Eco-Friendly Running Shoes: Repair, Don’t Replace!

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Eco-Friendly Running Shoes: Repair, Don’t Replace!

By Tracy Purnell

Published on December 13, 2024 3 min read

How often do you replace your running shoes?

My trail running shoes wear out so much quicker than any other piece of outdoor kit, and its usually the shoes that are the most expensive to replace. There is a huge cost to continuously replacing trail shoes, but also these items are going into land-fill and are having a negative effect on the planet.

How can you make your running shoes more eco-friendly?

There is a solution to this! Your trail shoes can be repaired at very little cost and very little time and effort!
I got chatting to a company called Pair Ups at Cardiff running show in October. They were demonstrating how easy it can be to repair your shoes.

Its also a fun way to customise your footwear by adding colour and patterns. For a small cost there is a kit which can be purchased, which includes full instructions and everything you need to carry out your repair. There is also a company that can resole your trail running shoes called @the_key_cobbler on Instagram.

My trail running shoes where in pretty bad shape. The fabric had started to come away from the sole and there were large holes at the sides of the shoes.

How to Repair Your Own Running Shoes

The holes can be sewn with a tool called a cobblers awl, which can be found in the pair ups kit. The thread is a strong twine that is used for leather repair, which is also found in the kit. Once the holes have been repaired there are a choice of colours and patterns in fabric patches, which can be cut to size and stuck firmly in place with a waterproof adhesive. All the tools and accessories you need to complete the repair can be found in these kits. The most difficult part is deciding what colours and patterns to choose to customise your running shoes!

Since the repair to my trail running shoes they have become water tight again and feel strong, good for many more miles.

The Repair Process

Clean your trail shoes thoroughly with the brush provided.

If there are any holes, repair these first by using the cobblers awl and the strong twine.

Use newspaper or an old cloth the pad out the shoes by stuffing inside.

Decide on what colour and shape to cut the patch, making sure there is a 1 cm overlap over the hole.

Cover the area on the shoe with the adhesive where the patch will be placed. Let the glue sit for 5 mins.

Place the patch over the hole and glued area, use the scrapper to ensure a firm adhesion.

Take the padding out of the shoe and leave to dry for at least 24 hours before use.

Watch the video of the full repair:

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By Tracy Purnell

Tracy Purnell – OS Champion

Meet OS Champion Tracy Purnell – dog lover, trail runner and Brecon Beacons National Park Ambassador.