Can you use Somay-Q Black to repair and restore old shoes? I decided to test it out on a pair of black Crocs.
After washing them, they still looked faded and chalky white, as you can see in the photo below.
When I checked my online purchase history to see when I bought them, I was shocked to find it was back in 2017!
I’ve been wearing these favorite Crocs for nearly 10 years. I love them too much to throw them away, so I decided to give them a fresh coat of color!
[Photo: Condition after 10 years of use. Unremovable stains remain even after washing]
Somay-Q: 1st Coat
For the first coat, I gave them a very light, quick spray.
It took only about a second, but it already looked quite promising!
[Photo: The 1st coat after a quick, light spray of Somay-Q]
Somay-Q: 2nd Coat
Next up was the second coat.
I sprayed a bit too long from the right side, and…
[Photo: The 2nd coat where the spray was held too close, causing the surface to turn white]
A total fail!
As you can see in the picture, the surface turned completely white. It looked like the resin itself had altered and degraded.
Actually, Crocs’ EVA material is highly sensitive to the solvents (thinner components) in Somay-Q. If you spray too much at once, the material can melt and turn white (chalking).
Somay-Q’s official guidelines state it is not recommended for materials weak against solvents, and Crocs seem to fall right into this category.
Somay-Q: 3rd Coat
Since the first quick spray worked perfectly without melting, I decided to try again with a better technique.
I held the can about 15 cm (6 inches) away, sprayed in short bursts, and kept the can moving quickly across the surface.
[Photo: The Crocs completely restored after applying thin, layered coats from 15cm away]
It worked! I managed to fix the white spots and get a beautiful, clean finish.
The Verdict
To successfully restore Crocs with Somay-Q, make sure to follow these 3 rules:
- Maintain distance: Keep the spray can about 15 cm (6 inches) away from the shoes.
- Short bursts: Keep spray times extremely short (around 0.5 to 1 second).
- Keep moving: Never stay in one spot; sweep the can quickly across the material.
By following these steps, you can get a finish that looks almost brand new!
Bonus: I also repaired the worn-out soles by gluing on anti-slip sheets from a 100-yen shop.
It has been 3 months since the restoration. I wear them regularly, and the color hasn’t faded or peeled at all! They still look amazing. I’m excited to see how many more years these Crocs will last.
Thank you so much for reading until the end!
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(Tip: Amazon Japan ships internationally to many countries!)
