Gorilla Glue for Shoes

In these challenging times, it’s a great idea to repair what is broken: you save money and the planet. Repairing your favorite pair of shoes is a walk in the park with Gorilla glue for shoes.

You know when you are having one of those days when your ears decide not to hear the alarm, knock over a glass in the kitchen, accidentally step on your child’s Lego pieces, and haven’t even had coffee? A perfect start to a terrible day.

Praying my morning mishaps were a fluke, I headed off to work. Lady luck seemed to be cross with me that day because the sole of my right shoe came flying off. Needing a quick fix, I ran to the nearest hardware store. I picked up the Gorilla Glue because the orange packaging immediately caught my eye.

I squeezed out a small amount, firmly held the pieces together, and let it set for a few minutes. The product really did its job, which was a good thing. It made us work on a full comparison of Shoe glues, with brands like Gorilla Glue, Shoe Goo, and much more

Related: Can you use Superglue to reattach your outsole to your shoe? No!
Related: Comparing Gorilla Glue versus Shoe Goo

Can You Use Gorilla Glue for Shoes?

Yes, Gorilla Glue has an immense holding power and can be used for most materials including leather, canvas, rubber, and even wood. This makes it a perfect fix for broken shoe soles, heels, or the rest of the body of the shoe. The original Gorilla Glue might not be that easy to use on shoes, but the variants discussed below have been tried and tested to perform well on all types of shoes.

Gorilla Original Glue

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The Original Gorilla Glue has been known for its incredible holding power and versatility. The glue is water and temperature resistant and expands upon drying to set into place firmly.

Since it is designed to withstand outdoor environments and rough conditions so well, it works well on shoes and holds them together for a very long time. I have to appreciate the easy-to-use nozzle that lets you control the amount pressed out. But the time it takes to dry is significant.

If I had to dart around immediately, I doubt the sole would have stayed on. Another flaw I noticed is that even though I used a small quantity, the glue became very rigid. While this would be better suited to fixing objects such as furniture, it can work for shoes in an emergency.

As my bad luck with broken soles continued, I discovered another product that much better would have suited my needs.

Gorilla Glue for Shoes with Brush and Nozzle

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It is quite a painful moment when your favorite shoe splits apart. All the time spent together, the walks taken, the sunsets chased, all come to a halt when you hear that familiar clap originating from a torn sole. The original fix I had used with the Gorilla Glue did not hold together more than a couple of weeks.

The reason was that the original Gorilla Glue dries to a solid substance and the pieces of rubber and leather that it is attempting to hold together are flexible. With each step, you are cracking that glue to smaller and smaller pieces until, finally, a lot of it turns to dust and gives out.

Luckily, in the meanwhile, I was able to find out what the better alternative was, and it is still a Gorilla product. It is the Gorilla Glue for Shoes with Brush and Nozzle.  This version works way better for shoes and it seems as if it was designed specifically for use on footwear.

You can visibly observe the changes and improvements, but at the end of the day, their essence remains the same. This newer version has some noticeable differences upfront: the orange encompassing label with a translucent bottle is replaced by a white-colored container with a much smaller logo, and now with the nozzle, a brush is included as well.

I could control the exact amount of glue I needed to pour with the improved nozzle. I followed by using the brush to spread the paste precisely near each edge without making it spill over. The application of the glue led it to be an even layer rather than clumped in one place. Also, to my astonishment, it dried down in under a minute and was ready to use.

All in all, the Gorilla Super Glue has just the same holding power as the Gorilla Original Glue, with an added touch of convenience. The thin nozzle and the bristle brush make sure that not even a single drop goes out of place and the glue is able to reach the nastiest of corners without spilling out. The drying time is greatly reduced and the surfaces stick rock hard in a matter of seconds.

Gorilla Gel Glue for Shoes

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There is another decent alternative to Gorilla Glue for Shoes and it is the Gorilla Gel Glue. It too dries to a rubbery substance so it can withstand the motions that a shoe goes through. Even better, it comes in a gel form so you can use it to plaster the outside of a torn heal or the sole of a shoe. You can use it to fill gaps and, when dry, it becomes part of the shoe and holds its own against the elements.

The Gorilla Gel Glue is a new concept altogether. The brush is long gone and the material inside is now replaced by a squishy, sticky gel, with the same holding power as that of the Gorilla Original Glue. The gel is a miracle formula that works on almost all kinds of shoes, with better control over the spreading of the glue. It is developed for long-lasting repairs and sets in a clear form in less than a minute.

The bottle has an anti-clog cap which prevents the gel inside from drying out even when it is left unused for a long time. The glue does not need any clamping to hold in place and has passed almost every test of strength. The best part is that since the glue has a gel nature, it does not run around a lot and can be used on vertical surfaces as well.

That night, I realized the actual failure on my part was not keeping a bottle of gorilla super glue handy at all times. I would not make that mistake again.

How to fix a shoe with Gorilla glue explained (video)