How to Get Tar Off Shoes (Avoid Shoes Getting Tar)

Traversing any road wouldn’t exclude your shoes from getting tarred.

Yes, there are several types of tars that might get stuck in your shoes like beach tar, turpentine tar, pine tar, black tar, etc.

Any of these types of tar when gets stuck to your shoes is quite a difficult job to take expel. Check out the best asphalt paving boots.

Luckily, we have some very quick and easy hacks for you to solve this problem.

One of the easiest ways to remove shoe tar is just by scraping the tar with a plastic knife and then applying a spray like WD40 or rubbing alcohol to remove the remaining tar and then wipe off using a tissue paper.

How to Get Tar Off Shoes Fast

Method 1: To Get Off really Stubborn Tar from Shoes

Step 1: Use a stainless steel knife to get rid of the hard tar:

Take your shoes and scrape off the hard tar from the bottom of the shoes. Don’t be very harsh in this process. Use the knife gently to scrape the tar off or else you might end up taking our portions of your shoes’ soles with the knife.

If there are still tar left in between the gaps of the outer soles, leave that and don’t use knife to clean them. We will treat these hidden tars in the following steps.

Step 2: Use conditioners to soften the tar:

If there is tar remaining in the gaps of your outer soles, apply any of the following conditioners in thick layer on the remaining tar and keep overnight:

Boot conditioners, olive oil, eucalyptus oil, vegetable oil, butter, etc.

Next morning, take a toothbrush and gently brush out the softened tar from the shoes.

Step 3: Use solvents for the remaining stains:

By any chance if any small portion of tar has remained hidden in any corners of your shoes or there are visible stains of tar, you just need any of the following solvents to do the job:

Fuel (petrol), lamp oil, turpentine oil, WD-40 or rubbing alcohol.

Take a piece of cloth and dip it in any of the above mentioned liquids. Now blotch or rub it over the stain in circular motions until the stains are vanished.

Method 2: To Get Off General Tar from Shoes

Step 1: Use a plastic knife to scrape off the tar:

Take a plastic knife and gently scrape off the tar from the soles of your shoes.

Note that after this process there will be tar remaining on your shoes.

Step 2: Take a tar specific cleanser:

Tar specific cleansers work very rapidly and effortlessly to remove tar from the soles. Apply a layer of shoe tar cleaner on the soles and leave for a few minutes, say for about 45-60 minutes.

Step 3: Use a toothbrush:

Take a toothbrush and brush the tarred areas which have been already softened by the use of the cleanser.

Step 4: Make a solution using dish washing soap and water:

Take a bowl and create soap water solution. Then take a piece of cloth and dip it in the solution. Then rub the remaining shoe tar stains from the soles.

Method 3: To Get Off Tar from the Bar Floors

Bar tar means when the floor of the bars get dirty and sticky with the sweet drinks spilt on the floor at the end of the parties.

Step 1: Use a painter’s duck tape:

Apply some painter’s duck tape around the edges of the shoes. This will protect the leather of your shoes from the heavier chemicals that would be applied afterwards in the process.

Step 2: Spray WD40 on the tarred areas:

Apply 3 coats of WD-40 on the tar of your shoes. The chemical drips off taking out the tar and dirt from the soles of your shoes without any effort. 

Step 3: Use Armor All Wipes:

Take the Armor All Wipes and wipe out the left behind tar or stain from the soles.

Method 4: To Remove Beach Tar

I have just returned from a beach vacation and I wonder why would you even need a shoe on a beach? I mean it’s so much fun and satisfying to walk barefooted on the sand of the beach!

Still, if you have already done the mistake and stuck with shoes beach tar, just follow the simple steps below to remove beach tar:

Step 1: Put the shoes in the freezer:

Putting the shoes in the freezer overnight would make the sand or beach tar brittle. Then peel off the tar using a scraper or hard bristled brush.

Step 2: Use vegetable oil:

Applying vegetable oil will soften the remaining tar and then using a toothbrush, brush out the tar from the soles.

Step 3: Finish up using the Armor All Wipes:

Take the Armor All Wipes and wipe out any residue of the tar from the shoes.

Alternatives for removing tar are:

Baby oil, car tire tar cleansers, and hair conditioners.

How to Remove Shoe Tar from the Sides and Top of the Shoes

Method 1: To Get Tar Off Leather Shoes

Step 1: Use a plastic scraper:

Take the plastic scraper and scrape off the hard tar from the top or sides of the leather. Let the thin layer of tar remain behind or else you will end up scrapping out portions of the leather.

Step 2: Use a paper towel:

Take a paper towel and rub off the tar residue or tar dust from the shoes or else they will again settle on the gaps of the soles.

Step 3: Use the Armor All Wipes:

Take the Armor All Wipes and wipe out any residue of the tar from the shoes.

Step 4: Caste a layer of boot shining cream:

Apply a coat of boot shining cream to restore the color and shine of the leather fibers.

Method 2: To Get Rid of Tar from Suede Shoes

Suede shoes are much more delicate than leather ones so, you need to go gentle with them and try avoiding application of any harsh chemicals.

Step 1: Use a plastic scraper:

Take the plastic scraper and scrape off the hard tar from the top or sides of the suede.

Step 2: Use a toothbrush:

Take a tooth brush and rub off the tar dust from the suede.

Step 3: Apply vegetable oil:

Vegetable oil will soften the remaining tar on the suede. Then take a clean cloth and rub off the oil from the suede. Your shoes will be clean of the tar but some oil might be remaining on the suede.

See also: Can You Use Vegetable Oil on Leather Boots?

Step 4: Make a mixture of shampoo and water:

Take a bowl of water and put few drops of mild shampoo in it and work into lather. Then take a piece of cloth and wipe off the oil residue from the suede.

Don’t forget to dry your suede shoes with a dryer afterwards.

Can I use WD40 to remove tar?

The initials “WD” stand for “water displacement” and it’s known for its rust or tar dissolving properties.

It is actually a rust preventive solvent or a de-greaser (used earlier to degrease missile parts).

It comes in handy spray bottles and just one spray is enough to get the tar off your boots!

How do you get tar off of suede shoes?

You can remove tar from your suede shoes effectively just by following the simple steps below:

• • • Take a plastic knife to scrape off the clumps of tar from the shoes
    • Then take a suede brush and brush off the remaining tar specks from the shoes
    • If you still see tar present on the shoes, just use a leather cleaner on the particular area
    • Wipe off the area using a cloth or tissue paper
    • Keep the shoes under the fan to dry or apply heat using a hair dryer

Will rubbing alcohol remove tar?

Yes, rubbing alcohol is an effective way of removing tar from the soles of the boots. You just need to pour a decent amount of rubbing alcohol on a piece of cloth and apply it on the tar on your boots. Leave it for a few moments and then scrub the tar off using a toothbrush.

Check out the video on top asphalt paving boots for road construction

Before We Say Good Bye:

You yourself can escape the tar on your shoes if you are a bit more careful on the roads. Try avoiding the areas where you see tar. Take the other route if possible. 

In utmost cases your rubber sole might be even damaged by the hot molten tar on the pavements.

But if by any chance your shoes have been affected by the tar, they can be treated easily by following this guide on how to get tar off shoes.

Do let us know in the comment section below if you know any other way to deal with these stubborn tars.

We would love to hear from your valuable experiences.

Till then…

Take care and stay safe!