RUNNING REPAIRS
If money’s too tight to buy new shoes at the moment, you can always find an interim solution. Nigel Rogers, director of Resoles Shoe Repairs (resoles.co.uk) tells you how to deal with the four most common areas of wear and tear on a shoe.
TORN UPPER
‘If the mesh is starting to wear but is not yet a hole, you can cover it with a sealant,’ says Rogers. He recommends Everbuild Clear Mastic, (£6.36, sealantsonline.co.uk). If a hole has already appeared, it’s time to get your needle and thread out, says Rogers. ‘Buy some thick nylon thread [black nylon sewing thread, £1.31, amazon.co.uk] and sew from left to right across the toebox, oversewing by half an inch on each side. Then do the same vertically over the hole.’
WORN LINING
‘If the inside of the shoe has worn away, patch it with a piece of moleskin,’ says Rogers. ‘It’s not
animal skin, but a thick, strong, stretchy cotton fabric.’ It’s available from profoot.co.uk in a 40cm length roll. Cut a piece to fit over the worn-away area and then superglue it down, stitching over, if necessary.
HOLEY OUTSOLE! Clocked so many miles that you’ve literally burnt rubber? Use a bike tyre. Buy the cheapest you can get; we found the Schwalbe City Jet Bike Tyre for £8.99 at halfords. co.uk. ‘Use a knife to remove the worn area of the sole and then line and stick the section of bike rubber over the top,’ says Rogers. ‘Be sure not to use superglue, as this dries rigid, which is not what
you want when you need the rubber to bend and flex with your foot. Use a neoprene glue – a good one is Black Witch glue [£5.49, wiggle.co.uk], as it’s used by divers and is made to bind rubber with rubber. It’s waterproof, tough and allows for flex.’
STRAY FLAPPY BITS
Whether your midsole is coming away from the upper, the outsole is peeling off around the toes, or the laces have become frayed, you can repair it all quickly. Shoe Goo (£9, achillesheel. co.uk) is an adhesive and sealant, and can be safely used to bind, fill, secure and lock down a small problem anywhere on the shoe.