Why Do Converse Split?

Your Converse sneakers can split due to various reasons like frequent washing, wearing the shoes every day, aging, faulty production process.

When I was buying my first pair of Converse sneakers the only thing that I was thinking about was looking fashionably good and stylish, and getting a split or a break on the soles never even crossed my mind[ha ha!].

But trust me, there are so many places you have just got to visit especially on casuals and there’s no other possible way to do that without rocking these pair of Converse shoes almost all of the time [like five times in a week…loll!].

While wearing my Chucks for almost about 2 years now, I figured out what exactly caused my own pairs to start cracking at the heels, this made me nostalgic about getting a new pair though and of course, I’ll add that most of the modern Converse been sold out at local stores nowadays, have lost their quality, [so I understand you perfectly well].

These shoes get to wear out so fast even if you wear them only once a week, and this is so because of the materials poorly used in producing the heels, hence it starts to wear off away from the thin rubber strip that holds them together to the shoe.

So, I have organized here in this post why these shoes split, what to do about it, and you will get to know as you keep reading on.

Major Reasons Why Converse Split

I still wear these sneakers like day-in-day-out shoes, but having a pair of Converse sneakers is not all about wearing them and cleaning them up for the next day, as doing this will only shorten the life span of your sneakers.

Typically these shoes weaken naturally as you wear them from place to place, more frequently, but that scenario of walking in shoes that have split on the soles is something you can totally avoid.

But if you are like me that just don’t want any slight sign of split underneath the soles, then there are some simple reasons you just need to be conscious about, to prevent these Converse shoes from breaking away.

Frequent wearing

These shoes are meant to be worn not almost all of the time but at least 2-3 times a week. And I always felt nostalgic each time I wear them consecutively in a week.

I felt this way because I enjoy being on casuals most of the time, so I tend to wear these shoes more often.

And it is obvious that how often you wear these Converse sneakers is a major contributing factor for it to split at the soles and how long it will last for you. So, you probably need to consider buying an extra pair that would serve the same purpose, if you really want your sneakers to last long.

Wearing frequently on wet and rocky ground surfaces

The places you visit and the season of the year could be another cause why your Converse split so early and not last long enough, even after few months of buying them.

If you’re going to a place, somewhere with drastic weather changes, you know the struggle of been caught up with sudden rainfall or even bad roads, I have experienced wearing my sneakers and watch them get soaked in wet or muddy ground, during the rainy winter days, and it was not really a good experience.

You bought a fake Converse

Sometimes, the only way I get these Converse sneakers with varying colors and styles is actually to get them during the bulky sales from a store. And trust me I’ll buy them a lot, all because it’s cheaper and affordable.

But the bad thing about this is that I can’t really complain when the shoes start separating from the heels because that’s what my money got for me. On the other hand, quality actually matters if you intend to wear the sneakers for long.

The higher the price for the shoes the better the quality, so you probably need to invest more in these shoes to wear them up to a reasonable period of time.

I remember a time in my life when I was so obsessed with this cool footwear, I could go the extra mile buying a worn-out sneaker from a friend and because of these it barely ever lasted a month for me.

But what I am trying to say is that you should get quality and original Converse sneakers, from a good store. Because quality actually matters, you can imagine buying a pair for only 5 dollars but got another pair for about let’s say 42 dollars.

So, try to invest more in terms of your footwear.

How they are made

The rubber sole underneath the Converse sneakers was actually made through the vulcanization method, which is welding the rubber material under heat. And because of these every Chucks you will ever wear, tends to split or break, like it’s a natural phenomenon.

So, don’t freak out if you are experiencing this for the first time.

How to fix split Converse

I know that no matter how carefully we treat these sneakers, in terms of wearing, washing and quality, they inevitably are prone to breaking apart from the heels.

I know it actually sucks getting your favorite pair of shoes to tear apart slowly, but you don’t necessarily have to stop wearing Converse sneakers entirely.

So, you may be asking what can be done to fix or repair these shoes following the first sign of splitting at the heels.

Here below are some of the things I did to fix my sneakers back to normal and if you try out any of the tactics, it would have similar effects on your very own sneakers.

Get a glue gum

If there is one thing I stick to while fixing a pair of my Converse sneakers, is to always make use of gluing gum, because it works perfectly well in holding the shoes back together.

You can also make use of hot air glue, it would have the same effects on the sole.

Wipe out the surface of the separated soles and add the glue

You may now need to fill up the outer lines of the sole with the glue, and spread graciously over the whole sole, but don’t apply too much to prevent excess glue from making the sneakers sticky and difficult to gum.

 Allow drying for 2 minutes

This will make the glues penetrate the sole faster and of course easier to bind together. Don’t make the mistake of applying glue and immediately gumming the separated parts together.

Allow some air to do its work and you are good to go with the other process.

Gently place the two parts of the shoe’s together

With your palms folded together, insert it inside the shoe and gently press the sides against each other to gum the sole with the shoe really well.

You can hold the sole together with the glue with a tape

Using a rope, you can then tie round, the sole with the shoe together, so that it will hold fast, and make sure to just leave for some time, before putting them on.

Finally, you can take them to your local cobbler if you find it difficult to DIY at home

It is quite possible to get it all wrong while fixing the splits, so it’s much better to give it to the nearest cobbler that will work it out smoothly for you. And you probably will need some extra cash for that.

You don’t want to end up buying a new pair and tossing that older pair aside, especially if you are on a budget. So try giving them to the shoe cobbler before doing anything on your sneakers that will render it uncomfortable to wear and walking on.

How do I keep my Converse from splitting/breaking

I personally have had like 3 pairs of Converse sneakers, and I have worn them for like a year and a half now, but they are still actually in a good condition. They are not falling apart or splitting at the heels yet.

I consciously wore these sneakers and made sure that I wore them only when needed and some of the maintenance hacks I used is what am going to be sharing with you down below;

Occasional washing

Just like all normal classic Converse sneakers, they get super dirty [especially the white type] and the only way to keep them neat and good looking for wearing is to wash and if you are like me who wears mine almost every day, then these shoes are close to been thrown away.

One lesson I have learned about wearing sneakers is to wash thoroughly once in two weeks and to slightly clean each time I want to wear it, of course, will make it still be as good as new.

And also, try not to machine wash (though it’s tempting) if you still want your sneakers to look as good as new.

Do not wear your Converse frequently

Wearing Converse sneakers actually requires a certain level of maintenance, if you intend to keep them for a good period of time, and you probably don’t want to end the life cycle of your shoes by wearing them almost all of the time.

Then you need to reduce the number of times you wear your Converse. Wearing your Converse every day is a recipe for damage already because your shoes will be vulnerable to splitting.

Wearing once or twice a week is okay if you want your Converse to last for as long as you want it to.

Converse sneakers are not ideal for long-distance trekking

I love these shoes because they are really light and easy to walk on, that’s why I prefer wearing these sneakers for long-distance trekking.

But, these shoes were never meant for long-distance trekking, that’s why they easily get weakened at the sole and start to split.

So, what I did was reconsider what kind of footwear would suit my everyday schedule. Instead of wearing these sneakers for a long distance, I now alternate between these shoes.

Make good use of good padding features

The lack of padding features on the heel gives it this hardy feel on your foot while walking, and of course, frequent wearing will cause splitting on the soles.

So, you can insert an insole to protect your foot from snapping the ground directly and causing friction between the sole and your foot.

 Aerate or keep your sneakers in a ventilated room

These shoes are actually designed to be tough, capable of resisting wear and tear so that they can obviously last long for you.

But don’t forget that the under soles actually get worn out easily if you don’t wear them too frequently and most importantly if you stuff them in a storage box.

I try as much as possible to keep them neat and aerated after washing and sun-dry when necessary.

Get an extra pair

This will make things easier for you, so just an extra that you can interchange with during each week. They will last more.

Conclusion

This post was all about how to fix a split on your Converse sneakers and some of the possible reasons why these sneakers split were mentioned, plus other details about how to prevent your shoes from breaking away from the soles were mentioned.

You were able to discover why these sneakers tend to break apart from the soles, despite been made with tough and quality canvas material.

So, whenever you want to buy a new pair of sneakers don’t toss that your older favorite pair away to the trash bin, you can breathe new life into it by fixing it.

Comment down below on how the whole process of fixing your split Converse sneakers.