Shoe repair can be as easy and inexpensive or difficult and costly as you want it to be. But, why go to a shoe repair shop? You can patch loose shoe soles, holes in your shoes, and unsightly scuffs and stains with the correct tools at home. All you have to do is put in some little time and effort! So that you can hang onto your favorite shoes for some more years. Even though you are not into shoemaking, you can find some of the shoe repair remedies you’ll ever need in this article. Keep reading to find free, simple tricks to professional solutions that can give some extra years for your shoes.
How Much Does It Cost to Repair Shoes?
A $20-$30 fix will give your shoes some additional years of life, and make you feel like you have a brand new pair of shoes. But typically get what you pay for, like your shoes themselves.
By fixing your old shoes instead of purchasing new ones, you can save yourself money and a ride to the shoe shop for sure.
Are Shoes Worth Repairing?
It depends whether you like the shoes so much, that you want to continue wearing them whether it’s your favorite pair of heels, running shoes, hiking shoes, football boots, hockey shoes , skate boots, baseball shoes, rugby shoes, or basketball shoes etc.
If the shoe’s upper portion dries out or begins to crack, then it’s not worth fixing. But if the tops are perfect, it is always possible to patch the bottoms.
“High-quality shoes can be resoled from three to 10 times. Quality Men’s heels can be fixed seven to 10 times, while quality women’s shoes can typically undergo five to eight heel fixes. Uppers made from a high-quality material last longer and can also be repaired numerous times. It is possible to get more than 20 years of life out of high-quality shoes that you choose to repair. This makes it less expensive for you to repair your footwear rather than discard shoes and purchase new ones.” – Dan’s Shoe Repair
It is about more than just the price to decide to fix over replacing your shoes. The repair might be made by various cobblers in numerous ways and with different materials. However, if the cobbler uses high-quality materials, a shoe repair may last longer than the factory job.
How can I fix My Shoes?
You can find a step by step guide on repairing your favorite pair at home, including the necessary tricks and tips in the following section. We’ll be talking about repairing a loose sole by reattaching, repairing a hole on the shoe sole, replacing the sole, and shoe heel repair.
Shoe Sole Repair
Every so often, refreshing your soles seems to be a very effective solution to help your shoes retain their grip because they will not be clogged with dirt, improve their hygiene, and make your shoes look just as good as new one.
Repair a Loose Sole by Reattaching
It significantly shortens the lifetime when the sole detaches from a shoe and leaves the pair of shoes immediately unwearable. If you’re having a loose sole problem, don’t rush to a shoe repair store, try to fix it on your own. Re-attaching the soles firmly using the following simple steps will allow you to get the best value out of a pair of shoes.
Step 01
Pull the separated sole away from the shoe’s bottom and clean! Before you try to fix them, it’s always wise to clean the soles of your shoes. Use a damp cloth to clean down the bottom of your shoe and the loose sole. Clean up any dust or dirt stuck between the sole and the bottom of your foot. Let your shoe dry completely after cleaning it.
But there are some extra steps for cleaning shoes with white sole. For this type of shoes, mix half of the water with half of the baking soda and mix the solution until it turns into a smooth paste. Paint the soles of your shoes with the paste, then gently rub hairs against the soles in a circular motion, or go with the marks on the sole, using a toothbrush. The particles of baking soda will help gently remove any dirt and debris without leaving behind any traces. Take a wet cloth after finishing, and wipe it clean.
If your sole is stuck to the bottom of your shoe with old adhesive, dip the cloth in an acetone nail polish remover and scrub the glue until it comes out.
Step 02
Next, remove the sole from the shoe so that you can add superglue markings across the outside of the sole and through the inner region below where the heel of your foot goes.
Step 03
With sandpaper, scrape the loose sole and the bottom of your shoe. Using a coarse, 40-60 grit sandpaper. The scratches will provide something for the shoe repair glue to stick to.
Step 04
To the loose sole and the exposed bottom of your foot, apply some shoe repair glue. Use a 1 centimeter (0.39 in) round paintbrush to apply the glue. Paint the glue on the brush so that the loose sole and the exposed bottom of your shoe have an even coating over the entire top surface.
For concrete implementation guidance, read the label on your shoe repair adhesive. After you apply them, some shoe repair glues need you to let them dry for 5-10 minutes.
Compress the sole and foot together for a minimum of one minute as soon as you have done applying the glue.
Step 05
Press the sole on your shoe’s bottom and hammer it into place. Turn your shoe upside down and hit the hammer on the sole you’re adding to the place. With the hammer, strike the bottom of the sole several times, slightly shifting the hammer every time so that you get the whole portion of the sole you are reattaching.
Step 06
Keep the sole in place for 24 hours using a clamp (or a heavy object if you don’t have clamps). If you reattach a wide section of the sole, use more than 1 clamp. Apply the clamp to your shoe such that one end puts pressure on your shoe’s top and the other end pressures up on the sole’s bottom.
Step 07
After 24 hours, remove the clamp from your shoe. By gently pulling the edges of the sole with your fingertips, check to see if the sole is absolutely stuck to the bottom of your foot. Your shoe is okay and ready to wear if the sole does not relent.
So, it’s not so difficult after all right?
Repair a Hole on the Shoe Sole
For holes in the soles of shoes, Shoe Goo fits best. Shoe Goo, according to the expert review, is the ultimate glue that helps to mend shoes and keeps them safe. It is a thick, transparent adhesive which, when it dries, hardens. A tube of shoe goo is available online or at the nearest shopping center.
However, if you want shoe goo to patch a hole in the top of your shoe, bear in mind that even though you fill it in, the hole will still be visible.
Tip: Wear protective gloves while applying the adhesive or handling the shoe after you have glued it, to avoid getting adhesive on your body.
So let’s find out how you can repair a hole in your shoe sole with shoe goo.
Step 01
Scrape off any external material that is not part of the outside sole of the shoe near the area of the hole. Next, using a wet cloth, clean the area around the hole in your foot. Wipe off any soil or dirt near the hole. Dry the area with a dry rag or paper towel as soon as the area around the hole is clean.
Step 02
Use 120 grit sandpaper on the outside sole to roughen the edges of the hole. Rub back and forth across the hole with the rough side of the sandpaper until you see scratches beginning to form. This allows the goo to stick to the outsole more easily, as there are scratches.
Step 03
Take out the insole by pulling it out. Apply a piece of duct tape over the opening afterward. To cover the whole opening, use a piece of duct tape that is wide enough. The duct tape is meant to go on your foot inside. Make absolutely sure that the duct tape covers the entire hole, so there is no shoe goo getting into the shoe through the sole.
Step 04
Turn your shoe over and place the shoe goo on the outsole to cover up the hole. Squeeze the Shoe Goo tube and move the tube through the hole slowly as the Shoe Goo comes out of it. To cover up all of the areas of the hole, keep applying enough shoe goo.
Step 05
Now you need ice. Yes, you read it correctly, ice! Spread the Shoe Goo in an even layer over the hole using an ice cube. Why are we using ice? It’s because the goo shoe won’t stick to the ice cube, and you’ll be able to disperse the goo shoe easily. The shoe goo sets in place thanks to the coldness of the ice. If you skip any spots, use the ice cube to cover them with shoe goo. Spread the ice cube on the shoe goo until it’s in a flat, smooth layer over the hole.
Step 06
For 24 hours, let the Shoe Goo dry out. Don’t hurry into the drying process because then the shoe goo may not stick properly. And remember, don’t let any things make contact with the glue during this time.
Step 07
As the final step, remove the duct tape from the shoe after 24 hours. Sand down with 120-grit sandpaper on shoe goo. Brush the sandpaper back and forth over the shoe goo until the remainder of the shoe sole is flushed. Make sure the shoe goo doesn’t have any irregularities or you’ll be able to feel bumps as you walk in your shoes. Place the insole in the shoe again.
Replace Sole
If you go to a cobbler, soles are commonly fixed for $30 to $80 total along with the heel. But here’s what you can do at home.
Step 01
Pull the sole carefully away from the foot using a pair of pliers. If the soles are very old, even before using pliers, they will sometimes begin peeling away from the shoe. Start by tugging the end that has already come down, if this is the case. And use a hairdryer at a moderate heat to gradually melt the adhesive that holds the sole in place if you are unable to remove the soles.
Step 02
Take a cloth and some acetone to clean away any residual adhesive from the base of the shoe until the sole is removed. Enable the air to dry.
Step 03
Next, to prepare the glue, use sandpaper to roughen the base of your shoe and the top of your new sole.
Step 04
Apply the adhesive found in the replacement soles (or shoo goo) and follow the package instructions.
Vibram Kletterlift Full Sole Replacement
A Vibram Kletterlift Full Sole Replacement can be a good choice when replacing soles on boots. Vibram is known and trusted for its quality. This involves a gripping pattern that’s excellent for outdoor work like military, hiking, and outdoor shoes. When you cut to fit, give significant lift and cushion for the entire length of the foot. For a longer shoe life, you can use it to patch worn out soles. It has full surface traction to keep workers safe in wet or harsh weather.
Shoe Heel Repair
It would cost you roughly $10 to $40 to replace the heel on a high-heel shoe, depending on the material of the shoe – rubber, leather, etc. Often, fixing heels at home depends on how bad the damage is. It’s probably a job for the cobbler or an expert if you’ve already tried to glue your heels and they still won’t stay in place.
If you are trying to fix your heel by yourself, however, here are the steps you need to follow.
Step 01
To remove any dirt or residue, clean the heel and sole of the shoe properly. As we mentioned earlier, you want the shoe to be clean before starting working on it.
Step 02
Use a sandpaper to roughen the material on the top of the heel and the base of the shoe. Sanding the surfaces will allow the glue to bond the shoe back together more easily.
Step 03
Then, take shoe glue and add each side with a generous coating. Check the package directions to see how long you can wait until the heel and foot are pressed together. Because some glues recommend leaving a few minutes to increase the adhesive qualities of the glue.
Step 04
Keep for a few minutes before securing in place with elastic bands or a heavy object for 24 hours after you have pressed the heel and shoe together in the correct position.
Women’s High Heel Shoes Repair Tips Taps Dowel Lifts Replacement
You can get 60 pieces of dowel lift replacements on Amazon, which are ideal for fixing heels of 30 shoes. These heel tips for stiletto shoes that are used for hard-wearing. These feature plastic/ polyurethane and are non-slip, resistant to water, and robust. They are also simple to install and no special equipment is necessary. Perfect for repairing heel plates that are worn out or lost.
What Is the Best Shoe Glue for Repair?
By now, you may obviously get this question, because in this article we have discussed shoe goo, shoe glue, and adhesive several times. Finding the right shoe repair glue is not so hard. You can find them online or at the nearest hardware stores and some sports shops as well. But in order to choose the best, you need to know about them. Nothing to worry about. You can find below our best picks!
- The Original Shoe Goo
- Gear Aid Shoe Repair
- Leather Glue Repair
Let’s find out about them one by one.
The Original Shoe Goo
The Original Shoe Goo is 1fl oz and comes with a volume of 29.5ml. This one claims to be an excellent sealant. Even when exposed to water, it makes a secure bond making it waterproof. It dries to the touch really easily even though it should be left overnight to really set perfectly for thick applications. You can mold it a little with a wet finger after around 5-10 minutes if it’s a little out of shape, and actually, a little dampness after application allows it to heal.
Over the years, this product has become somewhat costly, but it can also be used as adhesive where flexibility is required, so it is perfect for trainers where you want to give them a fresh start.
Note: As this is ideal for patching small holes in your shoes, this one can be also used to provide extra traction on skateboards as well.
Gear Aid Shoe Repair
Gear Aid Shoe Repair is one of the more heavy-duty glues with features including durability, flexibility, waterproof, and shock-absorbing. This is suitable for structural shoe repair projects such as re-attaching soles or toe caps. For work boots, running shoes, and hiking shoes, this is a useful choice.
Leather Glue Repair
The leather glue repair provides you with all the required items needed to make skilled repairs to any damaged leather item quickly and easily, regardless of your level of expertise or technical knowledge. It can be used, at a fraction of the cost of buying a new item or calling out a specialist, to patch cuts, cracks, tears, rips, and all other surface damages. Suitable for both leather and vinyl styles. It can be used to fix shoes, boots, handbags, belts, coats, sofas, car interiors, leather for motorcycles, and much more. Please note that this glue contains the products required not to color it but to fix the damage.
Suitable Sandpapers for Shoe Repairs
Sandpapers also play a key role in the repair of shoes, not just shoe glue. So here are our recommendations with regard to sandpapers.
- Lanhu 120 Grit Sandpaper
- Annietfr 80 Grit 120 grit 220 Grit Assorted Grit Sandpapers
- WaterLuu Wet & Dry Sandpapers
Let’s start with Lanhu 120 Grit Sandpaper.
Lanhu 120 Grit Sandpaper
This one is made of waterproof silicon carbide, and it is electro-coated to ensure homogeneously distributed grit. That’s also ideal for use in art and design, woodworking, shoe repairing, automobile, metal, and plastic applications for buffing and polishing, according to the manufacturer. For easy identification, the grains of the sandpaper is written on the back. This is 9 x 11 inches by design, but can easily be cut into any smaller size you require.
Annietfr 80 Grit 120 grit 220 Grit Assorted Grit Sandpapers
Electro-coated, made of waterproof silicon carbide, ensures homogeneously distributed grit which is good for wet and dry sanding. This range of sandpaper includes three of the most popular grits, covering everything you need for buffing and polishing from art and craft, woodwork, automotive, metal, and plastic applications. For easy identification, you can find the grits of the sandpaper on its back.
WaterLuu Wet & Dry Sandpapers
Designed for longevity with silicon carbide abrasives. Features electro-coated technology that renders grit uniformly distributed. When in use, flexible, lightweight paper backups seldom fall apart, tear or break up. WaterLuu sandpaper averages 9 inches by 3-5/8 inches (228 mm x 93 mm), which matches 6-1/2 inches by 3-3/8 inches of hand sander sponge (165mm x 88mm). For lengthy sanding and simple one-handed activity, the hand-held portion provides comfort.
Ways to Make Your Favorite Shoes Last Longer
Here are ten ways to ensure that your favorite shoe pairs remain fully shielded and spare the necessity to repair or replace them.
- To keep your new pair of shoes clean and free from water damage, use a protectant spray.
- When storing your shoes, remember to store them in a cool, dark place because shoes and moisture are not a good combination at all!
- To keep your heels from sinking into the grass and from being coated in dirt or scratched up by gravel, use heel caps.
- Condition with a leather-specific cream to maintain your leather shoes smooth and to prevent the color from fading or darkening.
- Use a wooden shoe tree. It will expand the shoes to their initial size, stopping the leather from wrinkling and enabling them to breathe.
- Use heel guards that wrap around the heel to prevent any damage.
- Prior to taking your favorite shoes for a ride, choose sole guards for your shoes.
- To help absorb moisture and odor between wears, place charcoal pouches inside of your shoes.
- Do not (at least try not to) wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row. Even if it’s your favorite pair of shoes, if you wear them regularly for the next month they’ll degrade really soon.
- Keep your shoes in dust bags. You can use a pillowcase or a plastic grocery bag as a perfect dust bag substitute if you don’t have a nice dust bag to secure them while in storage.
Shoe Repair | Conclusion
Let’s face a simple truth. Every now and then, even the best shoe in the casual footwear market or athletic footwear market can crack, rip, or tear. The question is, will you take it to a shoe repair shop or will you fix it yourself? Because, when you think about it, your shoes also deserve a happy and long life. We hope the solutions mentioned above will help you do it on your own and save some money and trip to the repair shop. After all, as Christian Dior says “You can never take too much care over the choice of your shoes!”
2 comments
Thanks for the info about shoe repairs. My shoes are falling apart. I’ll look for a service that handles shoe repairs.