I was cleaning out our garage a couple of weeks ago, and found something that I thought had gone lost years ago.

I bought these Vasque Sundowners the summer before I left for college from Go With The Flow . These made it through hell and back – walking to class, pledging, tailgates & games, road trips, camping…you get the picture. These have probably been the best value for the dollar I’ve ever spent on shoes. Structurally, they are in excellent condition – ready to go. Needless to say, when I found them in an old box in the garage, I was more than excited.

They needed some serious work. First, I removed the laces and gave them a good wash.

In the meantime, I contacted Vasque to inquire about some new laces. They promptly responded and said they replacement laces could be purchased from LacesForLess.com . $0.99 a pair. I got the brown boot laces, and also the red round laces – more on that shortly.

Next, I gave them a few coats of saddle soap:

Finally, I very light layer of polish:

I’m very happy to have these ‘back’. Like reconnecting with an old friend. Now – I just need to decide on the laces:

Brown:

or Red:

What do you think?