Imagine walking down the street and suddenly, the heel on your shoe snaps off from the sole. Even though shoes wear and tear over time, it can be hard to say goodbye to your favorite shoes, especially due to a broken heel.
Instead of throwing them away or buying a replacement pair, try to repair the broken heel. Here are some tips and tricks on how to make your favorite shoes walk again.
Reattach the Heel
Sometimes, it is that simple, and you are that lucky. Some heels can be reattached without any glue or other form of adhesive.
Make sure the heel is aligned with the sole. Reinsert the broken heel into the sole’s slot. Don’t use too much force, or you might damage it further.
Glue the Broken Heel Back
You can always glue the heel back on with strong glue, but make sure the glue won’t damage the shoe’s material. Also, the area around the broken part needs to be clean and free of any oil, old glue, polishes or other materials.
If the heel was nailed to the shoe’s sole, cover the nail with glue. Slide the nail into the sole and hold it in place until the glue dries and hardens. The longer the glue has to dry, the stronger of a bond it forms.
If the heel was glued on, scrape off as much as of the old glue as possible. Cover the sole with new glue and hold it in place until the new glue dries and hardens.
Unfortunately, if the heel itself snaps in half, there isn’t too much to be done; you can try to glue the pieces back together, but don’t expect them to stay like that. At this point, you probably are better off getting a new pair of shoes.
Professional Help
If the heel is too damaged for do-it-yourself techniques, take it to a shoe professional. At Pico Cleaners, we provide the best heel repair around. We also clean and restore shoes for that extra touch. Your shoes will look brand new by the time we are done with them.