Monday, June 13, 2011

FiveFingers Repair ** How To ** From A to Z

Although Vibram is more than excellent with their outstanding 90 days Warranty exchange "No questions Asked" policy on all their FiveFingers products, there are times when you truly wish that the Vibram Warranty would go forever.

So, when something dramatic happens to your most favorite footwear you must come up with something creative to fix the problem permanently. For instance, a friend brought me a pair of VFF's SPRINT in pretty bad shape and I looked into the problem and devised this repair.

I also had my favorite blue BIKILA big toe come unglued; time to fix this too!

To make an effective and permanent repair on your VFF's you will need some basic tools, such as:

  • Denatured Alcohol
  • Cotton Swabs
  • Locking Clamps
  • Pressure Clamps
  • Dental Pick
  • Shoe Goo
  • High Density Foam (not necessary but very practical)
Shoe Goo ... Why ??? Shoe Goo is a "flexible when dry" polyurethane bonding agent that contains Toluene (C6H5CH3), a clear, water-insoluble liquid; Chemically it is a mono-substituted benzene derivative, i.e. one in which a single hydrogen atom from the benzene molecule has been replaced by a univalent group, in this case CH3. Since it is a solvent, Toluene will react with nylons, polyamides & polyurethanes based fabrics by fusing them together when pressure is applied to the materials. The results are a waterproof bond that will last.

It should be said that I also investigated other glues and had some pretty awful results:

Crazy Glue leaves a hard crunchy residue that will crack easily and further damage your VFF"s
Rubber Cement gave me the worse results, causing discoloration, and the repair came unglued with the first wash. I got a similar result with LocTite Stik'n Seal and SuperGlue.


The best way to repair a partially detached sole or pad from the fabric is as follows:

  • Thoroughly clean and dry your Fivefingers
  • Use a dental pick to remove dust dirt glue scraps
  • Clean the area with denatured alcohol and let dry for 30 min
  • Use the plastic end of a cotton swab and apply a thin even coat of Shoe Goo on both sides of the area to be repaired
  • Align the 2 pieces together and press between fingers
  • Install the clamps evenly across the glued area
  • Allow to dry completely for 24 Hrs in a ventilated area.
  • Keep in mind that the bonding process works much better at temperatures above 66 °F
  • Use Crazy Glue only to reset the laces in the Velcro/leather tab on the LS series.

Here are a couple pictures of the process: (click on Picture for larger view)

Tools of the Trade


FiveFingers SPRINT ** before repair TOP ** Clamped Middle ** Completed Repair Bottom
Here is an example of a repair on a MOC pad:
Repair Work for Detaching side on KSO
BIKILA toe bumper repair; the foam toes are inserted to provide leverage & grip

BIKILA Toe Repair Completed (at only 700 miles got to take care of them)
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3 comments:

  1. UnknownFebruary 10, 2012 at 12:08 PM

    Nice. I just got a pair that was a so so condition from a store in china. Still had tag on them but the heel just started to come off and the side as well after 2-3 days wear.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMarch 11, 2013 at 3:58 PM

    I sort of wonder if the shoes from China are authentic....

    ReplyDelete
  3. Agent Orange BlossomMarch 11, 2013 at 5:10 PM

    All VFF's are made in China. That said, some factories run dark shifts and use lasts made from casts taken from VFF's; this is when you get to see the difference on wider heel cups and more uneven gap between the toe pockets. Also, since they do not have access to the building materials used by Vibram you get the counterfeit made with spandex materials and soles molded from nylon polymers instead of real rubber. Glues and nylon do not bond very well together, hence the common De-laminating of the soles.

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