Turned Knee High Boots Into Ankle Boots.

[Curt]

They are good, but how can I fix the tops? I cut them with a knife. I don't want them to look cheap.

[Mike Hinch]

This is easy. Some few years back I got ten inch boots turned into eighteen inch boots and that was a good trick. Now for the tall to short boots the thought that just occured to me was to take the old tops and copy what they did. Another way is to bevel the new top edge so it will fold over and sew or glue it. And if to glue be totally sure to avoid green weldwood. Then one could take a thin strip of leather and stitch it to the upper edge then fold it over and glue it to the inside. Probably just find a boot top that looks good and copy.

[Dr. Shoe]

That bevelling is called "skiving" in the trade.

Separate the lining and as Mike says skive the inner side of the leather. You can do this with a disposable razor. Do a strip 8mm (1/4") wide, fold over and glue. Finally, stitch the lining back together with a saddlers needle or a leather hand needle and trim off the excess lining leather. Unless you have a proper shoe maker's sewing machine you won't be able to do it properly with a domestic machine.