Shoes should be of high quality and good quality. But over time, any, even the most wonderful shoes, tend to wear out or even tear. Favorite comfortable shoes the hand does not rise to throw away. And professional repairs, as a rule, will cost a pretty penny.
Your own shoemaker
Most people in this situation try to repair shoes or boots on their own. Sometimes this is successful, but sometimes it leads to disastrous results, and the shoes still have to be taken to the shoemaker to eliminate the consequences of inept repairs. So what to do?
Don’t get upset and don’t rush to throw away your favorite shoes that are “begging for porridge.” Many troubles can be eliminated at home. You just need to get down to business correctly and stock up on suitable materials.
The lion's share of all repairs involves sealing a leaky pair of shoes. And here, a thoughtless purchase of the wrong type of glue can ruin all your efforts. Remember: you need to choose reliable and high-quality glue for shoe repair! And our article, we hope, will help you make an informed choice.
What is shoe glue?
Modern adhesives are effectively used in the production and repair of shoes. They have practically replaced the classical means previously used for repairs - nails and threads. At least 80% of modern shoe products are produced using the adhesive method using various compositions.
The new generation of adhesives provides effective and reliable bonding, which is confirmed by reviews from professionals. The blanks of the upper parts of shoe products are tightened using polyurethane or polychloroprene agents, compositions of aqueous dispersions of emulsions, polymers, and rubber latexes.
What are their main advantages? Firstly, the strength of the connection depends little on the thickness of the parts being glued. Secondly, materials treated with this composition are highly durable and reliable. Thirdly, the seams are elastic (that is, not rigid) and have good frost and water resistance.
Glue for shoe repair: which one is better to choose
Let's list the most popular and popular products that exist these days. It’s difficult to say what the best glue for shoes is, because it all depends on the specific type of work and type of product.
It is precisely such ill-considered actions (deciding to save on the services of a professional and not having the necessary information), i.e. purchasing a cheap tube of absolutely unsuitable glue, that you can completely ruin the thing. After such a home intervention, the shoemaker will have to tinker to correct the situation. Of course, the master will explain what kind of good shoe glue you should take, but, as they say, a spoon comes with a price.
Therefore, be prepared that the workshop will ask you for repairs for an amount significantly higher than usual. Well, this is the very case when you can only console yourself with the fact that the stingy always pays twice.
How to glue the sole of a shoe? This problem can arise with any pair of shoes, even expensive and high-quality ones. But this does not mean that you should rush to part with your favorite pair of shoes, because they can still be repaired.
When starting repairs, you need to stock up on alcohol, a utility knife (with a retractable blade), a clean rag, sandpaper, old newspapers, a spatula, cleaning agent, some kind of weighting agent, a plastic bag, and adhesive agent.
- First of all, you will need to choose a reliable means for adhesion of the sole to the upper. There are separate types of adhesion (adhesion) agents that are designed for different materials, used in the manufacture of shoes. There are also multi-purpose adhesion agents that do an excellent job with the most different surfaces. If the sole has come off mainly in the middle, then it needs to be separated from the toe. To do this, armed with a utility knife, trim the stitching on the sole a little, and then pick up the sole, starting from the toe. Try to pull the sole of the shoe as far as its design will allow. If the sole is held poorly enough, it will soon come off entirely.
- It is necessary to spread old newspapers at the work site.
- Shoes need to be thoroughly cleaned on both sides of the sole, that is, both inside and on top. Soak a white cloth in 70% alcohol and thoroughly wipe the inside of the sole with it. Instead of a rag, you can take a clean one old sock. If your shoes become damp from rubbing alcohol, wait until they dry. If the inside of the sole has become wet from wearing the shoes, then after drying it should be wiped with alcohol again.
- Next, use sandpaper to sand the inner surfaces located between the lower and upper soles of the shoes. You will need some skin medium degree graininess.
- Distribute the product on the inner surfaces of the shoe sole, both surfaces need to be treated. It is convenient to apply the product with a spatula or flat spatula. All cracks or crevices on the sole must be carefully filled with the product.
- If the glue has leaked into areas where, to avoid deterioration appearance there should be no shoes; immediately treat this area with a cleaning agent. Citrus-based products are most effective for this purpose. This way, excess glue will be removed without problems.
- Attach the glue-treated sole to the base of the shoe. If necessary, remove traces of adhesive again with cleaning agent.
- Place your shoes on a newspaper and cover it plastic bag. In order for the glue to reliably fix the shoe parts to each other, it is necessary to provide weighting. Therefore, place a fairly heavy stack of books or dumbbells on your shoes. The load must be such that it cannot subsequently leave characteristic dents or folds on the shoes, because it will be difficult to remove them. You also need to make sure that the weight is sufficient to provide good compression.
- Shoes in this condition should dry for about a couple of days.
Usually these actions are enough to solve the problem. However, if you are not sure that you can cope with eliminating the shortcomings yourself, it is better to still take the shoes to a workshop for repair.
Video lesson: how to glue the sole at home. Part 1
Video lesson: how to glue the sole at home. Part 2
You will need
- - Glue;
- - Acetone;
- - Rags or cotton wool;
- - Press;
- - Sealant (MS polymer), silicone sealant;
- - Porous rubber;
- - Cardboard;
- - Insoles;
- - Rubber sole;
- - A piece of cotton fabric;
- - Knife and scissors.
Instructions
Repair sole using strong rubber glue is the most common way to achieve. As a rule, this is a temporary measure. If the front edge of the sole has peeled off a little (“asks for porridge”), clean the surfaces to be glued from dirt and, after drying, treat them with acetone. Usually super glue and “Moment” are used. Epoxy adhesive (EPD), Crazy Hands sealant and Desmokol polyurethane product have proven themselves well in the practice of self-repairing soles.
Use glue according to the instructions on the package. Usually it is applied in a not very thick layer (2-3 mm), left for about 10 minutes and the shoes are strongly compressed with a weight from night to morning. Ideally, this would be done in a shoe workshop using a special press. Use the means at hand, trying not to deform the shoes. It is ideal to use a “g”-shaped block with additional weight.
If a leaky sole has a honeycomb structure, when worn, voids form in it - the heel sinks, the shoe becomes thinner in this place. Tear off the insole and thoroughly clean the honeycomb of dirt, glue residue and torn cardboard. After this, you can fill them with sealant (for example, MS polymer) and let them dry thoroughly. Cut out cardboard templates in the shape of the old insole, soak them in the same product and glue them onto sole, then install new insoles.
If the rubber sole has worn off, it must be leveled with a shoe rasp and degreased with gasoline. Also degrease the fine-pored rubber outsole. Cover the trail and sole a thin layer of glue and, after leaving for 10 minutes, glue using the rolling method. Speaker for sole cut the edge of the mark with a knife, level it with a rasp and smooth it with abrasive sandpaper.
To repair leather sole, you will need an outsole made of similar material. Place the sole on a metal surface, such as a cast iron or anvil, with the boot side up. Using a heavy hammer equipped with a wide tape, knock it out, starting from the middle. Place the knocked-out outsole on sole and secure it temporarily with a couple of nails. Trim the edge and sew, having previously cut a groove a third of the thickness in which the seam will be hidden. Sew on the outsole using shoe needles with grit rubbed with shoe polish. At the end of sewing, coat the slit with glue and hammer it in so as to close it.
A crack in the sole of a shoe is not such a rare occurrence. This situation is especially unpleasant when the product warranty has already expired. And although it will not be possible to carry out high-quality repairs at home, it is possible to partially restore shoes. Sometimes repaired shoes or boots can be worn for several more months.
Method 1
To repair a broken sole, prepare:
- shoe knife;
- sandpaper;
- a degreaser such as acetone;
- instant glue that sets quickly;
- hook;
- threads
Repair technology:
- Sand the surface of the sole with sandpaper.
- Bend the sole until the crack opens. From there you will need to remove all dirt and remnants of old factory glue, using a shoe knife.
- Degrease the broken area with acetone or gasoline, apply instant glue and press the walls together. Note: shoemakers recommend using Desmakol or Nairit glue. To repair the sole, you can also use Moment rubber glue and Crazy Hands epoxy sealant.
- The crack was sealed, but the repair was not completed. In order for the shoes to be worn, the broken sole must also be stitched. Using a pencil, draw zigzag lines across the entire crack. Using a hand grinder or shoemaker's knife, make shallow furrows, about 2.5 mm, along the entire marking. Now, using a hook, sew the break, placing the stitches in the grooves made. It is advisable to perform several rows of stitches: this will be more reliable, and also upper layer will protect the lower threads from abrasion.
Method 2
For work you will need the following materials:
- shoe knife;
- sandpaper;
- acetone or gasoline;
- a piece of inner tube from a bicycle;
- rubber glue.
What should be done:
- As in the first case, the burst sole needs to be cleaned and degreased. Use a shoemaker's knife to remove part of the sole: cut 5 mm along each edge of the crack. Keep the cutting depth to approximately 1 mm.
- The next step is to measure the depth of the fracture at the base. Add 15 mm to the resulting value - this will be the width of the strip that needs to be cut out of the chamber.
- Clean the cut strip, degrease it thoroughly, and apply rubber glue to it. Cover one side completely with glue, and leave a 5 mm edge of the dry surface on the other.
- Take the damaged shoe and bend it so as to open the crack as much as possible. Holding it in this position and not closing it for 10 minutes, apply glue to the damaged area.
- Bend the prepared strip from the chamber in half and insert it into the crack. Now the sole can be straightened. With pressure, press the edges of the strip protruding from the crack onto the surface of the sole. Place your shoes under something heavy for a day.
Method 3
To restore the sole you will need a soldering iron and a piece of nylon.
- First of all, remove dirt from the shoes, clean and degrease the cracked surface.
- Use a heated soldering iron inside the damaged area. The sole material will begin to bubble and become sticky.
- Next you will need to rub the melted nylon into the damaged surface. To do this, place a piece of nylon on the broken area and press it down with a soldering iron. The nylon will melt, all you have to do is fill the crack with it until it completely disappears.
Note: to straighten the melted nylon, during operation, use the handle rather than the hot nose of the soldering iron.
Method 4
U winter shoes A thick, burst sole can be repaired as follows:
- Clean and dry your shoes thoroughly. Clean and degrease the crack itself.
- Apply a layer of Desmokol glue to the inside of the fracture and leave the product for 10 minutes.
- Coat the crack again, since usually the material from which the sole is made is porous and easily absorbs various substances. Wait 10 minutes, during which time a glossy film will form on the surface.
- Warm up the glue using a hair dryer and press firmly on the sides to be glued.
Note: when using Desmokol glue, the quality of gluing depends on the pressure on the surface.
Method 5
Repair of winter shoes using one-component, rubber-based polyurethane adhesive. You can take “Monument PVC” glue. It is also often used to repair PVC boats.
- Clean and dry thoroughly the surfaces to be glued.
- Bend the sole and use coarse sandpaper inside the crack to degrease it.
- Apply glue to both sides of the defective area. Wait 15 minutes and apply another layer of adhesive. Note: the entire time the glue is applied and dries, the crack must be open.
- After 5 minutes, straighten the sole and join the surface to be repaired.
- Next, to fix the sole, take a round stick, place it lengthwise and secure it with a rope. Place the shoes on the table, with the soles facing you, and heat them with a hairdryer for 30 minutes. The heating temperature should be 60 °C.
If you repair your shoes in the evening, you can go out in them in the morning.
Video
It must be said right away: when solving the problem of how to seal a cracked shoe sole, you should at the same time get ready to buy a new pair. It is impossible to carry out high-quality repairs at home.
The sole is subject to constant stress, and even the most durable, ultra-modern products will not be able to provide insulation for the foot for a long time.
When repairing in a factory setting, the sole is repaired by replacement. Very often, during this process, shoes lose their shape and their appearance becomes unpresentable.
If it is not possible to purchase a new pair, or there is nothing to wear to the shoe store, you will have to think about how to seal the broken shoe sole.
Getting rid of the hole on your own
How to seal the soles of winter or autumn shoes? As a means at hand, “Moment” glue, “Crazy Hands” epoxy sealant, and “Desmokol” polyurethane product are suitable. Each glue comes with instructions that you need to follow when working.
It should also be borne in mind that these products are toxic. If it gets on mucous membranes, it should be washed off immediately with a stream of running water.
Work algorithm:
- because winter or autumn shoes in most cases has soles of a honeycomb structure, you will first have to deal with the honeycombs. The rubber that covers them will have to be removed to such an area to remove all the accumulated dirt from the holes. Sometimes access to the honeycombs is from the insole, which has to be completely removed when cleaning the holes;
- the honeycomb needs to be filled with small scraps of micropores and filled silicone sealant, compacting well;
- before sealing the broken sole, you will need to wait for the sealant to dry and harden;
- Next, cut out a piece of rubber or micropore that fits into the hole - if it is large, or press it in small holes a mixture of micropore sawdust and sealant;
- The sole is cut out of thin rubber according to the size of the shoe, and glued using an already prepared adhesive over the entire area of the shoe;
- put shoes or boots under the press.
How long it takes for the glue to dry completely is indicated in the instructions.
How to seal a hole in the sole of a summer shoe
You should follow the same algorithm, only there will be less hassle. If the sandals are adhesive, then it is better to purchase them from a workshop rubber sole, and glue it on your own using rubber glue. This can be done when the shoes have a solid base.
Sometimes soles are attached to light summer shoes only along the contour. In this case, the sandals will have to be thrown away.
Sports shoe repair
How to seal the sole of your sneakers when they have a hole because you stepped on something sharp? If the training process takes place in the gym, you won’t have to give up your favorite pair of sneakers.
Of the domestic adhesives, it is best to use epoxy, designed specifically for shoes. Its cost is low.
The edges of the hole in the sole must be thoroughly cleaned and degreased with a solvent. When everything is dry, apply properly diluted epoxy.
If the hole is large, it is necessary to put a fiberglass mesh into it - it is called serpyanka. While the glue dries, it is better to seal the outside of the hole with masking tape so that the sole remains level.
The ideal adhesive option is American Seamgrip glue. They use it to seal rubber boats.
If you manage to purchase it, you won’t have to part with your favorite pair of sneakers for long. This is the only glue that completely solves the problem than gluing a rubber or polyurethane sole.
But if it is possible to purchase glue of this brand, then it is unlikely that you will not have money to buy shoes. Its cost is quite high.
Imported epoxy mixtures like Done Deal are better than domestic adhesives, but the durability of sneakers cannot be promised when using them.
How to repair a torn skate sole
It all depends on the material from which the skate sole is made and the location of the hole. Cheap skates are secured practically to cardboard, and any epoxy glue will help to cope with the problem if the hole in the sole is not where the blades are secured.
In this case, the shoes will have to be thrown away. Torque will reduce all efforts to zero. You will have to do the same with expensive skates - even the most expensive glue cannot ensure strong fastening of the blades after repair.
You can still try to seal holes on the side of the boot or on the toe yourself, but a deformed boot does not guarantee stability. Home repair of sports shoes should only be carried out in case of minor damage.
Expensive skates with leather soles are sealed with special shoe glue for repair. leather goods. If the area to be sealed is thoroughly degreased, the hole is filled with a mixture of leather scraps, and pressed in, then the integrity of the sole will be restored.
When repairing expensive sports shoes, it makes sense to purchase expensive glue. High quality sport shoes costs much more than a package of adhesive. There is no need to think about how to seal the sole of a shoe that is cracked across. It is impossible to cope with repairs at home.
And you shouldn’t trust private shoemakers who promise to solve the problem by installing preventative measures. After such repairs, you only have time to get to the door of the shoe shop. When repairing, a complete replacement of the “spare part” is required.
In order for your shoes to last for some time, you need to know the following repair nuances:
- Before applying glue, all surfaces are cleaned, degreased, and dried thoroughly;
- the adhesive is applied in a layer no more than 3 mm thick;
- Before joining the parts, the glue is kept for about 10 minutes;
- shoes must lie under a load for at least 10 hours.
The load must be selected so that the shoes do not become deformed. If you have a shoe last, you won’t have to worry about the shape of your favorite boots or shoes.
Still, it’s worth thinking about purchasing another pair of shoes. After repairing the soles using even super high-quality glue, the shoes or boots will very quickly fail.
