Shoe Goo

The r/BuyItForLife community broadly views Shoe Goo as a reliable, go-to adhesive for extending the life of footwear, from boots and sneakers to Crocs and snowboard boots. It's frequently recommended as a cheap and accessible DIY repair solution, though a minority of users prefer alternatives like Barge cement or construction adhesive for certain applications. Overall sentiment is positive, with most commenters treating it as a standard part of their shoe maintenance toolkit.

Shoe Goo is a highly practical, community-endorsed tool for extending shoe life, but proper surface prep and technique are essential, and some users find stronger alternatives better suited for heavy-duty repairs.

Users consistently praise Shoe Goo for its flexibility, durability, and broad usefulness in repairing soles, reattaching uppers, and even building up worn tread. Its rubber-like cure makes it especially well-suited for footwear stress.

• Cures with rubbery flexibility, resisting cracking under movement
• Can dramatically extend the life of shoes by years
• Works on a wide range of materials including leather, suede, and synthetics
• Effective for waterproofing boots when applied to soles
• Cheap, widely available, and easy to use with minimal tools
• One user reported a sole repair lasting seven years before the upper failed

A small number of users find Shoe Goo inferior to alternatives like Barge cement or construction adhesive, and some report failures when surfaces aren't properly prepped. Tubes also have a reputation for gluing themselves shut after first use.

• Some users report Shoe Goo peeling off without proper surface preparation
• Tubes often seal shut and are effectively single-use
• A minority of users prefer Barge cement as a stronger alternative
• Requires clamping and multi-day cure time for best results

One highly upvoted commenter described fully removing a snowboard boot sole, sanding off old glue, applying Shoe Goo generously, clamping it tight, and leaving it outside for a few days — calling the result as good as new on 14-year-old boots.

A commenter noted that unlike contact cement, which cures rigid and eventually cracks, Shoe Goo remains elastic and can handle torsion, pressure, and vibration without failing.

A mail carrier shared that applying Shoe Goo to the bottom of suede Columbia hiking boots kept their feet completely dry through an entire wet winter season, even during eight-hour days in snow.

One commenter described using Shoe Goo so extensively on their boots that the repair material had essentially replaced the original sole — and suggested just keep adding more to make shoes last nearly forever.