A Helpful Guide On Ways to Fix The Sole Of Your Shoe

A Helpful Guide On Ways to Fix The Sole Of Your Shoe:

 The sole of a shoe, called an outsole, is indeed the most essential component of shoes. It is the part that is underneath the shoe that enables you to make direct contact with the surface. It usually comprises materials like natural rubber, leather, polyurethane, PVC compounds, etc. The material with which these soles are made depends on the style and purpose of a shoe.

A sole is one of the first and most likely shoe parts to wear out. Luckily, as far as your shoe's remaining parts are in good condition, fixing your shoe sole is not a problem. Once the shoe sole is repaired, your shoes and sneakers can look as good as new. A little bit of shoe sole glue and sandpaper instantly fixes worn out and loose soles for soles with holes, allowing you to wear it again within a few hours.

Surely you must be familiar with custom designed shoes and sneakers. The reliable specialists at Freaky Shoes offer exceptional services to create and design your own shoes. Customizing and styling your own shoes might sound complicated, but is rather easy. However, fixing a torn or worn-out sole requires much more attention because of the importance of shoe soles. Whether you want to set a worn-out sole or replace it with a new, we have you covered.

Main Reasons Why The Shoe and Sole Fall Apart

A lot of people often face issues regarding their shoes and shoe sole, which happen to fall apart on their own after some time. There are a couple of reasons why your shoe and sole might disintegrate so quickly.

1. The longevity of your shoe and sole depends on the shoe material.

A sneaker might be composed of different materials or components, each having a different life span. The composition of materials that your shoe entails ultimately decides how long your shoe will last. The polyurethane is a material that is widely present in the outsole and midsole of shoes, determining the life and durability of your shoes.

2. Storing your shoe for long periods.

Many people complain about their shoe soles falling apart despite wearing their shoes a couple of times. The majority of the custom-made shoe and sneaker manufacturers have been questioned regarding this issue. Your shoe's longevity ultimately depends on the life that has been mentioned by these shoe manufacturers.

If you store your sneakers in a closed cupboard for 10-12 years and have worn them only three or four times, your shoe's quality and appearance will eventually deteriorate. This way, your shoes will fall apart even if you have not worn them much. Age is the primary reason why the sole of your shoes wear out as soon as they reach their maximum age limit.

3. Helpful Ways to Fix the Shoe Sole

Replacing a Tattered Sole with a New Sole

1. Pull out the worn-out sole with pliers.

When the sole of your shoe becomes loose and is starting to come off, you need to entirely pull it off with a set of pliers. Keep a firm grip on your shoe while pulling off the corners of the sole. Then, remove the sole from underneath wholly.

If the shoe soles do not come off like this, try squeezing a butter knife or paint scraper between the shoe and sole at the same time you pull the sole from pliers. A hairdryer or a heated gun can be used to melt the adhesive, which keeps the soles intact. This makes removing the sole much easier.

1. Wipe off old adhesive with acetone.

The sole of your shoe might have some remaining adhesive where the sole was once attached. To remove the dry glue remnants, use a small amount of nail polish remover or acetone on a cloth and scrub underneath the shoe. The glue should slowly liquefy and be scrubbed off. Also, clean any remaining grime or dirt in this process.

2. Make the shoe bottom and new sole coarse using sandpaper.

A coarse surface holds a material better than glue or other adhesives. A rough-surfaced material like sandpaper should be used for this purpose. Take 120-grit sandpaper to scrub underneath the shoe and on the sole's top till their texture transforms from smooth to rough.

3. Pour a shoe-sole glue over the new sole and spread it with a cotton ball or brush.

The shoe-sole glue comes with specific instructions that must be carefully followed for a successful application. A few adhesives require resting for a few minutes before the shoe and shoe sole can be put together.

Some adhesives need heat to start working. Shoe Goo is an effective and widely used adhesive that can be found in several sports supply stores, shoe shops, and department stores.

4. Attach the new sole and firmly press it against your shoe.

The glue might need to sit for a while before using it. Wait for a certain period or as long as mentioned in the instructions. Begin from the front and gently attach the sole on the shoe. Make sure the sole and the edges of the shoe line up accurately. Once done, press firmly against the shoe.

5. Fasten the sole tightly with the help of duct tape, rubber bands, or weights.

The sole should be firmly pressed with the shoe so that both surfaces stick together. Fasten the sole further by using duct tape or rubber bands around your shoe or merely putting your shoe on the floor and adding weights to the top. These weights allow the shoe to press into the sole. You can even fill the shoe with newspaper to avoid warping its shape while it is being clamped.

6. Wait for one full day before wearing your shoes again.

The majority of shoe-sole glue requires at least 24 hours to set. After applying the adhesive, leave your shoe in a dry and cool place where there is no chance of being touched, moved, or mishandled.

Reaffixing a Loose Sole

1. Clean the sole and shoe with water and alcohol-based solution.

Take a rag cloth, dip it in a solution of alcohol and warm water and rub it over the loosened area of the shoe sole. If you can do this without pulling it further, clean the inner side of the loosened sole too.

2. Put shoe-sole glue between the sole and the shoe.

Use cotton buds or a toothpick to carefully put one layer of shoe-sole glue inside the part of the sole that has detached from the shoe. The adhesive should be applied generously. It is always better to use in more quantity and wipe the excess than apply less.

Some glue needs more time to rest after applying and before putting the sole in place. This depends on the adhesive you use, so check for the instructions.

3. Firmly press the sole and the bottom of your shoe against each other.

While applying the adhesive, you should be careful not to spill or touch the glue. Press the bottom of the shoe and the sole together with pressure. If you have applied glue in excess and it spills out, simply sand it off later.

4. Use weights, duct tape, or rubber bands to keep the sole in place.

Keep pressing the sole against the shoe tightly till it dries entirely. Sometimes, you can use duct tape or rubber bands to fasten it together. If this does not work, place weights on the top part of the shoe where the adhesive was applied.

5. Let it dry for a day.

Put your shoe in a dry and cool spot where there is no movement or activity. Let it sit down for one full day before you wear it again.

6. Use sandpaper to sand off excess or overflown adhesive.

While applying shoe-sole adhesive, there are chances that the adhesive might overflow or spill. This situation can be tackled easily. If any glue spilled out during the process of pressing the shoe and sole together, use 120-grit sandpaper to sand the glue off. Note that the adhesive should have completely dried off before you sand it.

Fill the Hole

1. Use a water and alcohol solution to clean the spot around the hole.

With a ragged cloth and an alcohol and water solution, rub the spot where the hole is. This solution also removes any grime or dirt on your shoe. Let your shoe dry before moving to the next step.

2. Coarsen the edges of the area with the hole using sandpaper.

The sandpaper allows the adhesive to stick better with the rubber. Scrub off the corners of the hole in your shoe with 120-grit sandpaper till it gives off a coarse texture.

3. Apply duct over the inner side of the shoe on top of the hole.

First, remove the insole of the shoe and apply duct tape from the inside to the hole. If the hole does not spread all the way inside, insert your finger in the hole and keep pushing upwards to uncover the right spot. Once you find it, cover it with duct tape.

4. Pack the hole with a shoe-sole glue.

Using a shoe-sole glue, fill in the hole entirely but avoid spilling it on your hand. Even if the adhesive starts to overflow, you need not worry.

5. Use ice cubes to smoothen the adhesive's surface.

Ice cubes help smoothen the glue surface without attaching to it. Besides ice cubes, you can use a spoon of petroleum jelly or even a tongue depressor to smooth the surface.

6. Leave your shoe to dry for one day.

Now that the duct tape has been applied and the glue surfaced has been smoothened, it is time to let the shoe dry. Place the sole in a position so that the sole faced upwards. Then leave your shoe in a dry and cool spot where it can dry. Do not touch or wear your shoes before 24 hours.

7. Sand off the dry and overflown glue from the hole.

If there are remnants of dry adhesive flowing from the hole or leaking over the corners is still visible, you can use 120-grit sandpaper to get rid of it. Sand down the edges and bottom of the shoe sole till it smoothens.

Reasons Why The Sole Detaches from Leather

There are several reasons why the sole of the shoe separates, loosens, or detaches from the shoe. While walking, there might be an instance when you kicked against a hard or durable object on your way. This tends to affect the sole and results in loosening it. When you go to different places, you might experience different weather conditions or obstacles.

Sometimes you might experience heavy rain or have to cross a puddle of water. Water is the main reason why your shoe sole tends to get loose. If you are exposed to water for long periods, the adhesive's sticking wears off. Often, school-going students experience this issue with their shoes. While running in the playground, their toes might pull the shoe, which loosens the sole.

Ways to Prevent The Sole from Detaching the Shoes

The majority of sneakers do not possess a strong and sturdy sole. Most sneakers are usually designed for casual walking or are only worn on special occasions such as birthdays. At most, you can include these sneakers in your office wear. If you use these sneakers roughly or even for brisk walking, they are likely to be detached from the sole.

For such situations, it is advised to purchase sports or athletic shoes that are comprised of leather. Leather-base sneakers are sturdy and robust. People typically wear such sneakers for jogging, running, and routine morning walks. So, the best way to prevent the sole from detaching your shoe is to choose the right kind of sneaker for the right occasion.