DIY Shoe Repair–How to Reattach a Loose Sole

Have you ever had the sole separate from your shoe?  Well then this quick, easy and above all cheap DIY shoe repair on how to reattach a lose sole is for  you!

Now although I’m all about fixing and reusing things when possible,there are some jobs that are best done by an expert.  If I want an entire sole replaced on a shoe I take it to a cobbler–it’s worth the money to me to have it done with the right tools and the right materials.  I’ve had a cobbler reheel my basic black leather pumps several times over the years, and had them put completely new soles put on good leather boots.

A loose sole?  Well that’s another things.  Especially when it’s for an 11 year old boy who is going to need a completely different shoe size in a few months.

Loose soles are a reoccuring issue at the Frugal Village Homestead.  I think Buddy likes to drag the toes of his feet along the sidewalk sometimes (don’t ask me why).  Also my kids walk to school–their lockers at school are far too narrow and full of stuff to fit a pair of wet boots in–so despite the fact that we frequently have rain and snow they are in their regular shoes 90% of the time.  All that weather and wet seems to loosen the soles up over time (in conjunction with the toe dragging).

Anyone who has read this blog before knows I love E6000 glue.  It glues anything to anything else so I always keep it on hand.  However, I didn’t think that was the right glue for this particular job.  I needed something that was strong, waterproof and flexible.  We are back to that concept of the right tool (or product) for the right job.  For me in the case of shoe repair that product is Shoe Goo.

As you can see, the tube we keep on hand has been well used.  It is probably 5 or 6 years old. . .as long as you keep it capped it will last a long time (and for a lot of repairs).  I can’t remember how much I paid for a tube–I’m sure it was only a couple of dollars.  It comes in clear (which I use here) and black.

To make the repair I just put a glob on the shoe (1) and then spread it around (2).  I wanted to make sure that the glue when all the way to the edge to prevent water getting in and/or the sole separating again quickly so I used a wood skewer to make sure it covered all the way up there (3).  I also put my hand in the shoe and squished the glue around the sole from the inside to make sure I didn’t have any kind of lump that would be uncomfortable for Buddy while he was wearing it.  Finally I secured the shoe leather down against the sole securely with a clamp from my husband’s workbench (4).  I wanted to make sure there was really good contact between the leather and the sole while it was drying!  I tried initially to use a rubber band (which you can see) and also tried some painters tape, but neither really held it in place well.  The clamp worked the best.

I let it dry for 24 hours, just to be sure, and voila–a repaired shoe sole!  You can see in this closeup that the bead of glue shows if you look carefully.  I could have wiped that away while the goo was wet, but to be honest I thought that it would probably keep it more secure and keep the water out better.  I promise, you don’t even notice it when Buddy is wearing them.

Buddy has worn these boots quite a few times now with the repair in place with no problems whatsoever.  I expect the repair to last longer than his foot fits in the shoe!