Patching Worn Soles

In January of 2015 I bought the shoes seen in the image above, and I've worn them a lot since. Recently I discovered that the soles of both shoes had worn down to the point that the holes created allowed water into the shoe. In this instructable I share how I used a bike tire repair kit to patch the worn soles.

The shoes cost 650 sek (50% sale!), which is 68.70 euro, or 73 usd. The kit cost 19 sek, 2.01 euro, 2.13 usd. A small price to fix something that I use almost every day in the wintertime.

Step 1: Equipment

The bike tire repair kit i bought contained eight patches of different sizes, one tube of rubber cement and one small metallic rasp.

I also used a pair of scissors, an old toothbrush and a cotton rag.

Step 2: Layer 1

A small, oval groove have been worn into the outer edge of each shoe, all the way into the midsole. To fix this I first cut one of the patches to fit perfectly inside the furrow. I used the rasp to scratch the surface of both the sole and the patch to give the cement something to grab onto. Using an old toothbrush I made sure both the sole and the patch were free of dirt. I applied some rubber cement to the sole and let it sit for a few minutes to get tacky before pressing the patch to the spot. On one of the shoes the outer layer of rubber had started to peel away from the inner, as seen in the third picture, so I simply applied some cement in between and then pressed the two layer together. I held it in place for about five minutes and then let it set for several hours.

Step 3: Layer 2

Once I was certain the cement had cured and that first patch was firmly in place I moved on to the next layer. This time I did not cut the patches to size. I repeated the process of scratching the surface, adding the rubber cement and allowing it to go tacky, then pressing the second patch to the sole. This second patch not only covers the hole the first patch is in, but also extended several millimeter beyond edges of the hole to once again make the sole water proof. I considered adding a third layer, but decided against it for now.

Step 4: The Result

The patches are not pretty, I know, but they are barely visible when the shoes are in use. I am aware that this is not a permanent solution, sooner or later the patches will wear down or fall of. If or when that happens I will simply repeat the process, and update this instructable. I would hate to have to discard these shoes after only two winters. This was a very simple, and cheap, way of keeping these shoes in my closet and out of the trashcan.