How to Fix Loose Heels And The Dreaded Shoe Gap

There is nothing worse than buying a pair of shoes that you think fit correctly but when you get them home you discover they are creating the dreaded heel slippage. Learning how to fix loose heels is an inconvenience for sure as it requires a bit of trial and error. However, it may be your only option if you’ve already worn or stretched your shoes meaning there is no possibility of returning them to the store.

We have a number of tips and tricks that can work to prevent slipping heels so that you can walk without worrying about your shoes falling off. Here are some of our favorite solutions that don’t cost the earth for you to try at home.

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Buying The Right Shoe Size

Whilst the solutions that we are going to talk about will all help to fix the heel gap that can appear at the back of shoes buying the right shoes in the first place can prevent the hassle of shoe fixes later on.

When you are buying your shoes make sure you make time to really try on your footwear and assess the fit. Don’t be tempted to buy shoes or boots just because you like the style. If they are a loose fit or pinch or hurt then think about buying something else.

Also, try and buy your shoes in the afternoon after you have been standing on your feet for most of the day. At this point, your feet will be a little larger so you are going to get a better idea of how well your shoes fit when they are more swollen.

If you bring your shoes home and realise the problem before you have worn them then take them back to the shop and exchange them for a different size. This is because whilst our hacks and tips can work there is the possibility that nothing will help in your particular case and you will have wasted your money on shoes you will never wear.

Here are some of our favorite methods for solving the problem of loose heels.

How to Fix Heel Gap – Wear Shoe Socks

So let’s start with an easy fix and that is to wear socks. Now of course depending on the shoe style the kind of socks that you wear can make all the difference.

For ordinary lace-up shoes simply wearing thicker socks or wearing two pairs of socks at the same time can be enough to prevent heel slippage when you walk. Socks obviously don’t make your shoes smaller but help to fill any annoying gaps that make your feet feel less secure.

For women’s shoes, normal wool socks are not going to work particularly with high heels. There are however no show invisible socks that can make a difference as well as half socks that only cover the toes.

Invisible socks can be worn with most shoes apart from sandals and the extra material can be enough to close the gap and stop heel slip. These no show socks can also be bought in a range of different colors so you should be able to find a pair that either matches the color of your shoes or are flesh colored so that they can’t be seen when you are wearing them.

How to Fix Loose Shoes – Wear an Insole

Another great solution when you are wearing a high heel or a flat shoe is insoles.

Shoe insoles come in a range of different sizes and make the inside of your shoes smaller because they take up room. Not only are insoles durable but they can help to make your feet more comfortable if they have cushioning and they can also offer arch support if you need it.

Shoe inserts are brilliant for preventing heel slippage in many cases as well as correctly other problems as well. Cushioned insoles may be all you need to make your heels fit but orthotics are also available for other foot problems.

Just make sure you get the right size or are at least able to cut them down to size if needed.

Wear a Foot Pad To Make Shoes Smaller

Whilst insoles take up the whole of the inside of your shoe you can go for a different option and wear foot pads or small insoles to help.

Gel foot pads or ball of foot cushions do a great job of helping to make your footwear more comfortable whilst helping your foot to fit your shoes better.

Gel insoles are easy to fit and stick to the inside front area of your shoe. They shouldn’t move whilst you are walking and can be thick enough to make a difference in heel slippage.

Metatarsal pads can also work and might be more helpful if you suffer from pain in the ball of the foot. These are usually thicker so you would need a little more room in your shoe to make them work.

How to Make Heels Smaller Without Insoles – Tighten Shoe Laces

If you don’t want to wear insoles and need a quick and free option then this next method for how to fix loose heels works with lace-up shoes such as sneakers or dress shoes.

For this, you are going to need to tie your shoelaces much tighter to prevent movement and friction in your shoes. This technique is easier to watch than describe so we recommend watching this video on YouTube which shows you how to alter your laces to get a better fit and prevent heel movement.

Heel Grips for High Heels

Of course, if you want to learn how to fix loose heels we have to talk about heel grips for high heels and other types of shoes.

Heel grips have been around for years and have been used to help stop feet slipping out of shoes by almost everyone at one point in their life.

Heel grips are a relatively simple concept. The grip is a stick-on device that you fix to the inside heel of your shoe. Generally, the grip is cushioned to prevent friction on the heel. This means no blisters and a secure way of keeping your feet within your shoe.

Some heel grips are the same size all over whilst others have a cushioned section at the top and a thinner section at the bottom. This type is probably better to prevent heel slips as the cushioning acts as a device to keep your heel firmly within the shoe.

For many people, they are an effective way of preventing slipping but they can be prone to unsticking and moving when you are walking. This is why it is so important you take the time to fix the material of the grip properly before wearing your shoes.

Using Toe Inserts for Heels

When you are trying to find solutions on how to fix loose heels we are guessing that the last place you would expect to think about is your toes but our next tip involves the toe area.

Many people don’t think about the toe box and how that space can cause your feet to move down into that area to fill the gap, especially in high heels. As your foot moves forward this means that you are likely to get a gap appearing in the heel area. This gap of course caused by this space and gravity means that you can cause your heels to slip out of your shoes.

Toe filler inserts are a potential solution. These are pieces of high-density foam that can be cut to size and are designed to fill the space at the front of your shoes. They can be worn in flat shoes or heels and are hopefully comfortable enough not to hurt your toes.

When the toe filler insert is placed in your shoes it removes the room at the front of the toe box meaning that your foot can’t slip forward. This in turn means that your foot remains firmly in place in the shoe and there is no heel slipping to worry about.

What To Do When the Heel Of Shoes Is Too Loose – Try Hairspray

Our next tip won’t resolve the heel gap but it can help to prevent heel slippage and foot movement and that is to use a thin layer of hairspray on your feet.

To make this work you need to spray the hairspray onto the underside of your foot and then place your feet into your shoes as it dries. As the hairspray is tacky it helps to stick your foot to the insole and will prevent it from moving as you are walking.

Obviously, hairspray is only a temporary solution as each time you wear your shoes you will need to spray your feet again. Also, this is a method that only really works when you have bare feet as the hairspray doesn’t stick as well when you are wearing socks or tights.

Perhaps save this particular tip for a time when you have nothing else at your disposal.

Use Shoe Straps to Prevent Slippage

If you want to learn how to fix loose heels without an insole so that you can still wear your favorite pairs of shoes then you should think about shoe straps.

These devices can be used both for flats as well as high heels and are a way of keeping your shoes on your feet even if there is a little too much room in the heel.

Shoe straps can be bought as either colored products to match your shoes or as invisible clear devices which are less noticeable.

Some of these straps are simply elasticated and can be slipped over your shoes to keep them on. Other straps are more sophisticated and are attached at the heel and provide an ankle strap to keep your shoes on. Both methods will work and can help fix shoes to your feet.

Wearing Heel Cups to Remove Shoe Gap

Heel pads or heel cups are another great way to remove the heel gap that you get at the back of your shoe. These are simply inserts that you install in the heel section of your shoe that elevate your foot slightly and help you lose some of that extra room.

Heel pads can also be useful if you suffer from plantar fasciitis as they are made from silicone and act as shock absorbers to help protect your feet.

A pair of heel cups are suitable for high heels or flats so should work with most pairs of shoes.

Use Shoe Tongue Pads

We’ve already talked about our tip for tying shoelaces tighter in order to help keep shoes on your feet but if you aren’t able to do that there are other solutions.

Shoe tongue pads are a method of helping fix loose shoes by inserting and sticking a pad of material just under the tongue of your shoe. These pads are simple and effective as they stabilise your foot and help to take up the extra shoe room that you don’t need.

Shoe tongue pads can also be inserted in seconds so they are a quick and simple method for solving the problem of heel gap easily.

Double-Sided Tape to Prevent Shoe Movement

Another tip you can try if you don’t have any of the products that we recommend is using double-sided tape in your shoe to prevent your foot from slipping.

Double-sided tape can be stuck to the heel section of your shoe and the interior mid-section if needed to help your foot adhere to the inside and not move.

Of course, this method usually only works for a short length of time as debris and dust will also stick to the tape making it useless after one use. Therefore save this particular method for when you need a quick one-time solution.

Wearing Tights With Grips to Fix Loose Heels

Finally, last but not least in our tips to teach you how to fix loose heels are tights with grippers.

These are simply a pair of tights that have silicon grips built into them on the sole. The idea is that the silicone grips to the bottom of your shoe and stops your foot from moving out of position.

This is a good solution if you don’t like the idea of going barefoot and need something to keep your foot in your shoe other than an insert.