Repairing Your Flipflops

A surprisingly effective way to fix your flipflops when they develop holes. I use all of my footwear until both feet need ducttape. When only one needs duct tape that's ok for me, but when both get duct tape, that just looks stupid. I make an exception for my flipflops I guess. I say that this is a surprisingly effective repair because it lasts a pretty long time due to unforseen side effects of using duct tape to repair.

Step 1: Do It

I've tried several different duct tape layouts, Depicted below is the most effective due to its unexpected benefits.

Note: my holes are about 1/2 inch by 1/4 inch

Put one piece of tape lengthwise over the hole.

Put another piece of tape laterally over the hole (perpendicular to the first piece).

__DO NOT__ loop either piece over and around the edges of flipflop. This will cause problems in the future.

Flip the flipflops over and put a piece of duct tape lengthwise over the hole.

You're done.

Step 2: Explanation, If You Care

This method works because over time the duct tape will slide around due to friction of your foot (on the top side) and the ground (bottom side). This is good.

On the bottom side, the excess stickiness of the duct tape around the edges will collect small pebbles and dirt making a tarlike gook. This tape/dirt amalgum is very good at filling in the hole and keeping it filled. Even after most of the tape has been eroded away, this amalgum stays and keeps the hole filled, it seems to be surprisingly resistant to erosion.

If you wrap the duct tape laterally around the flipflop (as I told you not to do), this shifting of the duct tape wil not happen as well and the amalgum will not form well. Also, because the duct tape cannot shift, it will not collect dirt on the sticky parts as easily and it will keep sticking to the back of your foot, which can get very annoying.

The sticking to the back of the foot doesn't really happen with my method (I've tried both).

Comments

[Bigdawg]

An even better fix is to buy a tube of ShooGoo and fill the hole, then place the tape over the patch, at least until dry. The tape acts like a form or mold to hold the Goo in place till dry. Tthe tape can be removed (or not) when the Goo is dry and the patch will likely outlast the rest of the shoe.

[mettaurlover]

... until the shoe is made entirely out of the goo.

[leevonk]

I've used shoe goo to repair broken plates, I should probably try it on shoes too.

[chatterbox14730]

lol, duct tape is the answer to everything.

[mettaurlover]

agreed.

[DiamondBack]

Are you that cheap to want to repair $7 flippers? Do you dry your hands with paper towels, and hang those to dry, to reuse later, too?

[Dalya]

Ouch o_o!

[gamblor]

another tip: when the straps pull through the bottom you can pop it back through and use a bread tab to keep it there for good. well as long as the shoe would last anyways

[leevonk]

haha, awesome. I carry cableties and a leatherman wave around with me everywhere. This allows the repair of a strap if the bottom button has come off entirely (so that a breadtab wouldn't help) by cutting a slit in the strap and in the sole, and connecting them via cabletie. This works for normal sandals too. This is good cause otherwise you can get stuck in the middle of the city with a broken strap and have to either hop home or walk home barefoot (Which I've had to do before in NYC, luckily I was close to home).

[havaianas]

Those are Havaianas why not just buy a new pair online for $10 or better yet heat up any rubbish type material and fit into the bottom then cover with medical tape and wear.. thats what they do in brasil...