How to Glue a Shoe Sole

How to Glue a Shoe Sole
Published: Sep 29, 2009
Updated: May 25, 2021
2 minute read
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Carla de Koning /Demand Media

Gluing the sole of your shoe back to the upper may seem easy enough, but there are a few tricks you'll need to employ to make sure your glue job holds up. Some shoe stores may offer to glue your shoe sole for your for a low fee, possibly even for free if you bought your shoes there.

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Carla de Koning /Demand Media

Visit your local shoe store and search for a shoe repair kit. Kiwi makes a shoe repair patching kit which comes with adhesive. You may also want to try Shoe Goo or Gorilla Glue, as both will do the job well.

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Carla de Koning /Demand Media

Clean the area between the shoe and the sole so it is free of dirt. Make sure the area is dry, otherwise the glue won't hold when you apply it.

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Carla de Koning /Demand Media

Read all instructions on the adhesive before you use it, and only apply the recommended amount of glue. Cover the sole area and the upper part of the shoe. Don't over-glue, even if you think it might be necessary.

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Carla de Koning /Demand Media

Allow glue to dry for about ten minutes, then press the sole and the upper tightly together. You may want to hold the two pieces of the shoe in place with a C clip until they dry, as they might start to pull apart.

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Carla de Koning /Demand Media

Warm the glue with a hair dryer as it dries. This will help even the glue out beneath the sole, so you don't have any uncomfortable lumps to irritate you while you're walking.

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Carla de Koning /Demand Media

Let the glue dry for a full twenty-four hours before you wear your shoes again. This will give it time to completely dry, and keep you from having to reglue.

References

Warnings

Avoid using a hot glue gun, or super glue, as neither of these types of glue hold up well for shoe repair.

Photo Credits

Carla de Koning /Demand Media

Jennifer Hudock

Jennifer Hudock is an author, editor and freelancer from Pennsylvania. She has upcoming work appearing in two Library of the Living Dead Press anthologies and has been published in numerous print and online journals, including eMuse, Real…

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