Gluing Shoe Soles

How do I glue my shoe soles back together?

If it is a rubber sole, Selleys Shoe Fix or Fix & Go Shoe Repair is ideal.

The method matters as much as the product. Make sure the surfaces are clean and dry, apply the product to both surfaces and wait until they become touch dry — approximately 1 minute — then bring them together. Clamp or weight the bonded area for 24 hours; bulldog clips around the edges, or taping the soles firmly in place, works well. Then allow 48 hours before wearing the shoes.

Plastic soles are much harder to repair and often require a professional shoe repairer.

Why the one-minute wait is the whole trick

This is the step people skip, and skipping it is why most home sole repairs fail.

Fix & Go Shoe Repair is a solvent-based adhesive with a working time of 1 minute, and the contact method it is designed around is: coat both surfaces evenly, keep them apart until the adhesive film is almost dry (approximately 1 minute), then carefully line up the surfaces and press them firmly together. Bonds form immediately on contact.

Pressing a sole down while the adhesive is still wet traps solvent between two impermeable surfaces — a rubber sole and a leather or rubber midsole — where it has nowhere to escape. The joint stays soft, and it peels open again on the first long walk. Letting the film go touch dry first means the bond forms between two adhesive films rather than through a wet layer.

There is a second method for smaller repairs. The wet bond method — apply adhesive to one surface only and immediately press together, then lightly clamp or hold until dry — suits small area repairs such as a lifted toe cap or a loose strap, where there is enough exposed edge for the solvent to escape.

The figures

Property	Fix & Go Shoe Repair
Technology	Solvent based
Colour	Clear
Working time	1 minute
Initial bond	24 hours
Ready for practical use	After 1 day
Maximum bond strength	After 3 days (72 hours)
Packaging	50 mL tube

Indicative data only, not intended for the preparation of specifications.

Note the two waiting periods, which are different things. The adhesive reaches its initial bond at 24 hours — that is when the clamps come off and the shoes are ready for practical use. It reaches maximum bond strength after 3 days. The advice to allow 48 hours before wearing sits between the two: it gives the joint a full day beyond initial bond before you load it. If the repair is on a walking or sports shoe that will take a hard first outing, waiting the full 72 hours costs you nothing.

What it will and will not stick to

Fix & Go Shoe Repair sticks to rubber, leather, canvas, cork, EVA foam and most plastics. It is intended for school shoes, dress shoes, high heels, wedges, sporting shoes and outdoor shoes — repairing soles, tongues, straps and inner soles, and attaching decorative items. It gives a strong, flexible, weather-resistant and impact-resistant bond, which is what a sole joint needs: it flexes with every step, and a rigid adhesive would crack across the ball of the foot within a week.

It is not for polyethylene or polypropylene plastics. This is the reason Selleys says plastic soles are much harder to repair — a great many moulded plastic soles are polyolefins. For those, Selleys directs you to All Plastics, or to a professional shoe repairer.

Step by step

1. Clean and dry both surfaces. Remove all old adhesive, grit and dirt from the sole cavity — new glue bonded onto old crumbling glue fails at that layer.
2. Remove the cap and carefully pierce the seal.
3. For a full sole (contact method): coat both surfaces evenly. Keep them apart until the adhesive film is almost dry, approximately 1 minute. Line the surfaces up carefully and press firmly together — the bond forms immediately on contact, so there is no second attempt.
4. For a small repair (wet bond method): apply adhesive to one surface only and press together immediately, holding lightly until dry.
5. For very porous surfaces, seal them first by coating with a thin layer of adhesive and letting it dry, then apply a second coat to form the bond as directed.
6. Clamp or press with a heavy object during drying for a stronger bond. Bulldog clips are ideal around the perimeter of a sole; tape wrapped firmly around the shoe works too. Stuff the shoe so the sole is pressed against a firm shape rather than collapsing.
7. Leave clamped for 24 hours.
8. Wipe the nozzle and replace the cap immediately after use.
9. Clean up spills and excess with acetone before it dries. Ensure the adhesive is completely cleaned off exposed surfaces — dried clear adhesive on suede or a leather upper is very difficult to remove afterwards.
10. Allow 48 hours before wearing.

Limitations

• Not for polyethylene or polypropylene plastics.
• May cause some vinyl and plastics to discolour or harden. If in doubt, test in a small hidden area first — inside the heel counter, for example.
• Will not resist continuous water exposure. A repaired shoe is not a wading boot.
• Do not swallow. Use in a well-ventilated area and avoid skin and eye contact.
• Store in a cool place, out of reach of children, away from all sources of ignition.

Common questions about gluing shoe soles

How long do I clamp the sole?

24 hours. Bulldog clips around the edges or firm taping both work well.

How long before I can wear them?

Allow 48 hours. The adhesive is ready for practical use after 1 day and reaches maximum bond strength after 3 days.

Do I glue one surface or both?

Both, for a full sole. Coat both surfaces, wait about 1 minute until touch dry, then bring them together.

Why do I have to wait a minute?

So the adhesive film is almost dry when the faces meet. Pressing a sole down wet traps solvent between two surfaces it cannot escape from, and the joint stays soft.

Can I reposition it?

No. With the contact method the bond forms immediately on contact, so line the sole up before the surfaces touch.

What about plastic soles?

Plastic soles are much harder to repair and often require a professional shoe repairer. The adhesive is not for polyethylene or polypropylene.

What if the sole is very porous inside?

Seal it first with a thin layer of adhesive, let it dry, then apply a second coat to form the bond.

How do I clean up excess glue?

Acetone, before it sets. Clean it completely off exposed surfaces.

Will the repair survive rain?

The bond is weather resistant and impact resistant, but it will not resist continuous water exposure.

Is there a full guide?

Yes — see how to repair shoes and shoe glue.