In the good old days, it was very common to repair your shoes, by going to a shoe repair shop. Now you can easily repair shoes due to all the good online how-to s and glues on the market. This Shoe Goo Glue review and repair guide will walk you through the best products and how to fix your broken shoes. Good for your budget and the planet!
I and my boots have been together through the toughest of times. We’ve been to mountain tops, sailed across large lakes, and even trekked over glaciers. Unfortunately, my shoes being mere mortal instruments have now reached the end of the road. At least that is what I thought until I recently came across this magical shoe repair formula by the name of Shoe Goo Glue at my local hardware store.
Related: how to attach my sole back onto my shoe?
Is Shoe Goo the Best Glue for Shoes?
Shoe Goo is a brand of adhesive and sealant specifically for footwear repairs. The kind of strength, durability, and flexibility it offers to shoes is remarkable and makes it easily one of the best shoe glues for just about any style.
What Makes Shoe Goo One of the Best Shoe Glues on the Market?
The Shoe Goo Repair Adhesive is nothing like your everyday footwear adhesive. The strong gel formula of the Shoe Goo is designed to bond, protect, and rebuild your shoes for a permanent repair. It can work on almost all areas of the shoes including the sole, the heels, or even the shoe tip. Not only this, but you can also patch holes in your footwear using the Shoe Goo.
The product comes in a small red tube that stays handy and can be easily squeezed for application. The tube has a long list of instructions for application but you don’t need to go through all that necessary. Just grab whatever surfaces you want to stick, apply glue in between, and hold both surfaces together for some time, and you’re done.
The waterproof and temperature-resistant nature of the glue not only survives tough conditions but also acts as a protective layer on the surface of the shoe, protecting its original body. The gel will probably take a longer time to set (around 24hrs) than the other shoe glues but once it sets, the traction and strength it will provide to your shoes will leave you amazed.
The flexible nature of the gel prevents it from hardening up even upon drying and lets your shoes freely bend and adjust to the changing foot postures and placements. Your shoe remains comfortable and the Goo gives your shoe protection against abrasion. This also helps your shoe cope with stress to the joints.
- 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
What Can Shoe Goo Be Used For?
While the name may suggest ‘Shoe’ Goo, but the interesting part about it is that it can work on other materials just as effectively as it does on shoes. The glue has been scientifically formulated to repair, seal, and stick to various materials, including leather, wood, rubber, vinyl, plastic, and even fabrics.
The kind of holding power it offers may be exceptional, yet the main strength of the Shoe Goo is its flexibility. It can be used for any surface that needs a certain level of strength and flexibility for proper functioning.
How Do You Use Shoe Goo on Skate Shoes?
Skate Shoes undergo a lot of stress and movement and are used pretty aggressively. Thus, they get damaged more often than other types of shoes and require proper repair to last a decent amount of time. Shoe Goo Glue can be a total savior in such cases as it can give new life to your skate shoes and fix their bruises as if they never were there.
While the basic three-step method of squeeze, apply, and leave to dry works in most cases, it is always better if you take extra care and use your Shoe Goo the right way. Here are some basic steps you can follow to fix your Skate Shoes using Shoe Goo.
- Move to a well-ventilated area before using the product and make sure you’re operating at room temperature.
- Identify the area of damage on the shoe and decide what parts you want to use the Goo on.
- Clean the surface thoroughly on which you’ll be applying the Shoe Goo. It is suggested that you roughen the surface with sandpaper.
- Apply a squeeze to the surface and allow it to set for 2-10 minutes before putting the surfaces together.
- Fit in the two surfaces in place on the first time since the bond will form immediately.
- Let dry for at least 24 hours and your skate shoes are ready to be used.
Can You Use Shoe Goo Glue on Plastic?
Shoe Goo is like a cross between a silicone seal and rubber glue that is easily a hundred times stronger. This versatile nature allows it to stick to almost every material on planet Earth. It can work on different plastics, including PVC, PET, PP, etc.
The Shoe Goo may or may not chemically bond the plastic surfaces, depending on the type of plastic under consideration, although one thing that is for sure is that it will hold it in place for the longest time.
Can You Use Shoe Goo on Wood?
The non-expanding and gel-like nature of Shoe Goo allows it to work on hard surfaces such as wood quite well. The gel can be evenly spread or just clotted in a single place between the wooden surfaces and left to dry.
The Goo might require some kind of extra pressure (through clamps, etc.) to hold the wooden pieces together and might take more time to set as it does with shoes although the holding strength will be the same and the wood will not fall apart once it has properly dried up.
How to fix your shoes with Shoe Goo Glue (shoe repair video)
Related: a full comparison of Shoe glues, with brands like Gorilla Glue, Shoe Goo, and much more