Prepare for any soccer gear damage with a carefully assembled emergency kit. This guide identifies common sideline issues, describes quick fixes, and recommends the best adhesives for the job.
Having the right equipment in your bag ensures seamless training sessions and keeps your game plan on track, regardless of what happens to your gear.
Ripped cleats, torn jerseys, and damaged shin guards can sideline your best players, affect their performance, and, at worst, increase the risk of injuries.
As the Official Adhesives Partner of the U.S. Soccer Federation, Loctite understands the importance of making quick sideline repairs to soccer gear to ensure the performance and safety of players. This article provides quick fixes and recommends the best adhesives to use, helping you keep your players on the field during training and games.
It pays to have the right sports adhesives on hand when issues arise on the field. The right products should be compact, practical, easy to use, fast-drying, and reusable. This means you can carry them in your coaching bag, ready for use at all times.
Your soccer emergency kit should include:
- Loctite Vinyl Fabric & Plastic Repair for flexible fabric repairs.
- Loctite Super Glue Plastics Bonding System for fixing cracked or broken hard plastics.
- Loctite Super Glue Ultra Gel Control for quick-drying, impact- and vibration-resistant bonds.
- Loctite Shoe Glue for lasting, flexible bonds in damaged cleats.
The Loctite products mentioned above meet all of these requirements. Remember to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use and storage to ensure lasting repairs and preserve the quality of the adhesives for repeated use.
Follow the instructions below for quick fixes to your soccer gear on the sideline.
Soccer cleats can be damaged by overuse, improper cleaning and drying, and incorrect use. A common sideline issue is the upper separating from the sole. Your players don’t have to play with damaged cleats, risking a dip in their performance and an increased chance of injury. Keep a reliable shoe glue on hand, and you can quickly fix minor issues in readiness for the next game.
For quick soccer cleat repairs, every coach should have a quick-drying adhesive, such as Loctite Shoe Glue, in their bag. Designed for easy use and precise application, this product creates a long-lasting bond between flexible materials. It provides instant grab and cures clear to ensure invisible repairs.
To fix damaged cleats using this product:
- Prepare the surfaces: Clean and dry the area where the upper separates from the sole.
- Apply adhesive: Apply the shoe glue and press the parts together firmly. The glue sets in minutes.
- Leave to dry: Allow the glue to dry completely before using the cleats.
Shin guards play an essential role in protecting soccer players from impact injuries. However, their effectiveness is significantly reduced by cracks in the plastic surface and loose padding. Fortunately, with the right adhesive, you can ensure that your players are always protected by making lasting repairs before and during training sessions or games.
A product like Loctite Super Glue Ultra Gel Control is specifically designed to bond materials in seconds. More importantly, this rubber-toughened adhesive is resistant to vibration, impact, and shock, making it ideal for this specific application.
To repair loose padding on shin guards:
- Ready the surfaces: Start by removing any old foam.
- Apply a layer of glue: Apply the adhesive over new pads or old ones, if they are in good condition.
- Allow to dry: Leave the adhesive to dry completely before using the shin guards again.
Use a product that’s specifically designed to repair plastics when dealing with cracked shin guards. For cracks, use the Loctite Super Glue Plastics Bonding System. This product comes in the form of a two-part adhesive formula, composed of a glue and an activator, for priming surfaces to achieve the strongest bond. It dries instantly, ensuring lasting invisible repairs.
Fixing a cracked shin guard with this product takes only a few seconds.
- Prepare the surface: Clean and dry the cracked area.
- Apply adhesive: Prime the surface to be mended with the activator, then apply a few drops of super glue along the crack.
- Close the crack: Hold the shin guard together firmly for about 30 seconds to close the crack.
- Assess the repairs: Test the bond's strength once the adhesive is completely dry.
Soccer is a contact sport, and ripped jerseys are a common occurrence. Quickly mend them in preparation for the next training session or game using the right adhesive and a bit of creativity.
Keep a high-quality fabric adhesive, such as Loctite Vinyl Fabric & Plastic Repair, in your coaching bag for quick, simple fixes to torn soccer uniforms. This flexible adhesive delivers lasting repairs on clothing and cures clear, ensuring your team’s jerseys retain their look after repairs.
Patching up a torn jersey using this product is quick and easy.
- Prepare the torn area: Clean the area to be patched and get a clean patch (preferably the same color as the soccer uniform).
- Apply adhesive: Turn the jersey inside out and apply adhesive to the patch. If you are mending a torn seam, apply the glue to one side of the seam. Avoid using too much adhesive to keep it from bleeding through and sticking to other surfaces.
- Pro tip: You can also place a piece of parchment paper under the jersey to prevent it from sticking to the surface on which it is resting.
- Apply sustained pressure to the patched area: After fixing the hole or mending the seam, use a heavy object, like a book, to apply pressure to the affected area. Leave the adhesive to dry completely before using the jersey again.