About Our Shoe Glue
THE STORY OF BOOT-FIX AND SHOE-FIX GLUES
By: T.J., VP of Sales and Marketing
Our Background: Cobblers
After serving in World War II, my grandfather, Ed, started a shoe repair shop because shoe repair was one of the options provided through the GI Bill. For the next 20 years he cut new soles, reconditioned leather uppers, and stitched and glued his customers favorite comfortable shoes so that they could keep wearing them. When hearing a customer complain that their favorite shoe sole came apart from the upper, He always said, “Well if the shoe fits, glue it!”
Ed had two sons, Dean and John, and they both learned the shoe repair trade from their father in Ed’s Shoe Repair shop. In 1973, Ed sold the shop to his son Dean and moved to Florida with John and John’s older sister, Jeri. John enlisted in the US Navy after high school and after 4 years of service he returned to carry on the family business in 1980.
Our Product: The Best Professional Shoe Repair Glue We Could Find!
All purpose cement had been the shoe glue of choice for the shoe repair industry for the majority of modern history, but it just didn't work on the new types of materials the shoe manufacturers were beginning to use, especially in the heat. But around the end of the 1980’s, a “super glue” for shoes was being introduced to shoe repair professionals. Like regular super glue (cyanoacrylate), this super glue for shoes bonded almost instantly and held extremely strong, but this special cyanoacrylate was formulated specifically to bond to the new materials that were being used to manufacture shoes and it remained flexible so the bond wouldn't crack and break apart when the footwear was worn. Today, this special formula is used in most shoe repair shops as the primary means to reattach the soles of footwear to their uppers. It provides a more reliable professional fix in just seconds so the shoe repairman isn’t bogged down with clamps or other machinery and thick messy glue. Many of them even use an accelerator spray to help cure the bond even faster!
Where to Buy: Exclusively on Amazon and Our Website!
Over the last 20 years John had dreamed of bottling this well kept industry secret and making it available to the retail market so that the consumer could repair their own footwear. There will never be a replacement for a skilled cobbler who can rebuild and restore your comfortable shoes, but in 2014, John registered the brands Boot-Fix and Shoe-Fix glues and made it possible for our customers to glue their own shoes and those of their families, friends, co-workers, etc. The first Boot-Fix formula included an accelerator liquid and spray applicator in the package, but when we were in the process of launching Shoe-Fix Glue, which would have had a slightly different formula for shoes since boots typically have thicker and more porous materials, we found the most superior formula yet! This new formula enabled us to discontinue the accelerator liquid and spray applicator. It cures much faster, is much stronger, and bonds to even the toughest boot materials that even the previous formula was finicky to. Since March of 2015, every bottle of Boot-Fix and Shoe-Fix Glue contains this same superior formula. In late 2016, Amazon asked us if we would sell our brands exclusively on our website and in their new Amazon Exclusives program! So that's where you can find us!
Our Purpose: To Do Good!
But that’s not all! You get the best professional grade shoe glue we could find, but Uncle John and I know that money is just a means to an end; and our main concern, after meeting the needs of our families, is to do good in this world and help those in need. Specifically, John has a passion for helping military veterans and I have been involved in nonprofit work in the inner city of Chicago since 2011. Those in poverty need hope, first and foremost, quality employment, and life skills to build themselves up so that they can be a positive influence in the lives of their families and communities. Right now, your business enables me to continue my nonprofit consultation work in the City of Chicago without having to charge a fee for my services. I'm currently working with churches, non-profit organizations, and businesses in Chicago that are committed to working with those most in need to provide them with the life skills described above, but also with training and employment in home remodeling and construction trades. These skills and employment will provide what they need to rebuild their lives and their communities, both figuratively and literally.
In the near future, we will be donating 10% of our profits to support to these organizations and others that are making the greatest impact in transforming the lives of veterans and those most in need. We'll also partner with one of the top organizations that's providing footwear for those in the world who don't have any and we'll be launching a campaign with that organization to encourage the "haves" in the world to donate their unwanted footwear to the "have nots" who would love them. This will also keep unwanted footwear out of the garbage dumps. Much more on this to come!
Thanks for reading our story and thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Uncle John, T.J., and Josh