How Do I Get Gorilla Glue Off Sneakers Without Staining Leather?

[JimmyS1985]

I needed to ask some master tradesmen in leather. I went on a sneaker forum, and the only answer I got was there was nothing to do for the shoes.

These are not any shoes. While you guys work leather for a living, these shoes are like my children, above most any other possessions I own.

The shoes were sole swapped. They are original 1990 Jordan V Firered's with a black tongue.

This was the most expensive shoe offered at the time of their release by Nike. It was also released during Jordan's time of building a legacy as one of the best basketball players of all time.

Currently their value is probably around $200-$250 because they have a lot of glue on the leather during the sole swap process. If I can clean the glue off without damaging the leather, they could be valued in the $450-$500 range since finding a pair is rare, but finding one that is wearable is nearly impossible and they are practically irrereplaceable without investing several hundred dollars into sole swapping another pair. Sole swapped pairs of original Jordans fetch very high prices on ebay and at sneaker exchanges.

Also the leather is 23 years old. Is there anything I should do to the leather to condition it for wearing?

[shtoink]

There really isn't much in the way of good news that I have for you.

Here's what I found about Gorilla Glue. It's a polyurethane based glue that is activated by water/moisture, but once completely cured is unaffected by most solvents and certainly unaffected by water. The FAQ section on the manufacturer's website states this "Cured glue can be removed with a chisel, scraper or sandpaper." This translates to a mechanical method of removal and if you do manage to find a solvent capable of dissolving this stuff, it'll probably be very effective a destroying everything else close to the glue in the process.

This is just one example of many that I found with similar issues when using Gorilla Glue. This stuff is insane! I've used it many, many times, and I have yet to come away from a project without getting this stuff on my hands. It has a high potential to get into and on to everything nearby you and your work area. It's a giant pain to clean up and once it's there, it's there to stay. It does have a slow cure time, so intermediate cleaning during the process can happen without the need for feeling rushed. That way, damage to you and your surroundings can be kept to a minimum. That doesn't really help in in this case, unfortunately.

One of the tips that I have heard before is to use something like an oil based product (olive oil, petroleum jelly, baby oil) on the areas you do not want the glue to stick. When it has cured completely, it just breaks off and you can easily clean up the other stuff you used. Sadly, this doesn't help you out on your current problem, either.

For the issue with the glue stuck to the leather, you are going to have to scrape and peel that stuff off, all the while, trying not to pull off the top layer of leather or cutting any holes in it. If the leather soaked any of the glue into, then the chances are very low of removing it without damage. There is a very good reason professionals charge what they do for this type of job. It takes a good deal of planning and each step needs to happen very carefully along the way.