Now I have completely new buckles to replace the salt water damaged ones. The new boots and buckles were used on the beach for one week, then both buckles AND cables were trashed! Broken pieces off one buckle, and deep dings and grooves on the others. The boots were old anyway, I traded them in.

I first blamed this on the old buckles style, so I took a file and smoothed the edges. Even on and brand new pair of boots, I have frayed cables after two short break in rides!! I'll tolerate one or two frayed stands and get another few hours out of the cable, if I'm lucky. I also always have a frayed strand where the buckle is, right in the middle. They usually fray one stand in several places, but almost all are above the crimp and where you wrap it for sizes. Well, my cables just don't last more than 8 hours in the saddle before they are useless.

(just curious) How many frayed stands (if any) will you let slide before you replace them? Where do your cables first show frays? above the crimps? Where the cable wraps for size, or right in the center of the cable, where it touches the buckle? I'd first like to know how often other people go through cables? How many hours of use? Do you wait until they are frayed or just replace them. I am having ongoing cable problems, even with brand new buckles.

Easycare easyboot epic