How to Repair Worn Out Velcro Shoe Straps

Emma isn’t quite up to tying her own shoe laces yet so most of her shoes have some sort of Velcro fastenings. Velcro on shoes for kids is a great way to help them dress independently and improve self reliance, but it also has a major downside – it wears out quickly.

Emma’s shoes at the start of the school year. Look how clean they were back then!

My pet peeve is that the Velcro loop tape is the first thing to wear out on a pair of perfectly good pair of shoes. Although this pair of school runners is a bit grimy and could certainly do with a clean, they still fit well and should last out the school year, except that the Velcro straps no longer work.

Instead of throwing them away and forking out for a new pair of school shoes, I did a quick repair job, replaced the loop tape on all the straps, and now they are wearable again.

I originally filmed this video tutorial for Instagram Stories and wasn’t planning on blogging about it, (otherwise I would have cleaned up the shoes a little bit). But after a few people commented how helpful it was, I though many of you would find it useful too.

Please excuse the poor video quality as I was sewing and filming one handed and edited quickly on my phone.

Some tips on repairing worn out Velcro on kids shoes:

• It’s usually the loop section of the velcro that wears out. On most shoes it’s the part on the strap which means that it can be easily replaced.
• If the loop section has gotten really fuzzy, cut away any bulk fluff (not shown but I did do that).
• The hook section tends to collect lots of fibers, pick them out with some tweezers to allow for better grip.
• Cut loop tape to size with scissors. I cut them by eye but if you want them perfect, trace the shape of the straps to make a template.
• Sew slowly, especially if the straps are leather or very thick. I used a regular needle as the leather was pretty soft, but you can also use a denim or leather needle if you have sturdy straps.
• If the straps don’t fit comfortably under your machine foot, try hand sewing with strong needle and thread in the existing stitch holes. It won’t look as neat but it will do.
• Another No-Sew option for repairs are gluing on the Velcro. You will need strong flexible contact adhesive. If you are using glue, I recommend removing the old hook tape entirely. I suggest Gorilla Clear Grip (affiliate link).
• If you are not confident in doing this repair yourself, ask a local shoe repairer for a quote. I guarantee it will be less expensive than a new pair of shoes.

So I hope this mini tutorial has been useful for you. I always try to extend the life of things we own by mending and repairing. Not only does it save me money, but it diverts waste from land fill. Sadly Emma is really hard on her shoes so they will have to go in the bin eventually, but not quite yet.

You may also enjoy:

• Why it’s a good idea to mend rather than buy new
• Joyful Mending – Book review
• Leopard Print Shoe Makeover
• How to darn a big hole in socks

If you’d like other mending tips, please leave a comment with any specific requests and I’ll see if I can help.

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