Risports, Grafs and MK experts needed for Adult skater advice please!

[Query]

Looking at what was said about old stock, maybe that is why the (glued multi-layer leather) heel of my Edmonton Special boot came apart. They had sat in a pro shop unused for many years.

Why do old boots go bad even if not used? Is it just the glue, or does leather, stiffening elements and/or stitching go bad with age too?

 

[bostonskaterguy86]

Looking at what was said about old stock, maybe that is why the (glued multi-layer leather) heel of my Edmonton Special boot came apart. They had sat in a pro shop unused for many years.

Why do old boots go bad even if not used? Is it just the glue, or does leather, stiffening elements and/or stitching go bad with age too?

Temperature and humidity would be my guess. Adhesives and leather are both particularly sensitive to warm temperatures and dry air - leather can become brittle, and adhesives can dry out and come undone. As a semi-professional musician, I've had several musical instruments damaged by heat and dryness - the bridge on one of my guitars popped off because the adhesive had let go while it was in storage for several years.

I'd wager that most pro shops can only do so much to control temperature and humidity in their spaces. This probably doesn't impact most of the boots that pass through their shops, since they're only there for a few weeks or months (especially in shops that deal with lots of special orders) - but I can very easily imagine that a pair of boots sitting on a shelf or in a bin for years would succumb to any bad conditions over time.

 

[Query]

Temperature and humidity would be my guess. Adhesives and leather are both particularly sensitive to warm temperatures and dry air - leather can become brittle, and adhesives can dry out and come undone. As a semi-professional musician, I've had several musical instruments damaged by heat and dryness - the bridge on one of my guitars popped off because the adhesive had let go while it was in storage for several years.

Do you use dehumidification packets in your guitar cases, and keep them in humidity controlled environments as much as you can? But of course, guitars are likely to be played outdoors, so that might be impossible.

It at least used to be true in renaissance times that leather was typically hardened (made stiff) by infusing it with an adhesive, many of which are derived from animal products. I'm not sure how skate leather is hardened now - maybe a more modern adhesive, which might or might not be organic in origin, or they add a heat-moldable stiff plastic layer? If an organic adhesive is used, and if, as you say, a skate shop had imperfect temperature and humidity control, bacteria could thrive.