. You can either let them waste away in your home, throw them away or use them for other purposes; however, we recommend the latter option.

This is because throwing them away isn’t eco-friendly and would only add more waste to the environment. At the same time, letting them lay around in your home is such a waste, and they could be doing more than just that.

If you love doing exciting things, you can try our creative suggestions and put those old hiking boots to good use. As we have constantly stated, your hiking boots can be more than just for hikes, so when you can’t hike with them again, get creative.

So, get creative and have fun!