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Shoe repair ...

Anagor

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Hi!
Unfortunately my Van slip ons I wore at my last trip fell apart to the point they became unwearable (fabric ripped at the sides so that I slip out). I have a pair of almost new Chucks but they give me blisters when I walk in them for more than just half an hour or so. I'm wearing flip-flops with socks at the moment for everyday use, no kidding.

Good, new quality shoes/boots are not an option at the moment cause I'm on a tight budget and want to save as much money as possible for my next trip in January. I could afford some 10€ shoes of course, but I guess those would fall apart even faster than my Vans.

So I think about repairing my Vans, sewing the fabric back on with floss or some nylon yarn. And replacing the worn out insoles with new ones. But I don't want to spend a lot of time sewing, only to see them fall apart again after a few days.

Any experiences or thoughts about it?
 

Tude

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Believe it or not there's stuff on the internet for Van's repair. Even videos on youtube (one was real stupid - all writing, no pics and "read" by a computer generated voice). Read a few articles and they all involved some of the same ingredients, procedures - trim loose ends from fabric, clean it lightly with dishsoap, etc. In this one they talk "shoe glue", on another area - they talk brand name "Barge" glue (hardware store - in tube) or a contact cement. Do not use elmers, super glue, etc. Hehe - and as for the patch-bet denim would work (if needed) - one site suggested making fashionable repairs with the patches in the shape of a star or circle ... hehe another site suggested a "Hello Kitty"patch ... :p Good luck!

  • 1 Remove the laces from your Vans. Prior to fixing ripped shoes, it's important to clean the surface of the canvas. Add 2 drops of dish soap to a bowl filled with 2 cups of hot water. Mix the solution. Dip the toothbrush into the sudsy water. Clean the top and sides of the Vans to remove excess dirt and grime. Allow the shoes to dry.
  • 2 Locate the torn area on the shoe. Snip any part of the tear that is frayed. Press the edges of the tear together.
  • 3 Squirt a dab of shoe glue on a piece of cardboard. Dip the cotton swab in the glue. Apply the glue to the tear. If the tear is not lying flat, use a toothpick to press down the glued area. Let the glue dry completely.
  • 4 Create a patch if the tear cannot be repaired. Cut a piece of fabric so it is just a bit bigger than the tear. Glue the fabric onto the canvas directly over the tear. If you don't like the look of one shoe with a patch, consider gluing additional pieces of fabric to both shoes for a fashionable look.
 
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Kal

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Believe it or not there's stuff on the internet for Van's repair. Even videos on youtube (one was real stupid - all writing, no pics and "read" by a computer generated voice). Read a few articles and they all involved some of the same ingredients, procedures - trim loose ends from fabric, clean it lightly with dishsoap, etc. In this one they talk "shoe glue", on another area - they talk brand name "Barge" glue (hardware store - in tube) or a contact cement. Do not use elmers, super glue, etc. Hehe - and as for the patch-bet denim would work (if needed) - one site suggested making fashionable repairs with the patches in the shape of a star or circle ... hehe another site suggested a "Hello Kitty"patch ... :p Good luck!

  • 1 Remove the laces from your Vans. Prior to fixing ripped shoes, it's important to clean the surface of the canvas. Add 2 drops of dish soap to a bowl filled with 2 cups of hot water. Mix the solution. Dip the toothbrush into the sudsy water. Clean the top and sides of the Vans to remove excess dirt and grime. Allow the shoes to dry.
  • 2 Locate the torn area on the shoe. Snip any part of the tear that is frayed. Press the edges of the tear together.
  • 3 Squirt a dab of shoe glue on a piece of cardboard. Dip the cotton swab in the glue. Apply the glue to the tear. If the tear is not lying flat, use a toothpick to press down the glued area. Let the glue dry completely.
  • 4 Create a patch if the tear cannot be repaired. Cut a piece of fabric so it is just a bit bigger than the tear. Glue the fabric onto the canvas directly over the tear. If you don't like the look of one shoe with a patch, consider gluing additional pieces of fabric to both shoes for a fashionable look.
I might try this on my backpack.
 

Kal

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@Kal :D This was glued on with something called "Fabric Fusion" (then sewn for artistry) - oh won't you try a Hello Kitty? :D:D
Depends does if hello kitty is camo or not got my bag from an army surplus store.
canvas_shoe_kitty_patch_09_tzom.jpg
 

SnakeOilWilly

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Are you hopping or just hitching? You could just fly a sigh saying you need $$ for new shoes... Never hop in slip-ons, at least get skate shoes.
 
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Anagor

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Desperado Deluxe

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I helped a friend out with something like this one time.
He had low cut blue and grey vans shoes that he painted a really cool cloud scene on. They were getting old and the sides ripped and created a large hole between where the fabric meets the shoe sole on the outer sides of the shoes the fabric had worn away so that it could not just be sewn to back to the rubber without a parch.
So I gave him some cool looking night sky fabric with stars to use to fix it.
He sewed the fabric (with another piece under it to double the thickness of the patch for durability) to the inside of the rubber on the outer side of the shoe. Then sewed the fabric patch to the inside torn edge of where the shoe fabric was. Basically a patch on the inside of the shoe the only exposed part of the patch being where the hole from the tear was. Like the night sky under the regular sky.
It ended up looking cooler than I was originally. Though it was tedious having to go from the inside to the outside of the shoe while sewing.
Safety pins will help you keep the fabric in the right place so it doesn't get wrinkled when your sewing.
Gluing shoes is bullshit I've never had luck with it at all it always seems to last til I get down the street but if used in conjunction with sewing I could imagine it working out ok.
 
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Anagor

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and as for the patch-bet denim would work (if needed) - one site suggested making fashionable repairs with the patches in the shape of a star or circle ... hehe another site suggested a "Hello Kitty"patch ... :p Good luck!
Just decided not to patch them. I repaired them enough that they stay on my feet and are kinda comfortable. They won't get waterproof anyway. :D
And I'll take floss and sewing needles with me so I can repair them "on the fly" if needed.

We'll have snow here tomorrow perhaps and it could be cold in January in UK, especially in Scotland. I didn't want to spend money for shoes right now, but heck, I bought a pair of cheap non-canvas sneakers yesterday. They're not broken in yet, so I'll take them with me in my backpack. But it's good to have a backup in case of heavy rain or snow or alike.

And of course it's good to have a pair of decent shoes for some occasions ... :)
 

Kadidlehopper

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If you want good results and not to have to do it again its gonna take some sewing, take a rip and cut it back until there's enough meat to grab on and sew in a patch, the rubber along the top outside of the sole will hold a thread pretty log I you go deep enough, always use synthetic threads when sewing shoes as well as hem everything.

As for the worn out insoles, take a bicycle tire, preferably one w.o treads (bmx tires are good for this) and cut out the metal lip in the rim and cut the remainder to size, take some epoxy glue, I like jb weld, and slather a healthy dose on there, figure out a way to strap it all down so the tires firm against the shoe and presto.
 
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I just fixed my canvas shoes by darning the holes with dental floss, it worked pretty good but i would not recommend it for people who don't have a bit of time and are willing to put effort into it. It's time consuming, it takes a lot very precise movement, and it will make your fingers sad and wounded. But it fixes holes that i wasn't sure could be effectively patched, it's stiff though, so if you do it on a really big hole it'll probably be uncomfortable.

IMG_1481.jpg IMG_1483.jpg IMG_1473.jpg IMG_1474.jpg IMG_1475.jpg IMG_1476.jpg
 

Kadidlehopper

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Anagor

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Hi!
Do what you want, of course, but personally i think that putting the little bit of extra effort in is worth it for the longevity you get out of repairing your clothing with care. :)
You are right. A few days after I wrote "My sewing is still holding my shoes together, that's good enough for me" my shoes literally fell apart, especially the left one. Sole was almost completely ripped off, only attached to the canvas in the front anymore. I was lucky to make it back to the hostel the last day I wore them without being forced to walk on socks. :oops:
So it turned out to be a good idea to pack the new sneakers. Fortunately they were broken in and turned out to be quite comfortable after a few days.

Your work with your shoes is really good (I just saw the pictures right now on my large screen). I'll try to repair my Vans when I have a bit time and do better work then. Most people would probably suggest to just throw them away, but I like worn in, comfortable shoes.

Cheers!
 

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