We know that changing your habits to be more sustainable can be full of dilemmas, and fashion can already be a minefield in itself. Unsure how to resist the urge to replace pieces with a bit of wear-and-tear? Perhaps you want some tips on getting into mending and upcycling? Well not to worry, our agony aunt, Uncle Sage will give you all the tips you need.
Help! The sole is starting to split from one of my shoes. Do I have to buy a new pair or spend money on repairs, or is there an easy way to do it myself?
Shoes, one of the harder pieces in terms of sustainability and repair. Finding a split in your sole may be the perfect excuse to go looking for a new pair, maybe indulge in a bit of retail therapy, but at Stitch Up! we’re always looking for an alternative.
One easy solution you might have heard of is to simply glue the soles back on. Here are the simple steps:
1. Get your shoe and some glue ready on a surface (plus tape if needed), set out some cloth or tissue to avoid any spills or stains.
2. Find the damaged area and carefully put in a few drops of super glue, don’t use too much as it’ll spill over when sealing.
3. To seal, place one hand in the shoe to press from the inside and another to seal the split.
4. Hold in place for roughly 20 seconds before releasing pressure on the shoe, and take care to scrape off any excess glue before it dries.
5. Leave the shoe to dry before wearing it again.
One thing to be careful of when glueing the shoes is to avoid staining the outside of the shoe, as superglue is nigh impossible to remove. We’ve heard about using acetone (nail polish remover) to get rid of glue stains in materials like suede. However, from our experience this doesn’t seem to work, in fact, it can cause a slight melting of the outer layer of the shoe. We can recommend putting opaque (electrical) tape on the area surrounding the glue seal in order to avoid stains.