How To Repair the Soles of Shoes

How do you repair the sole of a shoe?

Split or worn soles can mean wet feet on rainy days, but that does not have to spell the end of your shoes. With just one product and a bit of time you can be walking in them again — the whole job is four steps, and the longest part is waiting.

The product is Selleys Shoe Fix, a specialist 50mL solvent adhesive made for footwear. What makes it the right choice rather than a general glue is that it cures to a strong and flexible bond. A shoe sole flexes with every step; an adhesive that cures rigid will crack along the bond line within a few days of walking. Flexibility is the property that matters here, ahead of raw strength.

What you need

• Selleys Shoe Fix
• A clean cloth
• Clamps or a weight

How to repair shoes

1. Start with clean and dry shoes that are free from dirt or grease.
2. Apply Selleys Shoe Fix to one surface only and immediately press together.
3. Lightly clamp or weight down until dry.
4. Wait 24 hours before wearing your shoes.

Why each step matters

Clean and dry, genuinely

The gap where a sole has come away collects a remarkable amount of grit, and the sole itself picks up oils from road surfaces and from your foot. Adhesive bonds to what it touches, so any dirt or grease left in the gap becomes the weak layer. Open the split as far as it will comfortably go, brush or wipe the grit out with the cloth, and let the shoe dry properly if it has been wet. This is the step people skip and the reason most home shoe repairs fail early.

One surface only, then straight together

Shoe Fix goes on one surface only and the two faces come together immediately. This is different from a contact adhesive like Kwik Grip, where both surfaces are coated and then left to flash off before joining. Do not treat Shoe Fix that way — apply and close the joint straight away.

Use enough to wet the surface without flooding it. Excess adhesive squeezing out around the welt is hard to remove neatly once cured and does not add strength.

Clamping, lightly

Light clamping or a weight holds the two faces in contact while the adhesive develops strength. Light is the operative word — heavy clamping pressure squeezes most of the adhesive out of the joint and leaves a starved bond. Spring clamps, a couple of bulldog clips along the welt, or simply a heavy book on top of the shoe all work. If the sole is curved, pack the shoe with something soft so the pressure follows the curve rather than flattening it.

The 24 hours is not optional

Shoe Fix begins to harden and forms a strong bond within about 60 minutes, and reaches its maximum bond strength after 24 hours at 25°C. Those are two different milestones. The shoe will feel repaired well before it actually is, and putting it on at the one-hour mark loads a bond that has not developed. Twenty-four hours is what the technical data specifies before practical use, and it is worth the wait, because a second attempt means cleaning cured adhesive out of the joint first.

What Shoe Fix bonds

Shoe Fix is effective on the materials shoes are actually made from:

• Leather
• Rubber
• Canvas
• EVA foam
• Most other common shoe materials

That EVA foam entry is worth noting, because the midsole of most running and walking shoes is EVA and it is the layer that usually separates from the outsole.

Safety and ventilation

Shoe Fix is a solvent adhesive and is classified as hazardous under Safe Work Australia's GHS 7 criteria. Its safety data sheet classifies it as a Flammable Liquid (Category 2), an eye damage/irritation hazard (Category 2A), and for specific target organ toxicity on single exposure (Category 3).

In practical terms: use it in a well-ventilated area, keep it away from heat and ignition sources, avoid getting it in your eyes, and store it somewhere cool and well ventilated out of direct sunlight. Do the job at an open window or outside rather than in a closed room.

Limitations — when to take the shoes to a cobbler instead

Gluing works where two intact surfaces have separated. It does not solve every shoe problem:

• Worn-through material. If the sole has a hole in it or the leather has torn away, there is nothing sound to bond to. Adhesive cannot replace missing material.
• Stitched construction that has failed. A welted shoe whose stitching has gone needs re-stitching; glue is a stopgap at best.
• Repairs under sustained heat. Store the shoes normally, but a repaired shoe left on a car dashboard in summer is not being treated kindly.

The Fix & Go Shoe Repair is the same specialist category in the Fix & Go format, if that is what your hardware store has on the shelf. For a general repair that is not a shoe — a handbag strap, a broken handle — Selleys Power Grip is the flexible all-purpose option, though it is not suitable for polyethylene or polypropylene, not for permanent water immersion, and it yellows on direct UV exposure.

Common questions about repairing shoes

How long does shoe glue take to dry?

Selleys Shoe Fix starts to harden and forms a strong bond within about 60 minutes, and reaches full strength after 24 hours at 25°C. Wait the full 24 hours before wearing the shoes.

Do I put glue on both surfaces?

No — apply Shoe Fix to one surface only and press the two together immediately.

Do I have to clamp the shoe?

Light clamping or a weight until dry gives the best result. Heavy pressure is counterproductive because it squeezes the adhesive out of the joint.

Will it work on rubber soles?

Yes. Shoe Fix bonds leather, rubber, canvas, EVA foam and most common shoe materials.

Will it work on the foam midsole of a runner?

Yes, EVA foam is among the materials it bonds — that is usually the layer that separates on athletic shoes.

Can I wear the shoes in the rain afterwards?

Let the repair reach full strength first, at 24 hours. Beyond that, the published data covers bond strength and flexibility rather than immersion, so treat the repair as a repair and not as a waterproofing measure.

What size does Shoe Fix come in?

A 50mL clear tube.

Is it safe to use indoors?

Use it in a well-ventilated area. It is a flammable solvent adhesive classified as hazardous under Safe Work Australia GHS 7 criteria, so keep it away from heat and ignition sources and avoid eye contact.

How should I store the tube?

Somewhere cool and well ventilated, away from heat sources and direct sunlight.

The sole has a hole worn right through — can I glue that?

No. Adhesive joins two sound surfaces; it cannot replace material that has worn away. That is a job for a cobbler.

What can I use for a shoe repair if I cannot find Shoe Fix?

Fix & Go Shoe Repair is the equivalent specialist product. A general flexible adhesive such as Power Grip will handle non-shoe repairs but has its own limits, including not bonding polyethylene or polypropylene.

Where can I read about other repairs like this?

See shoe glue, Glue Guide 101, or the story of a pair of boots saved this way at Selleys Shoe Fix with Fixer Upper.