Pearls n boots

Anyone who has ever had a dog has had to deal with the puppy chewing issues. I am normally pretty good about keeping my shoes or anything else leather out of the Wonder Dog’s reach. A few weeks ago I messed up. I left my leather loafers where he could get to them when he was home alone. Resulting in a shoe that was not going to be worn. I decided to try and be a shoe cobbler to save them.

I forgot to take a picture before I got started with the repair. You can still clearly see the damage in the first picture I remembered to take. I have a good multi-use glue and I attempted to glue the pieces back together. The first layer of glue stiffened the soft leather but did not fully reform the leather. I let it dry completely before continuing the repair.

After the first application of glue, I again applied the same glue and brought the pieces together. This time the layers came together and stayed. Solid but not the prettiest.

I debated from here what my best option was. I considered using a bright teal, pink or a print of some sort. I decided to use a black and gold ribbon I already had in my sewing box to cover the repair leaving the versatility of the shoe in place. I also decided to put the ribbon only over the repair as a fun touch.

I used two pieces of ribbon, cut to size. Using the same glue, I adhered the ribbon over of the repair.

The excess glue at the top is no longer there. I have worn the shoe multiple times now with no issues or new damage occurring. The glue and ribbon trick can also be used to hide stains or to add some flair. For those uses you may get better results as you will not have the texture issues I dealt with.

For a couple bucks and maybe 30 minutes of active time I saved a pair of shoes that otherwise would never leave the house again. What would I to different. I might have tried to make the area of repair smoother before adding the ribbon. I didn’t as I was afraid of making the area too stiff in comparison to the rest of the shoe.

Product Used: (May contain affiliate links, you will not be charged more, and I may receive a percentage of the sales price.)

Loafer in need of Repair: Birdies https://amzn.to/4nl6GYD

You probably, don’t want to buy a shoe for the sole purpose of letting your dog chew them. So, use whatever shoe needs repair. This is what I had and Wonder Dog approves of them.

Paper Towel of choice: Bounty https://amzn.to/45qDM2G

Don’t forget to protect your work surface. I also slipped a paper towel inside the shoe to protect from any glue drops. None occurred but bounty had my back.

Scissors of choice: Westcott 16968 8-Inch Stainless Steel Rose Gold Scissors https://amzn.to/4kI2GQ3

I remember these as being sold exclusively for sewing though they are now listed for general use. I have found they work great, and have had no issues, using them as sewing scissors. I have had mine since 2022 and they are still going strong.

Glue of choice: Super Glue- Fix all Adhesive. https://amzn.to/4e3wX9n

This is one of several glues I keep on hand, affordable and great for most projects. I have never noticed any strong smell though I still recommend using in an open and ventilated area.

Ribbon: I am not sure of the exact brand of ribbon used. I purchased the ribbon used sometimes ago at a local shop. They no longer carry the ribbon. Have fun, you can find ribbon or fabric in most if not all craft, big box stores and online. For the crafter among us repair projects are a great chance to use up the bits and bob.

Dear reader, I highly recommend keeping you leather shoes away from the Wonder Dog in your life. If like me you fail in that endeavor, I hope my repair technique will aid you in the shoe’s resurrection. ~Lady R.