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Good footing: Everything you should know about shoe glue

Shoe glue helps to revive broken footwear from heel to toe. How it works? Walk this way …

Repairing broken leather shoes is simple with the right glue

Repairing broken shoes

Even the best shoe occasionally breaks, rips, or tears. It’s a fact of life. The question then becomes, are you going to take it to a shoe or leather repair shop, or are you going to fix it yourself? There are great solutions available to help you do it on your own. With the right adhesive, everything is at your fingertips to seal any rips or tears in any type of shoe.

A quality product like Loctite Shoe Glue is best for any shoe because its flexible formulation bonds a variety of materials. In fact, it’s the glue of choice for many repair shops. Since it bonds, seals, and repairs, it saves you time and money. The best thing is, it only takes a short while to get great results.

After applying shoe glue, start to press the torn parts together immediately

Step-by-step instructions for shoe sole repair

If you’ve decided to do it yourself, gluing shoes is easy and quick. Whatever your shoes are made of, a quality shoe glue is right for you.

To prepare:

  • Make sure you have a clean surface, with no grease, dust or other contaminants. Also, it’s best to work at room temperature.
  • Avoid extreme temperatures below 4°F or above 104°F.
  • To get best results, you should roughen smooth surfaces – such as hard plastic or metal commonly found in leather work boots – with a fine grit sandpaper.

Now you’re ready to go for it:

  1. Before applying pressure, remove the cap from the top of the tube or bottle.
  2. Apply a thin layer of shoe repair glue adhesive to one surface. For example, if you want to fix a flapping sole, apply the shoe glue to the bottom half.
  3. Now press the torn parts together. Make sure to do this quickly after applying the shoe adhesive for maximum effect. To confirm that the glued sides are held fast, we recommend using rubber bands, tape, or clamps.
  4. Once you are certain the surfaces are bonding, leave the material alone for 24 to 48 hours. (This is based on normal room temperature; at cooler temperatures or lower humidity, the process will take a little longer.)

Once the bonding has taken hold, almost nothing will break it; most shoe glues are designed to resist hot and cold temperatures. Choose a shoe glue that is also resistant to water and impact, making it virtually indestructible.

 

Let’s go! These repaired shoes are ready to roll again

There’s more than one way to glue a shoe

Sometimes you don’t have a break or tear in the shoe, but there is just a gap between sections. In that case, the procedure is a little different.

  1. You will want to use a thicker-than-normal layer of adhesive, up to about 1/5 of an inch.
  2. Clamp the sections together and make sure they hold firm for 1 to 3 hours. Try to avoid touching, moving, or jostling them.
  3. In about 24 hours, you will achieve 70% of full adhesion, with the remainder taking place 36 hours after that.

If you want to be on the safe side, we recommend wearing latex or nitrile gloves (not PVC, nylon, or cotton) while doing the repairs. This way you avoid adhesive residues on your skin.

Questions about shoe glue

  • Concerned about making a glue mess? Don’t be. Many shoe glue adhesives like those from Loctite dry clear. No one will ever know you repaired the shoes in the first place!
  • Is Loctite Shoe Glue adhesive effective? Absolutely! It is ideal for bonds where constant flexing is a problem. So, no matter what position your feet are put in, this shoe glue will come along for the ride.
  • Does shoe glue work in bad weather, shaky surroundings, or poor conditions? Yes, yes, and yes! A good shoe glue bond provides excellent resistance to vibration, impact, moisture, and extreme temperatures.

Don’t wait until your shoes tear or rip. Be prepared!

Find out where you can order the best shoe glue now!

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