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footwear

Choosing the Right Adhesive: Footwear

Posted 04 feb. 2025 by Andreas Ecker, Business Manager for Footwear and Textile

At first glance, shoes don’t seem complicated. The average sneaker doesn’t have gears or electronics—it doesn’t have to hold boiling water, withstand flight, or keep a building from falling over.

However, a closer look at how shoes are made reveals an incredibly complex product. Footwear includes many different materials and manufacturing practices. The shoes that keep us comfortable, dry, and stylish are made possible through a dizzying array of technologies.

Here, we’ll cover footwear applications for adhesives and sealants, adhesive solutions for footwear challenges, and how footwear manufacturers can thrive in this ever-changing, demanding industry.

How Adhesives are Used in Footwear

Manufacturers use adhesives to prepare, construct, and bond materials in every type of footwear—from high heels and plastic sandals to work boots, orthopedic shoes, and sports shoes. Many types of materials used in footwear construction require preparation before use. For example, every kind of rubber requires pre-treatment and priming from adhesives before being bonded, again, with adhesives, to the other materials used in a shoe sole.

Footwear construction is a multi-step process. Broadly, footwear assembly includes preparing and constructing the upper (what you see looking down at your shoe) and the sole (the part of your shoe that touches the ground) and then bonding the sole and upper. Specific manufacturing steps differ per type and brand of footwear. A basic women’s fashion shoe uses roughly eight to ten adhesives. More complex footwear, such as firefighting boots, can use up to 35 different adhesives.

“Adhesives are a small part of a shoe, but an important one,” says Andreas Ecker, Business Manager for Footwear, Textile and Conveyor Belt at H.B. Fuller, “Only 60-80 grams of adhesive are used in a single shoe. However, without the adhesive, there wouldn’t be a shoe.”

How Adhesives Benefit Footwear

Adhesives bond and seal substrates within a shoe for protection, durability, structure, and aesthetics. Consider a lightweight tennis shoe. Manufacturers use adhesives to prepare and bond layers of substrates intended to absorb impact, cushion the foot, provide support, block moisture from entering the shoe, and more.

On the upper, adhesives provide water resistance, breathability, and flexibility and ensure the material doesn’t yellow over time. Adhesives bond the substrates supporting the wearer’s toes and heels and the linings between each material layer. Because of adhesives, the shoe remains intact and functional despite the wearer running, jumping, and dodging.

Footwear adhesives and sealants can also increase the safety and sustainability of footwear production. Adhesive manufacturers produce non-toxic formulations for a safer workplace. Also, many footwear manufacturers are switching from solvent-based to more environmentally friendly water-based adhesives.

Producing footwear with water-based adhesives presents challenges, especially for smaller facilities that frequently change shoe models and sizes during production runs. H.B. Fuller is currently working to improve the production flexibility of water-based adhesives so that more companies can take advantage of the technology.

Footwear manufacturers use H.B. Fuller’s entire technology portfolio—hot-melt adhesives, solvent-based adhesives, water-based adhesives, and more—to produce a single shoe. H.B. Fuller’s extensive portfolio is helpful in case of supply chain problems. If raw materials are unavailable for a certain adhesive, H.B. Fuller will have an alternative adhesive up to the task.

What Footwear Requires of Adhesives

Generally, footwear adhesives must withstand rigorous washing and exposure to humidity and temperature extremes, protect the upper material from ultraviolet (UV) light and yellowing, and maintain the shoe’s structure despite repeated use. Heavy-duty footwear, such as firefighting boots, must protect the wearer from heat, flames, chemicals, and dangerous fluids; resist puncturing; provide stability and slip resistance; protect toes from impact; and be easy to put on and remove. Footwear adhesives must remain intact despite these challenging requirements.

Safety footwear manufacturers must ensure that footwear meets standards from relevant regulatory bodies before selling it to customers. Shoes undergo tests simulating everyday conditions to ensure adhesives can withstand humidity, UV exposure, aging, and other stressors. Tests depend on the type of footwear. For example, a heat resistance test for working shoes includes three hours of exposure in a 240°C sand bath.

“After the heat resistance test is complete,” says Ecker, “Everything is destroyed, but the adhesive is okay. Even though the sole is melting, the adhesive still works.”

Adhesives must also meet the challenge of high-speed manufacturing. As shoes move through automated production lines, adhesives must be capable of quick application and rapid curing so the product is ready for the next step.

Partnering with H.B. Fuller for Footwear Adhesives

H.B. Fuller has over 100 years of experience in the footwear industry. Our solutions are used in footwear worldwide, from rugged heavy-duty firefighting boots to sandals. Footwear manufacturers rely on H.B. Fuller’s Ultraflex™ adhesive line to work with a wide variety of substrates, including abrasive materials, leather, and polyurethane. The Ultraflex™ line ensures flexibility and adhesion during everyday use.

H.B. Fuller collaborates with customers to develop innovative formulations to meet their specific needs. For example, consumer demand is trending away from leather toward alternatives like wool or hemp, which are considered more sustainable. Innovative adhesives ensure that footwear made from these novel materials is durable, aesthetically pleasing, and meets the necessary requirements.

“We have special solutions for each application,” says Martin Breiner, Senior Product Manager of Engineering Adhesives EMEA at H.B. Fuller, “If customers come to us with a new material, we help them find the right pretreatment and primers for the material indication.”

Footwear manufacturers choosing to work with H.B. Fuller also benefit from supply assurance, in-house technical expertise, and cost-saving opportunities. Since regulations play a major role in footwear manufacturing, our experts regularly research rules affecting production requirements and certification expectations.

Our adhesive facilities are located worldwide to help mitigate supply chain challenges and reduce expenses, such as shipping and tariffs. Even though we have a global presence, customers work with experts within their locale who have specific knowledge of the industry in the region.

Interested in learning more? Subscribe to our blog for fresh insights on the real-world uses of adhesives. Or contact a specialist to explore adhesive and sealant solutions for your product’s challenges.

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