This forgotten adhesive works better than superglue

I’ve covered a lot of different adhesives, from the cyanoacrylate superglues and hot melt glues to UV setting adhesive. There are even specific silicone adhesives for electronic repairs. They all have their place in a workshop or toolkit. But one important thing to realize is that there’s no one universal adhesive. 

It’s definitely one of those things that you get the best results by using the right adhesive. And there’s one unsung hero that I use a lot that deserves attention.

Shoe Goo, or more recently, I’ve made the shift to Shoe Goo II<!–> (I’ll get to the difference in a bit). It’s fantastic stuff that works where a lot of other, more popular adhesives fail.

Also: You’ve been using super glue all wrong

As the name suggests, Shoe Goo is an adhesive designed to repair shoes. It sticks to everything that might be part of a shoe – leather, canvass, rubber, vinyl, and more. It dries clear, is very flexible, and is waterproof and UV-resistant.

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Shoe Goo II is a more modern formulation that has far less solvent and as such is a lot less smelly. It’s just as good, just smells better.

I’ve used Shoe Goo and the newer Shoe Goo II a lot over the years — recently, I used it to fix a hole that a nail had left in my favorite walking boots — and it’s always worked remarkably well. It’s flexible and tough, which is a rare combination for an adhesive. While super glue is fast-acting and bonds well, it doesn’t like flexing or bending, instead choosing to crack.

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As many of you may have gathered, I don’t repair shoes for a living. I don’t repair tech for a living either, but I do come across a lot of tech in various states of disrepair. I use a lot of adhesives to fix that tech, and Shoe Goo is one adhesive I use a lot.

Any time I want to fix something flexible, the other day I fixed the overmoulded TPU rubber that had peeled off back onto one of my power tools — this is the adhesive I turn to.

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It’s the sort of thing that you want to apply in thin layers – which is true of most adhesives – to prevent it from oozing everywhere. If you do have an ooze, wipe as much as you can with a paper towel, and then dab some baking powder or talcum powder over any sticky bits that remain.

Oh, and keep it off your skin and eyes. Oh, and it’s always a good idea to use it in a well-ventilated space, because even the less smelly Shoe Goo II still has quite a fairly potent odor.

Get a tube–>