Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2017/11/09/more-diy-shoe-repair-with-free.html
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How does this compare to Shoe Goo? I have an old pair of really nice dress shoes I need to resole.
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I think they are nearly “the same” but I find Freesole to be the thickest/least spreading in this world of urethane adhesives – also longest lasting.
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I had the same question comparing to Shoe-Goo.
This says its a urethane glue - is it a different compound than Shoe-Goo? Shoe-Goo has a toluene base (super smelly and volatile solvent). via wikipedia: Shoe Goo is composed of toluene, styrene-butadiene copolymer, and solvent naphtha
Is Freesole something different?
I use Weldwood contact cement or Plumber’s Goop (which is the same thing as Shoe Goo). Nice to know there are other choices!
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Thanks for this. Just yesterday I was about to discard another pair of almost new shoes with a detached sole. (I work in a very wet environment).
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I used some elastic hair-ties, stolen from my daughter, to hold the cap in place. 24 hours later and the shoe is ready to go on a rainy day.
His daughter is now, alas, bald as a coot.
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This looks like the same stuff as Aquaseal, which also works well for nylon fabric. Put a sheet of that greasy-feeling foam which comes with electronics underneath so other things don’t inadvertently get stuck together. You can hold down irregular areas with a pile of small metal parts; they’ll come off when the glue dries. And wear gloves and a respirator.
Jason, Thank you for a wonderful product recommendation. I like the idea of thicker spreading, smaller tube than Shoe Goo
plus not called GOO
thanks!
Had some walking boots where the soles were coming off, I used some Evo-stik Timebond that had been sitting in my tool bag for 10 years or more. Works perfectly.
Shoe Goo is a polymeric synthetic rubber, so different from a urethane glue.
Huh, no love for barge cement? That’s the preferred adhesive for resoling rock climbing shoes, as far as I have ever known. Can’t attest to it’s use as a filler, but the resoles I have done with it have never failed.
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This also has me wondering about Yamabond, used as a gasket sealant.
I have had barge cement fail on shoes 2 times.
Granted I can only purchase the non toluene version of barge cement so I am not sure if that makes a difference or not, but I will give something else a try next time I need to fix a shoe.
Another option I’ve used a few times 2-3 on a pair of Doc Martens shoes when the heel separated from the rest of the sole is Hardman Double/Bubble Urethane A-85 / 04024. A number of places sell it. Make sure the sole is as clean as possible, apply generously but not so it leaks everywhere, use rubber bands to hold on for 24 hrs. Its cheap-ish, comes in little packets so you don’t have to worry about the whole tube going bad when its opened but not entirely used, and there is no doubt about ratios or mixing. Don’t mix it on a moisture absorbing material though!
I’m curious, what is the point of storing it in the freezer - is it just to lower the vapor pressure of the solvent and prevent the product from drying out? If so, why wouldn’t just securely screwing down the cap to prevent the solvent phase from volatilizing and escaping work just as well?
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Fixed my Wellies with Freesole last year and they’re still watertight. I also recommend it.
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Man, I love those shoes!
I wish I still had mine.
If I did I would repair them too.
Dunno, but I HATE the smell of shoe goo, which NEVER goes away. I can smell it YEARS after a repair. So. Not using that.
Recognized the toe immediately. I have the same on my feet, and have been repairing my old Keens of that style for several years, because new ones have been just about unwearable. I keep trying on new pairs, in hopes that they’ll return to their old comfort and support, but no such luck, so far.
