Waterproofing Your Soft-Sole Shoes

When making soft-sole shoes for toddlers and older children you may want to consider some sort of waterproofing for the soles. There are three methods for waterproofing the sole of soft leather shoes.

Note: Keep in mind any of the following will also cut down slightly on the breathability of your shoes.

Toughtek

The easiest way of doing this is to make the outer sole area from Toughtek. Toughtek is a polyester fabric with a durable rubber coating applied to it. It provides a grippy surface that keeps children from sliding, is flexible, and it’s waterproof. Toughtek can be purchased online at outdoor fabric stores like Denver Fabrics. It tends to be a little expensive ($16 a yard) and comes in black, cream, gray, and navy.

I have found a Canadian based company that sells small pieces (just under 10x10 inch square) for a little over $4 USD each, but your shipping will run almost $6. http://www.justmakeit.com/notions/toughtek.html

PUL (Polyurethane Laminate)

PUL is a polyester knit fabric with a waterproof laminate backing. It is widely used for making cloth diapers and other baby-related items. It can be machine washed in any temperature and will not shrink or fray. It is commonly sold on the internet for around $7 a yard for 1 mil and $8 a yard for 2 mil. 2 mil is thicker and has stronger waterprotection. Occasionally, someone will sell smaller pieces for less on ebay.

By sandwiching a sole cut of PUL between your lining and sole of your shoe you can provide a level of waterproofing easily.

PUL Alternative

If you don’t have PUL and can’t wait to order and receive it, there is something much more common and easier to get your hands on that will do the same job . . . drapery blackout lining. Drapery blackout lining is available at most fabric stores for around $5.99 a yard (and you don’t have to buy a whole yard). It is waterproof, easy to sew, and will provide a slight amount of waterproofing to your shoe as well.

Plasti-Dip

You can also coat the bottom sole in a liquid plastic called Plasti-Dip. While providing waterproofing it allows the leather to maintain flexibility and the shoe can still be washed in a washing machine. I do not suggest you put it in the dryer.

If you want to waterproof the bottom of your soles with Plasti-Dip you should do it 12 hours before assembling the shoe. Take the two pieces you cut for the sole – the pieces that will be facing the ground. In a well ventilated area lay out some cardboard on a flat surface. Place soles bottom side up onto the cardboard and pour a small amount of Plasti-Dip onto soles. Use the flat surface of a paint stirrer or scrap piece of wood and cover sole entirely and in an even manner. Let dry overnight.

The leather has a tendency to curl up while drying but sew as usual and it will re-form. I’ve made several pair of shoes waterproof using this method and it works great. I can walk across wet grass without it affecting the rest of the shoe at all.

You can buy Plasti-Dip at most hardware stores in the paint section. You can also order it online. It comes in several different colors and clear. It runs around $8 for a medium sized can. Once open, the liquid plastic will dry up quickly (4-6 weeks) even if recapped.

Note: Once dry, Plasti-Dip is harmless. However, I would not feel comfortable putting it on the soles of shoes of children young enough to still chew on their feet.

About the Author

Misty Marquardt is the designer and owner of Make Them Yourself patterns. She has over 20 years experience sewing with all fabrics and is currently teaching classes on making leather shoes at the University of Texas. Visit her site to check out her pattern line: http://www.makethemyourself.com.