Vent: Synthetic sole bonding has me scratching my head lately

I've been using a popular solvent-based cement for years, but on these newer running shoes with fused layers, it just peels right off. Tried roughing up the surface more and even used a primer, but no luck. Heard some folks are having success with a two-part epoxy system, but that seems so permanent. Wonder if the material composition has changed that much... what's your go-to method for these tricky bonds?

3 comments

3 Comments

wyattmiller9h ago

Do you remember when a simple glue could fix almost any shoe? In my experience, I had a pair of trail runners where the bonded seams failed after a solvent repair, similar to your issue. It feels like we're in a trial-and-error phase with these new composites.

jason_henderson9h ago

Back in the 90s, my hiking boots survived multiple glue jobs without falling apart. But is this modern composite issue really that catastrophic? Are we just overreacting to minor failures that were always part of wearing shoes? Most repairs fail eventually, whether it's old school or new materials. Why assume today's methods are inherently worse? It seems like nostalgia clouds our judgment about how durable things ever were.

laura_ward8h ago

That mention of 'nostalgia clouds our judgment' is spot on. In my experience, we're not just comparing materials, but entire design philosophies that prioritize different things, so failure modes shift accordingly.