Skate shoes are tagged as one of the most durable types of shoes intended to endure extreme skateboarding moves and slides. They are made with a polyurethane sole, vulcanized rubber, leather, and are stitched together for security. But sometimes, skate shoes wear out sooner than you’d like them to. You don’t have to replace them immediately because you can still fix them. How do you fix skate shoes?
There are several things you do when fixing skate shoes. You can bring them to a shoe repair shop, but this may cost you a lot of money. The two cheapest ways to fix them are by using hot glue and Shoe Goo, and you can do it yourself. How do you fix skate shoes with hot glue and Shoe Goo? Continue reading.
How to fix skate shoes with hot glue
The most common problem with skate shoes is a hole through the toe cap area or somewhere else. Fixing skate shoes with hot glue by yourself only takes about 5 minutes.
- Plug in and switch on the glue gun to begin
- Hold the shoe with one hand inside it on the area of the hole. Prevent the glue from coming inside by placing one finger on the hole. Apply a liberal amount of glue on the hole from the outside
- Prevent the glue from getting to the other areas of the shoe. Smoothen it out using the tip of an iron
- Wait for the glue to completely dry
- When the glue has settled in and cooled down, you’re good to go skateboarding.
Easy, isn’t it? However, you need to prevent your fingers from getting burned by the tip of the glue gun.
How to fix skate shoes with Shoe Goo
What is a Shoe Goo? Shoe Goo is a commercial product from Eclectic. It is a thick adhesive in a glue-like form; when dry, it becomes like a rubber. It is best used to patch up holes in soles, torn leather, and any damages on skate shoes.
So how do you fix skate shoes with Shoe Goo? It is really easy and you don’t have to ask a professional shoemaker to do it for you.
- To repair a tear or if leather separates or tears, put Shoe Goo on both sides of the tear
- Let it stand for few minutes
- Merge the sides together
- Wait for 10 minutes to completely dry the Shoe Goo
When a skate shoe has holes, here’s how to fix it with Shoe Goo.
- Put duct tape inside the shoe where the hole is
- Spread the Shoe Goo on the outside
- Remove the tape within 2 hours to avoid it from becoming permanent inside the shoe
- You may also apply Shoe Goo in layers to make it thick and protect the skate shoe from excessive use. Spread enough Shoe Goo and wait 2 hours for it to dry. Then apply the Shoe Goo again on the first layer
- You might think that the Shoe Goo has dried out completely, but you’re wrong. Wait for 2-3 days to guarantee that the skate shoe is fixed and the Shoe Goo is very dry and has become a permanent part of the skate shoe
- You may also put Shoe Goo on areas where you think are going to get wear. You may apply it on the toe cap or sides before they wear out
Conclusion
Many shoe companies manufacture skate shoes with different materials and design. But not all of these skate shoes last for long or withstand excessive moves. However, some skate shoes last longer than others. Whatever brand of skate shoes you buy, eventually, it will wear out.
That is why it is important to buy a very durable pair of skate shoes. Some skate shoes that are high quality are the C1rca Men’s AL50 Adrian Lopez Lightweight Skate Shoe, DC Women’s Danni TX Skateboarding Shoe, Emerica Men’ WINO Cruiser Skateboard Shoe, and Nike Men’s Stefan Janoski Canvas Skate Shoe. They are all made of imported materials, cushions, and breathable insoles that guarantee strength and comfort.
If your skate shoes wear out or have holes or tears, you can do make repairs on them by yourself. Hot glue or Shoe Goo is very cheap and an easy way to fix your skate shoes as shown in the above mentioned steps.