Shoe Goo is a
brand of
adhesive
Adhesive, also known as glue, cement, mucilage, or paste, is any non-metallic substance applied to one or both surfaces of two separate items that binds them together and resists their separation.
The use of adhesives offers certain advant ...
and
sealant intended for repairs of
footwear
Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serves the purpose of protection against adversities of the environment such as wear from ground textures and temperature. Footwear in the manner of shoes therefore primarily serves th ...
. It is a registered
trademark of Eclectic Products, based in
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.
As of the 2020 United States Census, Eu ...
.
Shoe Goo is a specialized type of
rubber cement that contains a cleaning/degreasing solvent and an abrasion-resistant synthetic rubber (see , below).
Origins
Shoe Goo was created in part in 1972 by Lyman Van Vliet, a 45-year-old senior executive at
Hughes Aircraft Co.
The Hughes Aircraft Company was a major American aerospace company, aerospace and defense contractor founded on February 14, 1934 by Howard Hughes in Glendale, California, as a division of Hughes Tool Company. The company was known for producing ...
["A Shoe-repair Product For People On The Run,"]
''Inc.'' magazine, September 1, 1982. As a frequent
tennis player, Van Vliet was dissatisfied with the durability of the soles of his
tennis shoes and sought a method to extend their life by repairing them.
Although he already held several
patents related to the aerospace industry, he had no extensive background in
chemistry
Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
.
Nevertheless, he worked to create an adhesive with a pliable surface coating for shoe soles, whipping up his experimental blends in a spaghetti pot.
The result of his efforts was a
polymer eventually marketed as "Shoe Goo".
In 1972, to market his creation, Van Vliet started a business called Eclectic Products, with its manufacturing facilities in his home garage in
Palos Verdes, California. He placed small ads in tennis magazines, and his wife Sandy approached tennis pro shops.
Despite their efforts, they obtained only 22 retail orders during their first year.
[Sally Koris]
"Shoe Goo Guru Lyman Van Vliet Cures Tattered Tennis Toes with Sheer Stick-to-Itiveness,"
''People'' magazine, vol. 18, no. 8 (August 9, 1982).
In 1974, Sandy convinced the retail giant
K-Mart to carry Shoe Goo.
Although originally developed for tennis shoes, Shoe Goo quickly gained a foothold in the booming
jogging market of the 1970s and 1980s.
[Sally Koris]
"Shoe Goo Guru Lyman Van Vliet Cures Tattered Tennis Toes with Sheer Stick-to-Itiveness,"
''People'' magazine, vol. 18, no. 8 (August 9, 1982).
By the end of its first decade, the company employed 15 people and had annual sales of approximately $2 million. Lyman Van Vliet quit his job at Hughes Aircraft to work full-time on his enterprise.
In 1976 Eclectic Products established a manufacturing facility in nearby
San Pedro.
In 1988, Eclectic Products was sold to the Willamette Valley Company, which moved Shoe Goo's operations to
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.
As of the 2020 United States Census, Eu ...
.
Uses
Although Shoe Goo can be used on rubber, wood, glass, concrete and metal, it is most commonly used as a pliable adhesive for separated shoe components, as a filler on worn shoe soles, and as a sealer to repair waterproof fabrics and footwear.
Skateboarders use Shoe Goo on their skate shoes to protect them from, and repair damage done by, the
skateboard's sandpaper-like "
grip tape
A skateboard is a type of sports equipment used for skateboarding. They are usually made of a specially designed 7-8 ply maple plywood deck and polyurethane wheels attached to the underside by a pair of skateboarding trucks.
The skateboarde ...
". Cyclists use it to repair punctures by bonding vulcanised rubber patches to the punctured rubber inner tube. It is used by hobbyists in lieu of
rubber cement as an assembly adhesive for
radio controlled models of cars and aircraft, repair of Lexan bodies, and as a waterproofing agent for model boats. It is also used to protect the toes of
cricket bat
A cricket bat is a specialised piece of equipment used by batters in the sport of cricket to hit the ball, typically consisting of a cane handle attached to a flat-fronted willow-wood blade. It may also be used by a batter who is making ground ...
s.
Composition
Shoe Goo is composed of:
[{{Cite web, url = http://eclecticproducts.com/downloads/sds-shoegoo-clear-english.pdf, title = Safety data sheet: Shoe Goo clear, date = 29 September 2015, accessdate = 31 October 2015, website = , publisher = Eclectic Products, last = , first = ]
*
Styrene-butadiene, a synthetic rubber with good abrasion resistance
*
Toluene or
tetrachloroethylene solvent
*
Solvent naphtha, a cleaning/degreasing solvent
Footnotes
Further reading
* Art Harris
"Gizmos Add Life to Tennis Gear,"''The Blade''
oledo, OH October 14, 1978.
External links
* Eclectic Products
Original Shoe Goo home page eclecticproducts.com/ Retrieved October 17, 2010.
* International Technical Trading Inc, Japanese homepage: http://www.shoegoo.co.jp English homepage: http://www.shoegoo.asia
Chemical companies established in 1972
Adhesives
Skateboarding equipment
Sports technology
Companies based in Eugene, Oregon
1972 establishments in California
Products introduced in 1972