How To Prevent Converse From Cracking?

You can prevent your Converse from cracking by simply doing little things and taking few precautions, some of which are listed below.

• Avoid excessive washing
• Dry your Converse under a shade
• Use appropriate cleaning materials
• Wear correct sizes and socks

Converse shoes have been around for over half a century, producing athletic shoes and dominating the American athletic shoe industry. Their products range include Chuck Taylor All-stars, One star, and star chevron trademarks.

The Converse sneakers are quite popular with a lot of young and old people alike, with a unique number of features separating them from other brands. These include their famous company’s star logo, strip that runs all around, smooth rounded toe, and the All-star’s rubber sole.

 

How Can You Stop Converse From Cracking?

Avoid Excessive Washing

We all want to make our Converse appear neat and shiny at all times and this can lead to excess washing. Always wash your Converse footwear when it is dirty and not after every wear, constant washing dulls the canvas and lowers the durability of the rubber soles leading to cracking.

Dry Under Shade

After washing always dry your Converse shoes away from direct sunlight. Drying under shade and wind saves your footwear from cracking induced by heat from exposure to the sun.

This also fades your shoe material making it appear old and worn out, making the canvass tear easy and the rubber soles degrade.

Use appropriate cleaning materials

When cleaning your shoes always use soft detergents and avoid any that contains bleach. Do not put them in a drying machine as this would seriously cause damage to your Converse shoes.

Also, use soft brushes or sponges to scrub soles and canvass applying little pressure to remove dirt or stains.

Wear correct sizes and socks

Always ensure that you purchase shoes that fit you correctly. Buying too small or too large a size can prematurely damage your Converse shoes and hurt your feet when you walk, run or engage in sports activities.

When you wear too small a size, your feet exert undue strain on your footwear causing cracks or tear in the long run while wearing too large a size causes bends along the rubber soles.

Many Converse cracks due to excessive washing or bad cleaning habits, from drying them in direct sunlight for an extended period of time to having them placed inside a dryer after washing.

Sunlight and excessive wearing aren’t a good combination for your Converse footwear, in order to extend the lifespan of your shoes and prevent cracking always dry them under a shade, with access to wind breeze blowing for effective drying.

Avoid putting them inside a drying machine as this action ages the fabric of the shoes and damages the rubber causing them to crack prematurely. You can also buy the correct size that fits you whenever you go shopping for some Converse shoes.

By putting on your actual size, not too small or big you can very much have enough time to rock them without having to worry about cracking or damage.

Converse shoes should be cleaned properly with adequate tools and washing materials, hard brushes and strong washing liquids or detergents should be avoided at all costs.

Ways to effectively clean your Converse shoes

With constant use of your Converse shoes, it is impossible not to get dirt on them so we need to learn effective ways we can clean them properly without causing cracking and damage to your converse shoes.

A number of ways would be shown below on how to effectively get the job done, with the first process is to remove the shoelaces in order to have access to the inside and tongue. The next thing to do is to have them run under lukewarm water. i.e. you get them wet before you start the cleaning process.

METHOD 1 – Using vinegar and baking soda

Required items:  1. Vinegar 2. Baking soda 3. Brush (soft) 4. Bowl for mixing 5. Toothbrush.

1. Mix a little amount of warm water, some baking powder together with the vinegar and stir continuously until the mixture reaches a paste-like consistency.
2. Using your toothbrush, gently apply the paste into the canvass of your sneakers and the sole using circular motions to get into the deep stains.
3. If the stains still remain repeat the process and apply to areas where the stains are prominent.
4. Once you have done you then rinse them under warm water to remove all the vinegar and baking soda.
5. Before putting on the shoelace make sure to dry in a shade and low sunlight.

METHOD 2 – Machine washing

Required items: 1. Bucket 2. Warm water 3. Baking soda 4. Detergent 5. Toothbrush

1. Half fill the bucket with warm water and add a little detergent.
2. Stir the mixture and allow it to foam.
3. Dip the toothbrush in the water and scrub the Converse shoes thoroughly concentrating on the soles and dirty areas.
4. Put the washing machine in low mode and add a little detergent before dropping the shoes in it without any clothes or fabric.
5. Do not add bleach to this and rinse with cold water when done.

METHOD 3 – Toothpaste cleaning

Required items: Toothpaste (non-gel white) 2. Toothbrush

1. Remove the lace from the shoes and tongue.
2. Use the brush to apply the paste all over the shoe, scrubbing areas of concentrated dirt.
3. Work the paste into dirty regions and allow it to dry for ten minutes.
4. Once the paste has been set, use a damp towel to clean off the paste from the shoe canvass.
5. You can repeat the process to get the desired amount of dirt off.

METHOD 4 – Powdered detergents

Required items: 1. Powder detergent 2. Warm water 3. Bowl

1. In the mixing bowl add the detergents and small water.
2. Stir the mixture into a paste consistency.
3. Use the toothbrush to apply the paste along the rubber sole and scrub thoroughly in a circular motion.
4. Rinse properly with warm water and use a towel to dry it off.
5. Repeat the process if any dirty spots still remain and air-dry them properly.
6. Avoid powdered detergents that contain.

Converse footwear is stylish, versatile, and comfortable to wear. They just go about with anything you wear and can easily get dirty or holes in the soles. Below are some methods you can use to easily fix any damaged shoe for extended lifespan and usage.

How to fix the sole of a Converse sneaker?

Most of us have a favorite shoe that we love to wear all day and wish to last forever. A tear or damaged sole can be fixed easily with easy-to-find items and materials.

Materials required include paper towels, crazy glue, Mr. clean magic, a toothbrush, and water.

STEP 1: Place Converse on a towel

• The sneaker should be placed on a towel to protect the surface beneath and the tear or damage accessed. The size of the hole should be evaluated to know its extent.

STEP 2: Wipe all areas of the sole

• Use the Mr. magic cleaner to wipe all areas of the sole thoroughly removing all dirt and spots.

STEP 3: Clean off dirt

• With the aid of the toothbrush, clean off any remaining dirt the cleaner couldn’t get out.

STEP 4: Use the glue on the sole

• Take the crazy glue and apply it along the lining of the torn hole where the canvass splits from the rubber sole.
• Force the glue into the opening for proper closure of the hole.

STEP 5: Hold your Converse firmly together

• With both hands firmly hold down the opening for about a minute so it sets well.

STEP 6: Hold it down for hours

• Find a heavy object and place it on the Converse to hold it down for about 12 hours. After this, it should be as good as new.

With these few steps, I hope you can restore your damaged or cracked Converse with ease.

Why do Converse crack?

Cracking of Converse footwear is due to various reasons that range from the kind of activities involved, frequency of use, and maintenance habits.

Rubber soles crack when under excessive force and when subjected to harsh sunlight. but most importantly Converse shoe cracks because of the processes involved in their production. The production method is known as ‘’vulcanization’’.

Converse footwear sports a rubber sole and upper canvass that is held together by a rubber band that runs around the sole lines of the shoes. This process is known as foxing. To weld the rubber sole and canvass together, heat is needed in the process of foxing.

Where there is a complete process of foxing the welding of both sole and canvass stays fixed and hardly separates, but separation usually comes from the activities involved in walking.

Cracking usually occurs around the point where the shoes bend and causes the foxing to separate, this is usually due to the design involved in the manufacture of the shoes and cannot be fixed.

The vulcanization process costs relatively less for the company and provides stability and flexibility known to the Converse brand.

Another reason for Converse shoes cracking would be as a result of the constant wetness of your footwear. When the shoes are exposed to frequent contact with water there are no guarantees to their durability or lifespan.

Combined with the action of hydrolysis which crumbles polyurethane chemicals that are used to hold the soles together. The process is usually accelerated by high humidity and hot temperature, which means its most likely to occur in tropical regions.

Also putting or storing your Converse shoes in a damp environment can cause these damaging processes happens to lead to cracking of the soles.

Tips to make your Converse more comfortable

No one likes to get uncomfortable in any shoe or Converse footwear, so here are some tips to give you the comfort you deserve. Allowing you to walk miles without the feeling of fatigue or soreness.

• LOOSEN UP: Create more space at the bottom of your shoes by loosening the laces at the bottom too instead of only at the top. By doing this you give your feet more room to breathe and prevent soreness or injury.
• GOOD SOCKS: Socks provide a better cushioning effect for your feet and also your shoes. So it is great for you to always have a sock whenever you are wearing your Converse shoes, you can either get a mini pair or full-length socks.
• SOFTEN WITH A WASH: You can have the canvass of your Converse shoes softened by putting them in your washing machine and adding a little softener to make the fabric softer and easy on your feet.

Some best Converse shoes today

Converse Chuck Taylor all-star core ox

The Chuck Taylors have been around for a while and have various stylish and versatile designs. It’s suitable for riding, walking, cycling, weight lifting too. They fit most casual wears and are reasonable when it comes to price range and a great choice for all-day activity.

Notable features:

1. A very lightweight and cushion-able insole that is very arable.
2. Good choice for a game of pickup and taking long walks.
3. Canvass is very durable and designed stylishly.
4. Original rubber sole.

Converse High-top sneaker

This high-top Converse keeps the original design of the Converse predecessor but adds an additional All-star patch on the inside heel, reinforced foxing on the rubber sidewall, a perforated micro-suede lining to curtail moisture encroachment, and significant foam padding on the inside.

Notable features:

1. Good cushioning provided by ortholite insoles.
2. Double stainless steel eyelets to vent heat and moisture.
3. Genuine rubber sole for durability and maximum comfort.
4. Premium canvass.

Converse Unisex Chuck Taylor all-star slip-on sneaker

This easy-to-wear slip-on is a unisex design for all.

Notable features

1. Sleek upper canvass design
2. Very easy to put on and off
3. Unlined to bearable for summer

The Converse brand was opened by a rubber shoe manufactures in Malden Massachusetts in 1908, producing only cold-weather rubber shoes before switching to athletic shoes.

With the addition of the Taylors brand in 1932 to honor product ambassador Charles Taylor, the brand has seen a significant increment in its use in sporting activities worldwide.

Today, they have been acquired by the Nike company although it kept its authenticity and essential product design.

Conclusion

Converse shoes’ lifespan and durability depend mostly on how frequent you wear them and the conditions you wear them in. they can last for about 4 to 5 years and constant everyday wear can reduce its life span.

Converse shoes are designed to be very comfortable and also provide support and balance with shock absorption high on its list of advantages. The cleaning process and maintenance culture affect your Converse lifespan.

Never put them in direct sunlight or use harsh cleaning agents on them as this would drastically reduce quality. After cleaning it’s advisable to dry them in natural air and under a shade.

Get quality footwear from reputable stores and always purchase the correct size and the laces should be tied correctly the way you bought them to avoid twisting and slackness.

Also, socks are a great way to give you extra comfort and protection, with the tongue properly placed in the insole. Its canvass and rubber soles are uniquely crafted to give users the best experience.