How to repair rubber boots from the upper to the sole

What you need to know before repairing:

1.The most vulnerable areas of rubber boots are the ankles where the ankles are bent, the toes and sides of the shoes where they are easily scratched, and the soles where they are easily touched by sharp objects.

2.Regarding the choice of glue, we recommend that you use professional glue for repairing rubber to achieve the best repair effect. Of course, if there is a special situation that requires urgent repair as soon as possible, you can also choose super glue as a second choice.

3.Rubber boots are very easy to take care of. No matter if you have just repaired old boots or just got new boots, as long as you pay attention to timely cleaning after daily wear, regular maintenance and proper storage, there will be no major problems with rubber boots.

Prepare tools：

• Fine sandpaper (200 grit is best)
• Moderately soft and hard brush
• Medical tape or masking tape
• Special adhesive for shoe repair (if you don’t have it, super glue can also be considered)
• Disposable rag

Repair steps：

Operation time：20 min
Glue curing time：8-12 h

Step 1:
Clean the rubber boots, If your rubber boots are not dirty, just use a clean rag dipped in soapy water to wipe the surface, especially the cracks and their surroundings, and then wipe them again with clean water and wait for them to dry completely. Note: Residual moisture will affect subsequent repairs! If your rubber boots are relatively dirty, please refer to the other article I mentioned above on how to deeply clean rubber boots.

Step 2:
After cleaning and drying, take out the prepared fine sandpaper and carefully polish the cracks, and then use a brush with moderate hardness to brush off the larger particles of powder. This step is to make the surface rough, which will help the subsequent fusion of adhesives.

Step 3:
Take out the prepared medical tape or masking tape that is not easy to leave glue and easy to tear off, and stick it around the crack about 0.5 inches away. This step is to prevent the glue from overflowing and getting all over the shoe surface when applying glue later.

Step 4:
Take out the prepared glue (rubber special glue or super glue can be used) and apply it evenly on the crack repair area circled by the tape. The glue should not be too little to avoid the repair being unstable. If the glue accidentally overflows the tape range, wipe it off with a rag in time.

Step 5:
After applying the glue, try to keep this side in a horizontal state and let it dry to avoid glue flow. After waiting for 1 hour, when the glue is a little semi-solidified, carefully tear off the surrounding tape (the tape should not be torn off too late to avoid being unable to tear it off for too long) and continue to let it stand until the glue is completely solidified.

Step 6:
After it is completely solidified, you can use fine sandpaper to gently polish the glue area until it is smooth. In this way, the cracks on the rubber boots are repaired!

Prepare tools：

• Fine sandpaper (200 grit is best)
• Moderately soft and hard brush
• Medical tape or masking tape
• Special adhesive for shoe repair (if you don’t have it, super glue can also be considered)
• Disposable rag
• A rubber patch of the same color that is larger than the hole (a car tire inner tube repair tool can also be used, as long as it is made of rubber)
• 1 pair of scissors

Repair steps：

Operation time：30-45 min
Glue curing time：10-12 h

Step 1:
Check the hole, whether it is a small and shallow hole or a large hole. Use a non-sharp object to probe the hole from the outside to check the depth of the damage and see if the damage has penetrated into the shoe.

Step 2:
Clean the rubber boots (cleaning steps are the same as above). It should be noted that if your rubber boots are not very dirty, you only need to clean the outside, be careful not to let the water flow through the damaged area and penetrate into the inside of the shoe when cleaning.

Step 3:
After cleaning and air drying, take out the prepared fine sandpaper and carefully polish the damaged area, and then use a brush with moderate hardness to brush off the larger particles of powder. Be careful not to make the rubber thinner when polishing. This step is to make the surface rough, which will help the subsequent fusion of adhesives.

Step 4:
Take out the prepared medical tape or masking tape that is not easy to leave glue and easy to tear off. Regardless of whether the hole has been perforated or not, find the damaged position inside the shoe and apply 2-3 layers of tape (to prevent subsequent repair glue from penetrating)

Step 5:
If it is a small hole that has not been perforated, use medical tape or masking tape to tightly seal it around the position 0.5 inches away from the hole, take out the prepared glue (you can use super glue, rubber-specific glue is better) and evenly apply it to the hole circled by the tape. The glue needs to fill the hole to the flat surface of the hole. If the glue accidentally overflows the tape range, wipe it off with a rag in time.
If it is a larger hole,take out the rubber patch you prepared in advance and trim it into a shape larger than the hole for later covering. Use medical tape or masking tape to wrap around the rubber patch 0.5 inches larger and stick it tightly. Use rubber-specific glue to fill the hole to the flat surface, cover the rubber patch, press from the center outward to eliminate bubbles, wipe off the excess glue with a rag, and then add a circle of glue around the patch to reinforce it.

Step 6:
After applying the glue, try to keep this side in a horizontal state and let it dry to avoid glue flow. After waiting for 1 hour, when the glue is a little semi-solidified, carefully tear off the surrounding tape (the tape should not be torn off too late to avoid being unable to tear it off for too long) and continue to let it stand until the glue is completely solidified.

Step 7:
Give the glue some time to solidify completely, and then use fine sandpaper to gently polish the glue area until it is smooth. In this way, the hole-shaped damage on the rubber boots is repaired!

• Prepare tools：
• New and suitable sole
• Fine sandpaper (300 grit is best)
• Medical tape or masking tape
• Special adhesive for shoe repair
• Disposable rag
• 1 brush
• Glue remover (Alcohol is also acceptable)
• 1 pair of needle nose pliers
• Large duckbill clip (can clamp and fix shoes)
  Tips: Super glue can be used for small repairs, but it is best to use special shoe repair glue for larger damage

Repair steps：

Operation time：15-30 min
Glue curing time：12-24 h

<The sole is delaminated>
If the sole of your rubber boots is not nearly completely detached, but only the toe, heel or side edges are peeling

Step 1:
Clean your rubber boots, especially the soles, to avoid dust or dirt, which will affect the subsequent adhesive repair.

Step 2:
Squeeze the super glue onto the edge of the layer and knead it tightly, then fix it with tape or a large duckbill clip and wait for the glue to solidify completely.

Step 3:
After the glue has completely solidified, use fine sandpaper to polish the surface until it is smooth. This will repair the delaminated sole.

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<Broken middle sole>
If your rubber boots have broken across the middle of the sole due to excessive bending

Step 1:
Clean your rubber boots, especially the soles.

Step 2:
Fill the broken part with super glue and close the sole tightly. (If the glue is not kneaded tightly enough, the fracture will separate during the solidification process, which will cause the repair to fail.)Wipe off the excess glue with a rag, add a little glue to the joint, and use tape or rope to tie it from the toe to the heel and wait for the glue to solidify.

Step 3:
After making sure that the glue is completely solidified, you can use fine sandpaper to polish the glue surface until it is flat, and the broken sole is repaired.

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<Replace the sole>
If your rubber soles have to be completely replaced

Step 1:
Thoroughly clean the rubber boots you are going to repair

Step 2:
Use needle-nosed pliers to remove the entire sole. Be careful not to use too much force. You can use a hair dryer to heat the glue to melt it for better removal of the sole

Step 3:
Use a rag to dip in glue remover to wipe the remaining glue (alcohol can also remove glue and make it lose its stickiness)

Step 4:
Stuff towels or newspapers inside the shoes to keep the shape of the shoes (in preparation for later fixation)

Step 5:
Use sandpaper to gently polish the sole until the surface is rough(Increase the adhesion of glue) and then use a brush to evenly apply the adhesive to the sole (pay attention to and strictly follow the instructions for use of your adhesive)

Step 6:
Align the new sole to the position and press it tightly, fix it with straps or duckbill clips in multiple places and wait for the adhesive to solidify (be careful to see if the sole is displaced when fixing)

Step 7:
Do not move the shoe while waiting for it to solidify, to avoid displacement that may cause the new sole to not bond better to the shoe body. Try to wait enough time to ensure firmness.

Tips:we recommend that you find a professional shoemaker to do the operation. This will better ensure that your rubber shoes still have excellent waterproof capabilities after replacing the soles.