Alright, let’s fix them
Back in early August, The Boy got a pair of the spiffy Allbirds shoes (the ones made of wool!) to wear as slippers. He likes them and has worn them around the house for the last few months. However, come the end of December, it became clear there was a problem. The lining of the shoes had worn through over his big toes, and the outer layer of fabric was starting to get thin. If we didn’t do something, there would soon be a hole.
We didn’t really want to buy new ones (especially if they only last 5 months…), and they were in otherwise good shape, so I thought I’d see if I could fix them.
Needle felting seemed like the best bet. I had the wool on hand (I also had some less colorful wool in the stash, but The Boy liked these…please don’t write to me and tell me I’m a monster for putting something colorful on a guy’s shoes — it will annoy me, and it won’t change the shoes). I bought a felting needle and some foam and started experimenting.
I started by cutting the foam down to fit in the shoe so I’d have a firm backing behind the fabric to stab into. Then I pulled off a tuft of the yellow wool, set it over the thin spot, and started stabbing.
It stuck just fine (which makes sense…wool sticks to wool). I kept building up the yellow, making it thickest where the hole was, and then added on some orange, again making it thickest where the existing fabric had worn thin. A little bit of purple finished it out.
When I pulled out the foam and put my hand in, I could totally feel where the wool and poked through and reinforced the whole area. I suspect it will continue to felt down and tighten up as they’re worn over the next few weeks. I’ll report back later in the year and let you know how its holding up.
I think this will solve the problem. The worn spot is much thicker and sturdier now, and it seems like the patch will hold. I won’t know for sure until they get some more wear on them, and I’m a little bugged that the shoes needed a repair after less than six months, but with any luck, this should make them last a lot longer!
UPDATE: Alas, the patch totally didn’t hold, at least not for long. There just isn’t enough room in those shoes for those toes, and it keeps wearing through. If Allbirds changes their shape, maybe they’d work. But until then, they’re not a good fit for these feet.
What a great idea! I had a friend that was grumbling about her felted slippers having a whole in them….I looked at her and said, “well why don’t you just needle felt a patch into them”? She got that lightbulb look and said oh yeah, why didn’t I think of that?! lol Worked like a charm btw!
Does your son regularly cut his toe nails? Just a bit of nail constantly rubbing there, and if he’s a toe wiggler…. Bam! Incipient hole. Great solution to the problem!
None of my husband’s other socks or shoes have ever developed a hole there. If that was where his socks usually wore out first, I’d totally expect it. But they totally don’t, which is part of the reason I was surprised to see it. I think (especially since I’ve now heard from a bunch of other folks who got holes in the same place) that maybe there’s just not quite enough room in the toes.
I just got a pair in the mail today, and as soon as i put them on I can see it as a weak spot – the shoe is so thin so my big toe is pressed right on the top and can see the bulge – so I thought before I wear them out Ill check and see if this is a known problem – so I can still return…shame really…
Yeah, I don’t know if it’s more general than our one pair (other folks seem to like them). But for us these feet…not a good fit.
Love the color choices! Hope it works great to stop the stressed area from getting worse.
I am waiting for someone to use allbirds for the background for a felted work of art. Two birds with one stone, lovely and more wool in places that get worn. So far a search on google does not find any. The colors you used could become mushrooms or a bird or………you get the idea.
Wouldn’t that be fantastic? I, alas, do not have the artistic skill needed. But it would look fantastic if someone did!
Is there any way to patch from the inside? That’s where my toes are wearing my Allbirds. Thanks
Not that I know of…and alas, the patch didn’t hold and the shoes still wore out. Apparently they’re just not a good fit for some feet.