Can one repair the sole of molded-sole shoes?

March 13, 2022 11:56 AM

I have a pair of Merrell Jungle Mocs that I love so much that I recommend them in just about every thread I see about comfortable shoes. The uppers are still in great shape, but the molded sole has worn through in the heel. Can one repair or replace this kind of sole?

I know I can take dress shoes to a cobbler, but these soles are more like those on sneakers, not like a dress shoe. Does shoe goo or similar (as described here) really work? Is it still possible if (as I have, sigh) you’ve let the wear get into the inner layer, or do you have to catch it before it gets that far?

posted by 2 cats in the yard to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (6 answers total)

Best answer: I have the same shoes and use Shoe Goo for this, it’s not quite like having a replacement sole but I definitely think it extends the useful life. I find it easier the less worn down sole I’m rebuilding, you’ll probably want to take your time and let layers cure really well in between.

I don’t know where I saw this, but I squeeze the goo directly onto the heel and use an ice cube as a tool to shape it and smooth it out. The goo doesn’t stick to the ice, and you won’t have to get it off your fingers later.
posted by jameaterblues at 12:54 PM on March 13, 2022 [3 favorites]

The soles of some shoes like this can be replaced. There's a company called Resole America that does this for certain shoe types. A few years ago, they ground off and replaced the natural rubber soles of my Clarks desert boots, and the results were excellent -- it was like getting an almost-new pair of shoes for about half the original purchase price. I don't see Merrell listed as a brand they handle on their site, but maybe if you get in touch, they can do something for you.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 1:33 PM on March 13, 2022 [3 favorites]

We had a semi-retired cobbler open up a shop in our small town a few years back, and he said he could resole anything — sneakers, hiking shoes, jungle mocs, whatever. He fully retired before I could try out that service with him. But it does seem to be possible. Try finding a really old-time cobbler shop and see if they'll do it. You might have to drive a hundred miles for that, is the problem.
posted by beagle at 3:55 PM on March 13, 2022

Generally speaking, yes, it can be repaired. But it'd be more of a "patch" that's smoothed over. A good shoesmith can shape it so it's almost undetectable but that'll likely cost you. If you don't really care about looks, as this is the sole after all, check with shoesmiths in your area. I believe what they do is they find the matching (or closest match material), get the right thickness, then sand away the surface, apply heavy duty glue, and put the patch on, then once the glue is fully dried and secure, sand it and shape it so it'd look like a shoe again. It probably won't be cheap, but if you can't find a replacement it would be worth it.
posted by kschang at 2:33 AM on March 14, 2022

Response by poster: Thanks all. I’ve bought some shoe goo and found some videos on how to use it to kind of rebuild the part of the sole that’s worn off. I don’t expect it will be beautiful, but as long as it is functional and comfortable that will do for me. I’ll update again after I try it.
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 6:17 AM on March 14, 2022

Response by poster: I noted I would update this. I did two rounds of filling in the heels, because the first one shrank a lot more than I expected upon drying. I put the shoes heel-up such that the final desired surface would be flat and put painters tape around the edge of the heel. I then just poured in the shoe goo, smoothed it out somewhat with a popsicle-stick like bit of wood, and let it dry for a couple of days. I did this in the basement since it was smelly, but I didn’t wear gloves as some advice suggested.

I probably didn’t even need to smooth it out, since it settled to even on the main surface as it dried. It rose to a bit of a ridge at the edge, next to the tape. This ridge is visible, but it is not noticeable comfort-wise when walking on them. I wouldn’t do it (or would take more care) if I cared more about appearance of these shoes, and don’t know how long it will last, but it is a pretty good fix that makes my otherwise-dead shoes entirely usable.
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 5:20 AM on April 18, 2022 [2 favorites]