How to Repair the Heel of Athletic Shoes

The heel of my athletic shoes wear out before the rest of the shoe. This instructable is all about how to glue in some cloth and secure it with a few stitches.

Glue in a bit of cloth over the worn out part of the heel. Remove the insert first. Then use a glue that is flexible to fasten the cloth into the heel. I used glue that was designed for gluing soles together. The choice of cloth is important. It must be durable but not too thin or too thick. I used old denim from a worn out pair of jeans.

I think the top edge is the most likely place to fail, so I stitched that in. I used a curved needle, but it's not necessary. Use a thin sharp needle and some strong thread.

Put the insert back in, trim ends of thread, and take a step back to admire your work.