You are so excited when you unbox your new shoes, but you spot some of the factory glue and glue stains on them.
Don’t panic; you do not have a defective shoe, which is relatively standard.
Or perhaps you are even trying to reglue parts of the sole back to your favorite shoe, and you notice some glue seeped out and is now visible.
Regardless of the reason, there is glue on your shoe.
You still need to remove it to make the shoes look shiny, new, and fresh.
We have been where you are and done some research on the best way to remove glue stains from your shoes.
It is not tricky, so continue reading below to learn how to remove glue stains from shoes.
What You’ll Need
- Suede and Nubuck Cleaner kit (available here), including stain eraser and brush
As you can see, you only need one kit to make this process happen successfully.
Continue to read below for step-by-step instructions showing you how to remove glue stains from shoes.
1. Use The Eraser To Clean Off Glue Stain
Take the stain eraser out of the suede and nubuck cleaner kit.
Gently rub the eraser against the glue stain on your shoe.
You should see the glue roll and rub off the shoe.
You may have some stubborn areas where the glue does not come off as quickly.
Continue to rub the glue stain, but do not try to rub harder as you do not want to harm the material of your shoe.
2. Use The Brush To Remove Eraser Marks
Once you have removed all of the stain using the stain eraser, grab the brush from the suede and nubuck cleaner kit.
Use the brush on the areas where you used the stain eraser to buff out any marks left by the eraser.
Again, do this gently not to harm the material of your shoe.
The brush should leave your shoe free of glue stains and stain eraser marks.
If some residual glue remains, feel free to repeat the steps, ensuring that you are still being gentle with your shoe and not causing damage to the shoe’s material.
Video Instructions
- Step 1 (:55) — Use eraser to clean off glue stain
- Step 2 (1:10) – Use the brush to remove eraser marks
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Use A Craft Glue Eraser?
Yes, you can undoubtedly use craft glue erasers (available here).
Just be sure to use care when using this.
Since craft glue erasers are not to be used on shoes, you should be sure to test an inconspicuous area to ensure it does not harm the material of your shoe.
Typically these should be made of similar materials, but you do not want to risk ruining your shoes and damaging them further.
Can I Use A Homemade Solvent To Remove Glue From Shoes?
You can use ways to remove the glue from your shoes using at-home materials and ingredients.
People have mentioned success with removing minor stains by applying acetone-based nail polish remover with a brush, making sure to only apply it to the areas where glue is.
Carefully use a blunt object to scrape off the glue stain.
If there remains some residue, you can repeat the steps.
You can also use different solutions and chemicals besides acetone to remove glue stains from shoes.
Some people have used water and dish soap solution, vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and hand sanitizer to remove glue stains.
They apply it and then allow them to dissolve the chemical bond and remove any stickiness from the shoe, making it easier to remove from its surface.
As always, spot test to ensure that this does not impact the shoe’s material or the color of the shoe.
If there is a large glue stain, feel free to use a razor blade very carefully to remove excess glue from the shoe.
However, keep in mind that this can easily cause you to cut into the material of your show and should only be done using extreme caution.
Does The Material Of The Shoe Matter When Removing Glue Stains?
The material of the shoe absolutely matters.
Some shoe materials are much more delicate and fragile than others.
Suede is much more fragile and can be ruined by addressing glue stains incorrectly.
Leather can also be harmed by inappropriate measures to remove the glue stains.
While not necessarily less fragile, fabric is very different for removing glue stains.
You can use the above methods for leather and suede shoes, but you may wish to go a different route for fabric.
For fabric shoes, after removing as much of the glue stain by scraping it away, you can clean it with laundry detergent.
You can soak the fabric shoes in cold water and then massage them with a brush laundry detergent.
Doing this should remove the majority, if not all, the glue.
Then you can wash it in warm water.
If there are still issues with removing the glue, you can use the acetone method to remove the stain, but be careful that it does not harm the coloring or dye of your shoe.
Regardless of the material, ensure that you properly treat your shoe after removing the shoe glue.
You can use leather cleaner or conditioner for your leather shoes and brush your suede shoes using a suede brush.
Doing this will ensure that your shoes are in the best shape and that you are starting with fresh shoes.
Do Hair Dryers Help To Remove Glue?
Yes, they can help! You can use a hairdryer on the warm setting to the glue.
Doing this will weaken the adhesives of the glue, allowing you to more easily remove the glue either by scraping it with a blunt object or using the stain eraser.
Be careful not to overheat the shoe or to put the hairdryer too close to the shoe not to harm the shoe’s material.
In addition, you do not want to weaken the adhesive being used to keep the sole or other materials attached to the shoe. Doing this would damage the shoe more!
