How to Fix Sole Separation – Air Jordan 11 Retro

HOW TO FIX SOLE SEPARATION
– Air Jordan 11 Retro –

How to fix sole separation is one of the main questions I get as a shoe repair professional.  Lots of people want to know how to do it themselves.  The collectors of Air Jordans are particular about keeping their expensive Nike Air Jordans in good, collectible shape.  In this video, I demonstrate the 4 steps how to do it yourself from the comfort of your own home.

Supplies:

The supplies are available on my Amazon shopping cart.  As an Amazon Associate I earn a percentage of your purchases which supports me making more content for you!  In this video I used contact cement, a screwdriver, sandpaper, white Angelus paint and a paint brush.  keep a rag handy for cleaning up any mess you might make.

Step 1:  Separate the Sole from the Shoe

I typically remove the entire sole from the shoe, especially with the Nike Air Jordans.  That was not the case here.  This Air Jordan was still glued well together and only needed gluing in certain key spots.  I still checked the entire sole to make sure I didn’t miss anything.  If something is coming unglued, it is usually because of old glue, thus, the whole shoe should be checked.  In this situation, the glue was holding well.  “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” is the saying that applies here.

I used a tool very similar to a screwdriver.  I would recommend a screwdriver if you are doing this at home.  It is important to use it carefully until you are used to handling it properly.  It is easy to accidentally let the tool slip, and now you have a cut down your perfect shoe.  As a professional, I always take my time.  Once you have your surfaces apart from each other, you will want to sand them.  I keep different grits, or roughness of paper, on hand for different jobs.  On this project I used a rough grit in order to create a rough surface for the glue to adhere.

Step 2:  Apply the Glue to the Sole and Shoe

I use contact cement for all of my projects.  In this video I used an oil gun filled with contact cement.  It allows me to get into the small areas with finesse.  Once the glue is applied, I squeeze the layers together, wipe away the excess, and let the pieces open up so that the air can get inside and dry the glue.

Step 3: Assemble the Glued Surfaces

I wait 20-25 minutes before I assemble the soles. Once the glue is dry, I CAREFULLY push the two parts back together again.  Contact cement works best when dry and the areas contact each other.  I take my time and make sure I have a good hold of the shoe parts.  Press firmly to assure they hold.

Step 4: Paint Over the Glued Areas

Painting the shoe is the most fun for me and likely will be for you.  I have collected a large assortment of Angelus paints because of the variety of projects I do.  In this video, I use white and a fine tip paint brush.  I have included the paint brushes I use on my Amazon shopping page.  If you do a lot of art projects I would by the large package.  They are affordable and hold up well over lots of use.

Finished!  Learning how to fix the sole separation is super easy, just take your time!