I've been playing with a pair of Bear Paw shoes I got at Big 5 on sale for $25. I think I'll be able to stretch them to 2,000 miles. So far, I have 408 miles on them. (Measured on trails of a known distance for 150 miles and GPS for the rest.)

For the first 400 miles, I didn't do much to them as I figure I'd end up throwing them away soon. And I'd already bought another pair of shoes and 2 pairs of boots. Now they have become an experiment in care. Over the past 3 or 4 days, I've restored them.

First a run through the washing machine with no soap. Soap isn't good for leather. I put them in with a full load of other old clothes. That way the shoes don't clunk around the washer.

I let them air dry for a couple of days away from heat.

Then I put Shoe Goo on the worn spots on the soles. As I mentioned in another tip, using an ice cube to spread it works real well. The tips of the toes were coming loose a bit, so I fixed those with Shoe Goo. Using ice makes the Shoo Goo run into the seam and creates a real strong bond. To make a neat patch, mask with tape and pull it off right after spreading glue.

The scuff pads on the front were coming loose a bit, but the threads were just stretched and not broken. So I made Shoe Goo patches fix those.

Then I polished the shoes using neutral Kiwi polish. Paying special attention to rub polish into the threads to keep them strong. Still, I wasn't satisfied with the restoration of the leather.

A friend recommended Lexol conditioner which is in the tack section of Big R (or at Amazon.) $15 for a quart which goes a LONG way. This worked GREAT to restore the leather. Now it's supple and shiny. Just like new.

Inside, I used a thin layer of Shoe Goo for worn spots and small holes. Gorilla tape for bigger holes.

I'm guessing if I keep up with the repairs, I can stretch these shoes to 2,000 miles.

It's too much effort for a thru hike. But for training shoes, it's worth it.