How to repair rubber boots at home. What glue is best for gluing shoe soles?

IN Lately rubber boots They are used not only in the country, on hikes or in the forest. Today it is fashionable and stylish shoes, which saves in time heavy rains and floods. The shops are full of bright and colorful boots. However, even such strong and stable shoes can suffer and deteriorate.

The most common problem is a punctured sole. When stepping on a fragment, broken glass or even an ordinary pushpin, a hole forms in the rubber. It is very easy to puncture the rubber material, causing them to leak and become unusable.

But don’t rush to throw away your shoes; in some cases, the shoes can still be repaired. Let's find out how to seal rubber boots at home, how to fix a hole in the sole and in the boot.

How to prepare boots for repair

First, the boots must be thoroughly cleaned, washed and dried. You can seal your shoes with rubber or a patch from an old pain new shoes or tires. To do this, cut out the required piece of rubber and process it on each side with a file or sandpaper. The resulting rough surface will adhere to the glue more firmly and reliably.

Choose a special glue marked “rubber” or “shoe.” By the way, you can find a product for gluing rubber boots in a car store or stores for fishermen and hunters.

Take a glue-sealant that works great. When choosing a product, take into account the shoe material, since EVA and polyurethane require different means. Under no circumstances use classic PVA or “Moment”!

Dried boots need to be sanded and degreased using acetone or solvent. Before using glue, be sure to read the instructions and follow the recommendations.

If the sole, and not the boot, is torn, you must first make the surface smooth and even using sharpening machine. And only then you can glue the patch. Next, we’ll take a closer look at how to seal the sole and boot quickly and effectively.

Five ways to seal your boots

“Hot” gluing method using a vulcanizer. Rubber is used as a patch, which is pre-soaked in gasoline. The resulting patch is placed on the hole, clamped with a vulcanizer and left for half an hour. Then the device is turned off and cooled. Only after this can the press be removed;
A standard bicycle repair kit, which includes special patches based on protective films, glue and sandpaper, will help you repair rubber shoes. Sand the desired area on the boots with sandpaper and degrease. Then remove the film from the bookmark, apply glue and glue it to the desired location. It is advisable to wait 6-12 hours and only then use the shoes. However, the appearance of a glued patch is not very aesthetic, so this method is suitable for repairing soles or for using boots in places where appearance doesn't matter.
We repair boots using special means for gluing rubber shoes. This is the easiest and available method. First you need to prepare the patch and boots for gluing. Don't forget to degrease the shoe surface. Apply glue to the patch and the gluing area in several layers and apply each layer after the previous one has dried slightly. Press the surfaces to be glued tightly and firmly against each other. To be more effective, you can tap the gluing area with a hammer. To prevent the patch from being noticeable, treat the surface of the sealed area. sandpaper;
If your boots have a porous surface, you can seal the holes without a patch. In this case, the edges at the cut site are turned out and generously lubricated with glue, and then pressed firmly against each other;
If you use glue-sealant, which is sold in car dealerships, you can also repair shoes without patching. First, degrease the bonding areas, and then lubricate the torn edges and press them tightly together.

How to properly care for rubber boots

If you choose the right glue and carry out the procedure carefully, you will be satisfied with the repair. And in order for your boots to last longer, you need to organize proper care for rubber shoes and repaired products. After use, thoroughly clean and wash your boots in running water.

We offer several simple rules on the care and use of rubber shoes:

Wipe the outside of the rubber surface with a clean cloth. For very dirty shoes, first rinse in water and then wipe dry;
Colored boots are cleaned with Vaseline. It will retain color and shine, and the boots will not burst or become cracked;
Be sure to use shoe insoles, preferably warm ones. Wash insoles every two to three months;
Don't wear rubber boots in hot weather sunny weather, since rubber deteriorates and burns out;
Periodically lubricate the surface of the products with oil varnish with rubber glue or glycerin. This will keep the boots shiny;
Before long-term storage, be sure to lubricate your shoes with glycerin. Then wrap the items in newspaper or paper and place them in a cool, dry place;
You can remove dark spots and streaks from rubber using a regular school eraser. It should be soft and clean;
If your foot does not fit into the narrow top of the boot, lower the elastic stocking inside and put on the shoes. Then the leg will fit in without any problems, and the stocking can then be easily pulled out.

To keep your shoes shiny and attractive in appearance longer, lubricate the surface with oil varnish and rubber glue or wipe with a damp cloth containing glycerin. By the way, glycerin is an excellent product for caring for leather items. It will help smooth out a genuine leather jacket and give the product a presentable appearance. Read more about how to care for a leather jacket.

When the snow melts and the ground turns to mud, the dull autumn rains come and there are puddles everywhere, no better shoes than rubber boots. There are only times when you step on a piece of glass or get caught on a wire, and that’s all - a puncture or cut. They seem to be good boots, but they let water through. But we are not in a hurry to throw the thing away, we will try to repair it.

To repair rubber boots you will need: rubber glue (preferably Red sun or Moment), a grater or abrasive paper, scissors, raw rubber, some gasoline. First you need to find the puncture or cut site. If the damage is not visible, then you should tighten the boot top so that the air in it is compressed under pressure. Place the boot in a basin of water, and where the bubbles are, there will be a cut or puncture site. You can insert a pointed match into the puncture so that the place is not lost.

Boot repair can be done in two ways - hot and cold. Each of them has both its advantages and disadvantages. Let's look at both. For hot repairs you will need a vulcanizer. Repairing a boot using a vulcanizer requires some experience with it. You need to soak the raw rubber in gasoline (about 10 minutes), then put it on the hole and press it with a vulcanizing press. Turn on the vulcanizer for 25-35 minutes, then turn it off to let it cool until normal temperature, and then remove the press. In the end you will get high-quality repairs defect. Cold way more simple. Before repairing, thoroughly wash and dry your boots. This method requires the item to be clean. The damaged area must be thoroughly cleaned with abrasive paper. If the boot is torn, you can tighten the edges of the tear by stitching with thread, then proceed to the next step. You can make the patch yourself from rubber. It needs to be cleaned with inside evenly, and on the outside, the edges should be thinner. You can use ready-made patches from a wheel repair kit, and you can get glue from there.

Apply glue to the damaged area of the boot and to the patch. Let it dry for about ten minutes and apply the compound again, let it dry again for about twenty minutes and carefully, without touching the glue, apply the patch. Afterwards we put the boot with the patch under the press for two hours. You can press it with a table leg. When the patch is securely stuck, it needs to be treated with fine abrasive paper.

Most practical shoes Rubber boots, which are specifically designed to protect feet in rainy weather, are rubber boots. But they may also need repairs, just like any other shoe. Usually the rubber diverges at the junction of the main part with the sole, grinds off, punctures, or bursts. To avoid spending money on a new pair and save on the services of a shoemaker, you can try sealing your rubber boots yourself. Thanks to this, they will serve you for many more seasons.

To repair your rubber boots at home, you will still need to spend a little money on Consumables, some of which you probably already have at home and will come in handy in the future. But in any case, the costs will not be as significant as if you had to turn to a shoe repair specialist for help. So, you will need to have on hand:

rubber patch;
rubber glue;
a block and a regular hammer (may not be required);
a little solvent;
a piece of rags or ordinary cotton wool;
file;
sandpaper.

Instructions for repairing rubber boots at home

First of all, you need to prepare your rubber boots for the sizing process. Therefore, first wash them outside and inside with soap and a brush to remove dirt, then dry. Prepare a rubber patch. If you can’t find an original one cut from an old boot, you can use a bicycle inner tube.
Use a file along the back of your patch, as well as the seam around the puncture, to roughen the surface for better adhesion. Sand these areas similarly with coarse sandpaper.
Soak a rag or cotton wool in solvent and work on the patch and tear area on the rubber boot. If there are particles of rags or cotton wool left on the surface, they should be removed.
Trim the edges of the patch so that it does not completely cover the treated rough surface. Now you can begin the main stage of repairing your rubber boots.
For gluing the patch, a special glue is suitable that can reliably fasten rubber surfaces (for example, “Rubber” or “Super Moment” for rubber). You can contact a shoe repair specialist and ask him to pour special glue into your container for a small fee.
If you are using store-bought glue, read the instructions and follow all directions for use to achieve maximum results. Apply glue thin layer on the patch and treated area of the boot, leave for 10-20 minutes (see instructions for time).
Place the patch coated with glue on the area of the boot and press firmly. For greater reliability, the boots are put on a last and tapped with a hammer. At the same time, you need to make sure that she does not move. The time for gluing the patch is at least 24 hours.

By following these simple instructions, you can always repair your rubber boots.

Rubber shoes are incredibly popular in the off-season. And in gardens it is much more convenient to water and weed the beds, because no dirt or moisture is scary. At proper care and choosing the manufacturer, such shoes will last you more than one year. However, no one is immune from damage to even thick rubber. We offer two simple and available methods, how to seal rubber boots.

Caring for rubber boots

So that such a nuisance does not take you by surprise, you should properly care for your rubber shoes. After all, even very good producers They will not be able to guarantee the safety of your boots if they are not properly cared for.

First of all, let's learn how to clean properly. To wash rubber shoes, just take warm water, soft cloth and just a little glycerin. Then the appearance of the product will be preserved for a long time. Don't forget to ventilate your boots well to avoid the development of fungus.

After cleaning or use in very rainy weather, never place shoes on a radiator, dryer or use a hair dryer. Dry only in a warm, dry place or in a warm wind. If you purchased a model with a light or white sole, a regular school eraser will help make it look brand new again.

How to seal rubber boots - the classic method

Even if you take very good care of your rubber shoes, sooner or later they may deteriorate. In such a situation, the question quite logically arises: is it possible to seal it, or will you have to go to the store for a new pair?

There is no need to panic, because it is quite possible to seal such a product. You don't even have to seek help for repairs. From the materials and tools used, you will need glue, solvent, and a patch (it is usually cut from old inner tubes from bicycles or strollers).

Shoes should be thoroughly washed and dried, as discussed in the rules for caring for rubber boots.
Cut the patch to size. In addition to bicycle tubes, old rubber boots are quite suitable.
Next, using a solvent, thoroughly degrease the surface of the shoe and the patch itself. Make sure that no pieces of cotton wool or threads from rags remain on the treated area.
To fix the patch we use Super Moment type rubber glue for rubber. If you wish, you can simply go to any nearest shoe repair shop and ask the master to sell you some special glue for a nominal fee.
First we apply glue to the shoes and the patch, let it sit for a while, then fix it. The exposure time is usually indicated on the tube.
To keep the patch as tight as possible, it is usually tapped a little with a hammer or something similar.

How to seal rubber boots - an alternative option

Sometimes the patch method is disappointing and you have to look for something else to seal your rubber boots with. If after a while you see that it was not possible to fill the hole, go to a sporting goods store. Many bicycle owners claim that more reliable way repair rubber boots; if they are torn, use a repair kit for bicycle tires.

Rubber boots are footwear necessary not only for the country house, but also for the city. They protect from bad weather and dirt. But it has one drawback - any nail or piece of glass is enough to render the shoes unusable. It’s impossible to give such boots to a workshop, but it’s a shame to throw them away. Therefore, many people prefer to repair their favorite shoes themselves.

How to care for boots

Rubber shoes must be properly cared for. And then you won’t have to resort to them frequent repairs. After all, even high quality, which is guaranteed by the manufacturer, does not always mean the safety of the shoes.

Rubber boots need to be cleaned properly. They are best washed with a solution of glycerin and water. In this case, boots should be wiped with a soft cloth and dried often to prevent fungus from appearing. Wet rubber boots cannot be dried with a hair dryer or radiator. It is necessary that the shoes dry naturally.

In order for the repair of boots to be successful, and for the shoes to last for a very long time, you need to know the following:

Before repairing, rubber shoes must be very thoroughly cleaned, washed and dried.
The patch can be cut from a tire or old rubber boots.
It is better to carefully process the patch from the reverse side with sandpaper or a file to make the surface rough for better adhesion of the glue.
It is best to degrease the surface of shoes with acetone and solvent.
You need to choose a special glue, which must indicate, for example, “shoe” or “rubber.”
Before repairing rubber boots, be sure to read the instructions from the glue manufacturer in order to do everything correctly.
It is best to coat the patch and the gluing area with special glue several times, after waiting until the first layer dries a little.
When gluing the surfaces, you need to press them very hard against each other or tap the gluing area with a hammer.
A patch on a boot can be easily masked using sandpaper.

Method 1. You can seal your boots with special glue. It can be purchased in stores for hunters and fishermen. But in order to acquire the right glue, you need to know what exactly the shoes are made of. The fact is that shoes made of EVA or polyurethane require different adhesive compounds.

The seller can help you purchase the necessary glue by giving advice. Then everything is simple - you need to sand and degrease part of the boot and stick on a patch. If the shoes are made of porous material, then they can be glued without using a patch. The edges at the cut site just need to be turned out, generously coated with glue and pressed together.

Method 2. For this method you will need a regular bicycle repair kit. It contains patches on special protective films, sandpaper and, of course, glue. Right place on shoes, clean with sandpaper and thoroughly degrease. Next, after first removing the film from the patch, you need to apply glue to it and press the patch to the hole. You can use the shoes almost immediately, but it is better to wait at least 12 hours. The only drawback of this method is the unaesthetic appearance of the shoes after repair.

If the hole appears not on the boot, but on the sole, the gluing technology does not change. You just need to make the surface smooth and even, because usually the sole on such shoes is quite textured. This is possible using a sharpening machine. And only then glue the patch to this place.

But it is important to know that such a patch will not last long, especially if the sole of the boots comes into contact with a rough and hard surface very often. Therefore, it is better to wear such boots, for example, when fishing. Well, if the sole breaks again, the gluing procedure will need to be repeated.

Method 3. In order to seal women's boots without using patches, etc., you need to purchase an adhesive sealant. This can be done at any car enthusiast store. First you need to degrease the gluing area, and then apply glue to the torn edges and press them together. If you do everything carefully, the boots will look like new.

Method 4. This method of repairing rubber shoes is also called the “hot” method. It is not complicated, but it requires certain skills and, most importantly, a vulcanizer. Rubber pre-soaked in gasoline is used as a patch. It is placed on the hole in the boot and clamped with a vulcanizer. The device needs to be turned on for 20–30 minutes, then turned off and cooled. Only after it has cooled can you remove the press.

Don't despair if your favorite rubber boots suddenly break. It is enough to put in a little effort and the repaired boots will be no different from new shoes. You can use taped boots a day after the patch was applied. But if you don’t have time to wait, then you can wear them in an hour.