These are the guys that fix your riding boots soles and do the trials sole conversions, jackets etc and save you money… read on.
In SA right now, every rand feels like it’s doing cardio before you spend it. Fuel is painful, groceries are a horror movie, and buying new motorcycle clobber can hurt. So when a place pops up that can take your crashed, burned, 40 year old, “I’m never throwing these away” riding gear and make it look factory fresh for pocket money… the group chats explode.
Meet Dubun Menlyn, the quiet little repair shop in Pretoria that has become the South African biking community’s worst kept secret. They have been advertising with us for just about time in memoriam. So, we decided to stress test them properly.
We loaded up Séan with an absolutely ridiculous pile of “dead” gear and one very sentimental pair of 1991 cowboy boots bought with his first ever Christmas bonus. Nearly forty years ago. If Dubun could bring this lot back from the grave, they could probably raise Lazarus too.
The Challenge List (brace yourself):
- A textile adventure jacket that had been crashed in and then butchered by a previous repairer.
- An Oxford leather jacket with sleeves too short for Sean’s orangutan arms and zips that gave up on life.
- A proper, old school 1980’s bunny biker leather (yes, the short ones that went with high waist jeans).
- Lace up military style riding boots that had been abused harder than a rental scooter in Durban.
- Throw over soft saddlebags melted by a high exhaust on a press launch.
- And the big one, 34 year old cowboy boots that cost an entire 13th cheque in 1991 and had emotional value money can’t buy
Replacement cost for the lot if bought new today? Easily north of R30,000. Maybe R35k on a bad day. Total cost of repair byDubun? Just under R4,000. That’s about R600 an item. We’re still doing the happy dance.
What Actually Happened.
- The crashed adventure jacket came back with that dodgy repair completely undone and re-stitched stronger than original, you can’t even really tell where the tear was.
- The Oxford leather got brand new zips AND two extra inches added to the sleeves. Looks like it rolled off the production line yesterday.
- The vintage bunny jacket? Waist dropped, old school steel zips fixed, and now actually protects your kidneys instead of flashing them to the world. Iconic look kept, safety added.
- The military boots that were basically flaps held together by hope? Complete new ankle cuffs and sleeves, stitching…. everything was reborn. Sean says they feel better than the day he bought them.
- The melted saddlebags? You literally cannot see where the burn was. Invisible repair wizardry.
- The cowboy boots… oh man. The team at Dubun took one look and said “Easy, we can even make them look brand new if you want.” Sean (big hairy biker, zero chill) asked them to keep the aged patina because of memories. When Maggie handed them back perfectly repaired but still perfectly lived in, there may or may not have been something in his eye.
Who Are These Magicians?
The owner is Craig Smith, and calling him “interesting” is the understatement of the year. By day he’s a church pastor (yes really). In his spare time he’s the current South African Airsoft champion and third in the world. He owns a few KTMs including a 990 Adventure R, plus a stunning custom BMW café racer built in memory of a mate. He rides like a hooligan when the mood strikes, and somehow still finds time to grow Dubun into THE place for riding gear surgery. Craig bought the business from the original founder Norman when he semi-retired to the Cape, and turned the motorcycle side into the biggest earner at the Menlyn branch, approximately eight years ago.
And he freely admits that his real strength is the team that actually keep the wheels turning and churning out the quality workmanship efficiently. Maggie Laubscher has been the branch manager and customer liaison for the past seven years. Verushka Rabie, has been the front friendly smile, assisting customers in the mornings for the last 15 years. Lizzy Hlongwane is the lead seamstress who specialises in motorcycle apparel, and is an absolute pro at what she does, Lizzy and Maggie for the most part assess the difficult jobs, (like the ones we took them), and whether or not they can do it…. They usually can. Mpho Khangala has been the shop’s tailor for the past 5 years and has a strong eye for detail and proudly puts out quality workmanship. Prince Ravhura has earned Dubun national acclaim as the go-to-guys when it comes to repairing motorcycle of all descriptions. He holds the quite serious trade secrets very close to his chest, so much so, we weren’t allowed to point our camera at certain parts of his work station.
What Do They Do? Basically Everything.
- They Resole dirt boots with proper trials soles (extreme enduro okes ship boots from all over the country).
- They add hidden pockets for toll money, licences, phones
- They install hydration bladder pouches
- They make race leathers bigger (or smaller… no judgement)
- They sew club patches on cuts
- They’ll fix your wife’s favourite handbag
- They shorten, lengthen, alter wedding dresses, suits, jeans… you name it
- They modify adventure luggage that locks and won’t get nicked at a petrol station
If it’s made of fabric or leather and fits under an industrial sewing machine, they’ve got you. (Sorry, no couches, not enough floor space.)
They’ll even collect and courier countrywide, so “I’m in Joburg/Durban/PE” is no excuse.
The Cherry on Top, They’re Proper Good Humans
Dubun runs a charity called Shoes 4 Souls. Drop boxes all over SA collect shoes in any condition. Whatever can be saved gets cleaned, repaired and handed to kids who have to walk miles to school barefoot, women’s shelters, orphanages, wherever the need is.
A repaired pair of school shoes can literally change a child’s life. Do you know how many kids actually miss school a few days a week because they have one pair of shoes they have to share with their siblings or cousins? A halfway decent pair of heels or pumps can give an abused lady the confidence to go to a job interview. Mad respect.
The Verdict?
If you’ve got riding gear you love but thought was finished, or boots older than some readers, stop crying and hit up Dubun Menlyn.Your wallet will thank you. Your favourite jacket will thank you. And that one pair of boots that’s basically part of the family? They’ll be ready for another decade of stories.
Dubun Menlyn, because throwing away perfectly good memories is just wrong.
And yes, before you ask, they’ve already got a waiting list after this article. You’ve been warned! However, they generally get it all back to you within 14 days.
True to their word, while we were trudging up and down the mountains of Lesotho covering The Roof of Africa, we got the message that all our bits and bobs were ready for collection, right on the dot of 14 days.
Incidentally, speaking of The Roof of Africa: On our initial visit to Dubun a box arrived from Pietermaritzburg with a couple of dirt bike boots needing the “trials sole” conversion done a.s.a.p. for one Mr Will Waide Slater, who needed them for The Roof in a few days. A week or so later we saw Will helping fellow Gold Class competitors up the climb to the finish Gold Class Time Trials…. In those self same boots.
Ride safe, ride long, repair, don’t trash!
Website/Facebook/Shoes 4 Souls. or just click on these links.
