The Pegafort system explained: why your trail-running shoes will last longer
Pegafort isn't glue: it's a two-component system with press and heat that rebuilds the outsole-to-midsole bond on your trail-running shoes.
If you've taken your trail-running shoes to the cobbler down the road and been told "this can't be fixed, it's come apart," chances are they've never heard of Pegafort. It's a professional bonding system designed specifically for modern athletic footwear, and it's the difference between binning a pair of €180 shoes or getting another 500 km out of them.
The problem: why the outsole comes away
Modern trail-running shoes (Salomon, Hoka, La Sportiva, Saucony, Brooks) are built from two very different materials that sit together in the sole:
The midsole (the white or coloured foam) is EVA, PEBA or some derivative. It's what gives you cushioning and bounce. It's light but porous.
The outsole (the rubber tread) is the part that touches the ground. It provides grip and resistance to wear.
At the factory, those two materials are bonded with a polyurethane adhesive plus an activator, applied under a hydraulic press. The bond holds for as long as the adhesive keeps its properties, but over time — with water, temperature and repeated flexing — that adhesive loses its elasticity and starts peeling away at the edges.
It's the number one cause of the "premature death" of a modern trail-running shoe. It isn't a worn outsole, it isn't a broken midsole: it's the bond that gives way.
The solution: what Pegafort does
Pegafort is a professional bonding system developed by the athletic footwear industry to reproduce, in the workshop, the factory bond.
The technical process:
1. Deep cleaning of both surfaces (outsole and midsole). Without this, the new bond would fail within two runs.
2. A chemical activator specific to the midsole material. EVA needs one, PEBA needs another. We work with three different activators depending on the shoe.
3. Two-component Pegafort adhesive, applied in a thin, even layer with a spatula.
4. Tack time (5-10 minutes depending on conditions) to let the adhesive build up strength.
5. Pressing with a hydraulic press and controlled heat. Pressure and heat reactivate the molecular bonds.
6. Curing for 24 hours before the shoe is handed back.
When it works and when it doesn't
Pegafort works very well when the problem is only the bond and the materials are still sound:
✅ A shoe with fewer than 800-1000 km, a midsole that's springy when you pinch it, and visible outsole-to-midsole separation at one or more points.
❌ If the midsole is "dead" (no bounce, flat, compressed): the shoe is at the end of its useful life. Pegafort won't bring the midsole back. We'll tell you before we charge you.
❌ If the outsole is worn through with holes: the whole outsole needs replacing, not just re-bonding.
❌ If the problem is a torn upper (what we call a "split" in workshop terms): that's a stitching job, not Pegafort.
Heat sealing on every resole
Every Pegafort job we do is heat sealed. If the bond we made fails (not from an extreme knock, not from wear on materials that had already reached the end of their normal life), we re-bond it free of charge.
This does NOT cover:
- Normal wear of the rubber outsole.
- The natural compression of the midsole with use.
- Damage from unreasonable use (acetone, extreme heat, poor storage).
In 40-plus years in the workshop, the Pegafort guarantee has covered less than 1% of the jobs we've done. It's a reliable system.
How much it costs and how long it takes
Pegafort on a standard trail-running shoe: from €50.
If it also needs side stitching, an insole replacement or a deep interior clean, the price goes up proportionally. Always a fixed quote over WhatsApp before we start.
Turnaround time: 5-7 working days. The first 24 hours are curing and are non-negotiable; the rest is the technical process plus the work queue.
