Falling in love with a pair of shoes is not easy. The more you love a pair, the more you wear it, and the earlier it starts to wear and tear. But unlike most relationships, the love for your shoes doesn’t have to go away. There are literally a thousand ways you can fix your broken shoes, but the most common ones are either by using Gorilla Glue or Shoe Goo.
Related: Can superglue the sole of your shoe?
Is Gorilla Glue a better choice for glueing shoes than Shoe Goo?
Gorilla Glue and Shoe Goo both are equally effective when it comes to fixing your old shoes although there are some situations in which one works better than the other.
Gorilla Glue is temperature and water-resistant and works for almost any material including leather, wood, rubber, etc. It can be a little hard to apply since it expands on drying and you need to be very careful about any spills or leaks.
It works best for rigid surfaces such as the sole of the shoe. On the other hand, Shoe Goo is a little easier to apply since it is designed for shoes specifically. It works best for the softer parts, including the shoe tip or the body around.
Is Gorilla Glue better than Shoe Goo for glueing heels?
The heels are usually the toughest part of shoes and are designed to last a while. Heels do not break or crack very easily although if they do, fixing them is not much of a hassle. Gorilla Glue can be useful when fixing the heel of a shoe since it works better on harder surfaces and can handle a decent amount of stress without tearing apart.
Gorilla Glue becomes extremely rigid on drying and takes away the flexibility of the material, but since in the case of heels, there isn’t a lot of flexibility required, you can always rely on it and use it without any worries.
Shoe Goo can also be used on heels but since it gives a certain level of flexibility to the shoes, it works best for filling holes in the heels or adding a protective coating to the heel of the shoe.
Is Gorilla Glue better than Shoe Goo for glueing soles?
- Incredibly strong and versatile; The leading multi-purpose waterproof glue
- Best for tough repairs on dissimilar surfaces, both indoors and out
- 100% Waterproof; Doesn't break down when exposed to outdoor elements
- Versatile; Easily bonds wood, stone, metal, ceramic, foam, glass, concrete and much more!
- Incredibly Strong: Expands 3 times into the materials to form an incredibly strong bond
- Bonds, protects and rebuilds for a permanent repair
- Excellent sealant - perfect for patching small holes
- Waterproof - bond remains secure even when exposed to water
- Creates extra traction - can even be used on skateboards
Soles are attached to the bottom of the shoe and are responsible for providing a certain level of flexibility and strength to the shoe, to adjust to different foot postures and placements.
There are a number of variants of Gorilla Glue available in the market but most of them are hard setting, clear glues which dry up as a firm layer on the surface with little to no flexibility. Although some types of Gorilla Glue do dry up as flexible, rubber-like materials, yet most of them harden upon drying and hence become unsuitable for sole use.
Shoe Goo, on the other hand, is an SPC adhesive that stays flexible and rubbery upon drying and has the same holding power as that of Gorilla Glue. This flexibility and strength make it the perfect fit for sticking the shoe and its sole together.
Is Gorilla Glue better than Shoe Goo for glueing the shoe box area?
Shoe boxes are usually made out of softer, flexible fabrics and are the first to get damaged with use. Since the Gorilla Glue has a liquid form, it can get absorbed into the flexible material very easily, without staying on the surface for a while.
This makes the Gorilla Glue ineffective for fixing the shoe box area. Shoe Goo is more relevant here since it has a gel-like form and can stay on the surface without getting absorbed. It can be easily applied on the surface to hold it together.
Is Gorilla Glue better than Shoe Goo for gluing skate shoes?
Skate shoes are nowhere near cheap, and aggressive skateboarding can make them wear out quickly. If minor cuts and dents are not fixed timely, they can cause further damage to the shoe, and in worst cases grow into larger holes.
If the problem area is small but requires strong adhesion, or if two surfaces need to be held together to close the gap in between, there’s nothing better than a reasonable amount of Gorilla Glue spread out evenly, and left to dry for a decent amount of time. On the contrary, if you’re looking to fix larger holes or dents in your skate shoes, it is better if you apply Shoe Goo instead.
The Gorilla Glue is a sticky liquid with an immense holding power while the Shoe Goo is a gel-like adhesive which dries up as a rubbery material. Both are equally effective but you need to be smart about deciding where to use either one.
Is Gorilla Glue better than Shoe Goo for gluing boots?
| Preview | Product | |
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Gorilla Original Gorilla Glue, Waterproof Polyurethane Glue, 18 Ounce Bottle, Brown, (Pack of 1) | Buy on Amazon |
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Shoegoo 5510110 Mini Adhesive (4 Pack), 0.18 fl. oz, Clear | Buy on Amazon |
Boots have a rigid and hard surface and are designed rough and tough, to withstand heavy usage. Boots can usually last a very long time and only get damaged if something unfortunate happens, but if it does, they can be easily fixed.
Gorilla Glue can easily provide boots with the firmness and strength they need and hold them in place for a very long time. The clear texture of Gorilla Glue doesn’t leave a single mark on the surface of the boots while still providing the adhesion they need.
Besides the adhesion and firmness, Gorilla Glue handles wet and humid conditions pretty well and has also passed the temperature test. No matter how bad you treat your boots, Gorilla Glue will always treat them well and take good care of them.
Is Gorilla Glue better than Shoe Goo for gluing leather shoes?
Leather can be a delicate material and may wear out if not taken care of properly. Leather shoes get damaged pretty easily and give unnecessary tension to their owner. If you are looking for a quick fix for the leather of your shoe, both Gorilla Glue or Shoe Goo can work fine for you.
Besides holding the shoes together, both of these adhesives will add an extra layer of protection to the leather and make it last longer. The water-resistant nature will save the leather from humidity and also protect it under severe weather conditions.
Picture in this post taken by me while performing all tests for this review
Thank you! Very helpful. The elderly step very heavily on their shoes, so I’m looking for the best glue to use to add non-skid treads to the bottom of their worn shoes. The self-stick adhesive is simply not holding up for more than a couple days. Thanks again!
I found it interesting when you said that heels aren’t hard to fix if they break or crack. My wife told me that one of her favorite pairs of heels broke and she does not want to throw them away. I will better look for a place where they can repair them properly so I don’t mess them up even more.
Thanks for the tip that Gorilla Glue can be quite effective when fixing heels of shoes. I prefer to wear slacks than skirts when going to work so I feel more comfortable pairing them with some formal leather shoes. I hope that the broken heel of my right shoe isn’t that severe that it can be fixed by a shoe repair service by just applying some glue and a few reinforcements.