How to Keep Flats From Slipping Off Heel

I am a big lover of flat shoes. In fact, I barely own a pair of high heels anymore. Whilst I love them for their comfort they are not without their problems. In particular the dreaded heel slip. Over the years I’ve learned many ways to stop the problem so here are my solutions to teach you how to keep flats from slipping off heel.

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Why Do Shoes Slip Off Heel?

Heel slippage is generally caused because either you have bought the wrong size or shoe or the shoe shape that you have purchased doesn’t suit your feet.

An ill-fitting pair of shoes can be too wide or narrow, too long, or simply an odd shape which can cause this irritating problem. If you want to stop shoes slipping off you need to take measures to fix the problem areas.

Sweaty feet can also contribute to the issue as the moisture allows your feet to slip around inside your shoes. In this case, if you want to fix heel slippage you need to solve the problem of the sweat.

Here’s what I do in various scenarios to try and stop my shoes from slipping off when I’m walking.

How Do I Keep My Ballet Flats From Falling Off?

Ok, I’ll start with an obvious one first which is to make sure that you buy the right size shoes in the first place.

Over the years I have got better at not impulse buying flats and spending time finding the right shoe size for my feet. This may be slightly different with different brands.

I’ve found that brands like Vionic and Fitflop suit my slightly wider feet as well as help with foot pain so I tend to stick with what I know will now stay on and not give me heel slippage. If a brand changes its design slightly and it doesn’t work for me I sent the shoes right back.

So when you are trying on new shoes buy a brand that suits your wide or narrow feet. If you need a half-size shoe then don’t buy a brand that doesn’t offer them. Spend time thinking about the shoe fit from the start and you’ll never have the problem.

Choose Flats With Elasticated Backs

If you want to know how to keep flats from sleeping off heel then think about buying a pair that has an elasticated back.

Shoes that have elastic on the back tend to grip your ankle and have a snugger fit which helps to stop your heel slipping.

My go-to flats are the Fitflop Allegro Flats which have an elasticated back that helps keep them on my feet. These have the added bonus of being super comfortable. I have never had to wear these in like some other shoes and even though the back is elasticated it never rubs or gives me blisters.

Buy Flats With Straps

Another trick of mine is to buy flat shoes or pumps that have straps. Sometimes these straps make be on the ankle or across the instep of the foot.

Make sure you try and get adjustable straps so that you can tailor the sizing to your feet. This stops the shoes slipping keeping them firmly anchored to your feet.

I used to own a pair of Camper Nina Flats which are a perfect example of shoes that won’t fall off or slip at the heel. This is because the thick elasticated band across the shoe keeps your foot inside whilst you are walking. These are also comfortable shoes but they did wear out quite quickly for me because the leather is quite soft.

Flats Too Big? Choose Shoes With A Higher Or Padded Back

If you buy flats with a higher back or a padded collar on the back of the ankle this can make a difference as well.

A higher back on your shoes helps you get a better grip on your heel which prevents slipping. However, just be careful that the back of the shoe isn’t too hard or it will rub and cause blisters.

A better option is a higher back with a padded heel collar as that isn’t only more secure but comfortable as well. As I am always about comfort now I love flats with this extra cushioning for stopping heels from slipping.

These Anne Klein Umeko ballet flats are a great example of shoes with additional cushioning that can stop heel slippage.

Stop Heel Slippage With Heel Grips

If you want to stop your heel slipping out of shoes then buying the right shoes in the first place is always the best idea but what happens if you’ve already made the mistake and are stuck with footwear that won’t play ball?

Well a standard approach is to use a heel grip on the inside of the back of the shoe to stop your heels slipping.

Now I have a love-hate relationship with heel grips as they don’t always work perfectly. They have to be just the right thickness and have to be stuck in the right place for them to stop your shoe slipping. You also need to make sure that they have strong adhesive or they have a tendency to come off as you are walking.

I find the cushioned heel grips are the best type as they stop friction and blisters. Make sure you position them just under the edge of the shoe back to make them invisible and try and buy a color that matches the inside of your shoes.

DIY Shoe Filler – Moleskin or Adhesive Padding

If you don’t have any heel liners or grips lying around the house then you can improvise with moleskin or adhesive padding.

I usually buy moleskin padding that you can cut to size and use it to place around problem areas in shoes or to place on the insides of heels where there is too much space to improve the fit of new shoes.

Adhesive patches that are slightly padded can also work quite well. Just make sure that the adhesive is strong enough that the padding doesn’t fall off as soon as you start walking.

Shoe Inserts To Keep Heel From Slipping

If you want to stop shoes slipping at the heel section then you don’t always need to look for a product designed for the heel section of the shoe.

One of my absolute favorite ways to stop heel slippage is to use a shoe insert in my shoes.

So why does this work? Well generally your heels tend to slip out of flats when there is slightly too much space in your shoe. Your feet end up sliding forward as you grip on at the toes and the heel pops out of the back of your shoe.

When you place either a full shoe insert or a half insert into your shoes you remove some of this extra room making your shoes a little more snug on your feet. Now when you walk your foot shouldn’t slide forward and you usually have less space in the heel section of the footwear.

As my inserts are cushioned as well it means that my shoe insoles give me extra comfort as well.

If Your Shoes Are Falling Off Use Heel Inserts

My next hack to teach you how to keep flats from slipping off heel is one that I use less frequently. As my go-tos are usually heel grips or inserts I tend to forget about this trick but it works well depending on the type of flat shoes you have.

This solution involves usually a heel insert inside your shoe. Heel inserts and cushions help to fill that extra space in your shoe and can help your foot stop sliding or slipping around.

Heel cups work as well by creating stability to prevent heel slippage.

Personally, I prefer inserts but for some people especially those who suffer from plantar fasciitis heel cups are their preferred method because they kill two birds with one stone.

How To Keep Pumps From Slipping Off Heel – Keep Your Feet Dry

I mentioned earlier that sweaty feet can cause shoe slippage especially if you decide to wear your shoes without socks or tights in the summer.

When the weather is hotter it is harder to keep your feet dry and if you have a problem with sweaty feet any way you are going to have a problem with heel slippage.

If you don’t want to wear socks or tights then a good idea is to use Carpe Antiperspirant Foot Lotion before you put on your shoes. This is great stuff for preventing shoe slippage and keeping your feet dry and clean.

An alternative would be using talcum powder or foot powder inside your shoes. The extra powder does work but I find it can mark some shoes especially if they are made of suede so I tend to use it only when I don’t have anything else around that I can use.

Shoes Loose At Heel? Try Double Sided Tape

Whilst I have talked about some of my favorite hacks of all time to prevent heels from slipping there are some temporary solutions that you can also use if you are stuck.

I wouldn’t recommend this solution for the long term but it will work if you want a quick fix and you don’t have anything else at your disposal.

This involves using double-sided tape on the back of the inside heel of your shoe. Add a few pieces in the heel area and that can sometimes help to stop your foot from moving whilst you wear your shoes.

Remember if you use double-sided tape this will really only work for one wear before you need to replace it. This is because bits of dirt and debris are also going to get stuck to it preventing it from working.

Shoes Too Big Hack DIY – Use Cotton Wool Or Toe Inserts

Sometimes the problem with your shoes isn’t the heel section but the fact that your feet are slipping down towards the front of your shoes leaving a gap at the back.

This problem is relatively easily remedied with some cotton wool which you stuff into the toe section of your footwear to prevent movement.

Whilst this is a good DIY hack if your shoes are a little big you can buy toe filler inserts which are going to be a little better at solving your problem.

Wear No Show Socks With Flats

To stop slippery feet or to make your shoes fit slightly better then you could think about wearing no-show or low-cut socks.

Socks that wick away moisture can prevent your heels from slipping and make your feet feel more comfortable. Alternatively, the extra room the socks take is enough to reduce the extra room in your shoes which means that your feet are less likely to slip out of them.

Choose your socks wisely depending on the shoes you are wearing. Shoes like loafers mean that you are more likely to get away with wearing socks whilst ballet pumps that are low on the toe area will need more invisible no-show socks to look right.

The bonus with socks is they also cut down on any friction as you walk which means you are less likely to get blisters especially if you are wearing new shoes.

Hopefully, I have given you plenty of solutions to how to keep flats from slipping off heel. Each method works you just need to find the remedy that is best suited for your feet and shoes. Just remember that taking time to buy the right shoes in the first place can make all the difference and save you the stress of trying to solve the issue later down the line.

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