One of the most asked questions I hear is "How do you attack the
Velcro for your gaiters to your shoes?" This is probably one of the
true mysteries of the universe ranking right up there with "Does the
light in the refrigerator stay on when the door is closed?" Hopefully
this post will take some of the confusion out of this important aspect
of desert running. It has been a trial and error experience for me
developing this procedure and hopefully you will get up on the curve
with less frustration.
The overall plan is to
SECURELY adhere Velcro hook portion to the circumference of the shoe
just above the sole (on the upper) in a professional manner. Once this
is done you will then wish to take the shoes into a cobbler and have
them sew over the Velcro in order to assure it will stay in place. It
is likely that just gluing the Velcro would be sufficient but this is a
critical piece of race equipment you do not want failures.
What you will need includes:
1.
3/4 inch (2 cm) Velcro (both the hook and loop parts). You need a
sufficient amount to go around both shoes plus at least 6 inches (15cm)
extra. Do not get the adhesive back type, the "sew on" type is best.
2. Scissors
3.
3M Black Super Weatherstrip and Gasket Adhesive (08008) or equivalent.
You can get this kind of stuff at the auto supply store.
4. Paper towels
5. Patience
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| What you need for a Velcro job |
NOTE:
This procedure takes time and should be done in short sessions over a
day or two. This will assure a professional looking job that will not
let you down.
Starting at the back glue the Velcro
around the outside of the shoe. Do this in short sections in order to
keep the Velcro in place while the adhesive dries. Be sure to coat the
the Velcro all the way to the edges with adhesive and let it dry slightly prior to applying to the shoe. This makes application easier.
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| Start at the back |
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| Work your way around the outside first |
|
When
you get to a portion of the shoe where there are natural curves you
will need to trim the Velcro so it will lay flat. To do this either cut
an arc or notch out of the inside of the cure (no more than 1/3 of the
way thru) and snip the Velcro on the opposite side. Glue this down and
hold in place while it dries
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| Arc cut out example |
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| Notch cut out example |
If
there are any protrusions (sole features) in the toe area you may have
to cut them off or file them down so the Velcro will lay flat. Small discontinuities can be taken care of with a build up of adhesive.
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| Work your way over the toe |
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| Then along the inside |
Once
the Velcro has been adhered and has set for a day, take your shoes to a
cobbler. Have them sew all the way around the Velcro both at the top
and the bottom so it will not come off. You may have to shop around to
find someone to do this. Talk face-to-face with them to explain the
procedure. They will most likely will be quite interested in what this
is for!
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| Sewed on and done! |
Finally,
you should take the remaining loop portion of the Velcro and cut two
protective strips to place on your new race shoes to keep all sorts of
foreign objects out of the hook part when wearing without gaiters. An
example of this would be if you wear them as you travel to your race, or
if you are breaking them in some. Trim as explained above so to get
around the curves of your shoes. Start and end these pieces at the rear
of your shoes. You will have a right and left one obviously.
Good Luck!
