Glue for rubber-to-rubber?

[Ozzy McKinney]

I'm making some huaraches for backpacking. Currently I use Bedrock Earthquake sandals, and I love em, but I do a lot of hiking in the rain/mud and the naked tops are pretty darn slippery. I considered getting some Lunas with an MGT footbed, but a bit of searching online and I think I found the same stuff they use for the "MGT" so I'm going to MYOG it.

This non-slip 1/16th inch neoprene footbed will need to be mated to a 10mm Vibram Newflex sole (I thought the 10mm would be nicer than the 6mm Bedrocks for backpacking, but it seems really stiff out of the box. We shall see). I'm not sure what to use. I figured something like "Resole" from Gear-Aid would work ok, as it's made for boot rubber, but it is kind of expensive for how little you get. Gorilla Glue was suggested, but the foaming aspect seems dicey for a footbed.

Any suggestions for mating rubber to rubber? I'm rubber, you're glue…

[Andy Stow]

Contact cement, widely available. Thin layer on both pieces, let it dry, align them precisely, press together, never to be parted.

Probably best would be to oversize the thin rubber, glue, then trim around to match the Vibram.

[Delmar O’Donnell]

Andy makes a great suggestion–rubber cement is waterproof and very tenacious when applied as he specified.

FYI, there's an interesting adhesive website at http://www.thistothat.com, which allows you to enter "this" and "that" from dropdown menus, then it recommends an adhesive. For rubber to rubber they recommend 3M 80 (a spray adhesive) and Barges (a contact cement). I've used contact cement for projects and it is incredibly strong and durable, if you use the "high nox" variety (using a respirator). I think it was DAP Weldwood brand, red can, the "original formula." I've also used "low nox" low-odor variety of DAP (non-flammable, green can) and it gave up the bond in a short amount of time, ruining the project. Because it's almost impossible to remove delaminated contact cement, the project is pretty much unsalvageable and you get to start over. So these days I avoid any of the "low odor" contact cements and wear the respirator.

[Steofan M]

Ozzy, the Gorilla brand Super Glue in the small orange tubes ( with a blue cap) does not foam-up. Merrell recommends its use on Vibram soles and I'll swear by it. I've used Shoe Goo in the past but the Gorilla is a far better, longer lasting adhesive.

[Delmar O’Donnell]

Agree about Shoe Goo! Worthless stuff, falls apart after contact with water.

Never understood how it can be sold as a shoe sole repair product…it just doesn't adhere.

Interesting discussion here, with Barge and McNett Freesole taking the lead:

http://www.kifaruforums.net/showthread.php?t=17094

Note that Shoe Goo is universally disliked.

Another interesting thread, where Barge is DISliked:

http://www.therpf.com/f11/there-trick-using-barge-glue-100376/

…from other reading, it sounds like Barge has been reformulated into a low-nox brand and is failing.

[D S]

I agree about Shoe Goo not working well for shoe repair, but it is not worthless. I used to to repair a cut in a PU/Nylon laminated duffle bag and it worked like a champ.

I also agree that Barge used to work really well. Then, they took all the goodie out and now it's crap.

[David Thomas]

Shoe Goo works great to waterproof something, but using it for structural work is dodgy (note that tents are NOT assembled with seam sealer – they are sewn together and then seam-sealed for water-proofness).

Look at the classic LL Bean boot – stitched together. Applying a thin cost of Shoe Goo over the top of such stitching will work well to waterproof it.

I also use Shoe Goo as a sacrificial layer on top of exposed stitching on trail runners. It helps protect the stitching from abrasion and failure and can be reapplied as needed. The trick is to do it BEFORE the stitching gets badly worn.

If the sole you are stitching to is so thick you can't do it with an awl, much less a needle. But there's no law against using a drill or drill press on foot wear – pre-drill holes, lace it up, and then lay on the Shoe Goo.

If you want to try a cement by itself, reinforce the joint with a mesh fabric inside and out. So you have about 2 cm of fabric on each side of seam, cemented to the underlying material.

[Delmar O’Donnell]

Interesting, David. Surprised to hear of a successful use of Shoe Goo. I've used it both structurally (to reaffix flapping soles on athletic shoes) and also topically (to seal over stitching). I've gotten fails however I use it–it starts to peel off at the margins, if the shoe gets wet. I've noticed Goo works better if it's kept dry, but it doesn't "play well" with moisture. Clearly your experience contradicts that. At any rate, I'm envious it works for you.

What's worked best for me, as a top-of-shoe "fixer," (when looks aren't important) is clear silicone adhesive. I've fixed cavernous rips and holes on the tops of work shoes with a layer of yellow fiberglass tape (as is used for seaming drywall) covered over by silicone adhesive via caulk gun and then spread thin with a finger. I've forced shoes into months of additional "hard labor" with this trick. Both the fiberglass tape and the silicone adhesive are flexible and tough. The tape gives the silicone a good substrate to cling to. In my experience, leagues ahead of a Shoe Goo repair.

[Justin Baker]

If you get a rip or hole in a shoe, you are better off stitching it with a beefy needle and thread, then putting seam seal/shoe goo over the stitches.
You can sometimes sew the part where the sole material is separating from the upper, if it's thin enough. I have had a couple shoes that turned into sewn on soles when the sole adhesive started to wear out.

For the OP, I wonder if there is a way to careful melt the two pieces of rubber and have them fuse together?

[David Thomas]

Delmar: I usually clean all surfaces with alcohol first, maybe that gives me a better bond?

Silicon adhesive / chalking not only stands up to years of moisture in the shower, but is cheap and readily available both in chalking-gun-sized tubes but also in little, self-dispensing tubes (something to include in every other thru-hiker's drop box – to be used in town if needed and then discarded?) I learned on BPL that you can thin that chalk to use it as a thinner water-proofing layer.

Another way to get more for less from Home Depot than REI is Thompson's water seal (like for your wooden deck or wood siding) as a map water-proofing instead of the stuff purpose-marketted for maps.

[Delmar O’Donnell]

> Delmar: I usually clean all surfaces with alcohol first, maybe that gives me a better bond?

I admit that (1) that's a very good idea, and (2) I haven't done it for any previous shoe repair.

I will now!!

I've not seen the single-use silicone adhesive tubes, where might one obtain? I am loathe to pack my caulk gun and a caulk tube of it on my next outing.

[Ozzy McKinney]

Hmmm, thanks for the replies. I'm leaning toward the Freesole, I've also had mixed results with Shoe Goo for uses other than seam sealing. Barge does seem to have fallen out of favor. The Gorilla glue seems like I'd have to buy 2 tubes just to do one pair of sandals (I've got some big hooves).

Justin- Doubt you could melt em together, if for no other reason than the tread on the bottom and the texture on the top could be compromised.

[Billy Ray]

I've had great success with Freesole. Stuff works great for boot soles, boot seam repair, and making toe caps on leather boots… also use it to fix the nylon mesh tears on lightweight hikers… not pretty, but works great..

Bill D

[Delmar O’Donnell]

Ever since a cobbler told me he uses epoxy to glue on soles, I've used my favorite epoxy, Devcon slow-set, with excellent results.

However, when this thread came up, and I read many "internet sources" saying that contact cement worked well, I decided to give it a try. I had already learned the hard way that the Weldwood "green" label (lo-nox) is worthless, so I went out of my way to buy the Weldwood red-label contact cement (sold only in small amounts here in Nannyfornia) that requires a respirator.

Did a nice glue-up on a pair of my wife's boots, coating both surfaces smoothly and with sufficient glue, waited for them to dry (about 20 minutes, the instructions said 15-60) and pressed them together. Very tenacious bond…at first…failed within the hour!

So I'm back to Devcon slow-set epoxy, which has yet to fail me. (I will NEVER use Loc-Tite epoxy after it failed miserably and ruined a project). I re-glued my wife's shoes last night with epoxy, and she's spent the day on them with no issues. Provided the contact cement doesn't interfere with the epoxy bond, I guess have learned a reasonably cheap lesson in sole repair.

[Mike Gervais]

It's a super glue with rubber in it. Very spendy at $30 for a small bottle but I wouldn't be without it.
I do rubber to leather, steel to steel, just about anything. Gunsmiths use it for some applications that used to require high-temp soldering.

I've used it to glue the rubber rand back onto the leather of my Ahnu boots. The rand keeps separating elsewhere but not where I glued them.

Guaranteed to work for rubber on rubber IMO.

It's not an instant setting glue though. You'll have to clamp or finger pressure for a few minutes. It's only rated for a gap of .006" I believe.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=loctite+black+max&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=32999500208&hvpos=1t2&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12372887921625476097&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_9gv514sr8j_e

[Ryan French]

Hi Ozzy,

Not sure if you already ordered the neoprene but we have some material that I have not had a chance to try on our sandals, yet….let me know and i would be willing to send you enough for a pair of sandals in exchange for some feedback ;)

Thanks,
Ryan

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