From my workbench: seeing way too many shoes that aren't built to last

Lately, I've had a string of customers bringing in shoes that just can't be fixed well. They're all made with thin glue and weak materials that fall apart fast. For example, a woman came in with dress shoes where the heel just popped off from normal wear. The glue bond was so poor that a simple re-glue wouldn't hold. She was shocked when I said a proper fix would need a whole new heel base. This cheap construction is becoming the norm, and it's bad for business. We should share ideas on how to handle these jobs or steer people toward better buys.

2 comments

2 Comments

murphy.hannah4h ago

Just fixed some kids' sneakers where the entire toe cap peeled off from normal play. The adhesive was so weak it looked like they used school glue, lol. I told the parent a patch job wouldn't last and they needed a whole new front panel. It's insane how common this flimsy construction is now. Honestly, it feels like we're just band-aiding products meant to fail. Drives me up the wall.

sandrahayes47m ago

My kid's rain boots FELL apart with that same weak glue.