If you have ever had to suffer the annoyance of your shoes squeaking or making loud noises you know that finding is a solution can be a minefield. Annoyingly squeaking shoes, popping or clicking sounds can drive you to distraction but learning how to stop shoes from making noise doesn’t have to be hard with our tips and strategies.
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Why Do Some Shoes Make Strange Noises?
The problem is that all shoes, sandals and boots are slightly different meaning that there can be a myriad of reasons why some pairs are actually fine and others make an annoying sound.
Some of the most common reasons why people experience a problem include issues such as new shoes. When your shoes are new and not worn in they can cause a noise as the shoe is still stiff and inflexible.
Moisture can be another culprit either from sweat or from rain or snow. You can learn how to solve the problem of trapped moisture in your shoes in our suggestions for solving the problem.
Trapped air is another common problem as is parts of your shoes rubbing against each other. There is also the problem of the materials that your shoe is made from. As an example, high heels with a metal heel cap are clearly going to make much more noise than a rubber heel.
Finally don’t forget that sometimes manufacturers don’t get it right and have made shoes with a fault. That means that no matter what you do you could still have a problem. Then your only solution is to return the shoes to the store.
How To Stop Irritating and Noisy Shoes
Before you begin you need to think about starting to identify where you think the noise is coming from. Try and assess whether the problem lies with the uppers, heels or soles of your shoes. Knowing what part of a pair of shoes has a problem makes it easier for you to start to use the right remedy for the problem.
You should also think about the product your shoes are made from before using some of our methods. Remember leather shoes can stain if you use the wrong materials. If in doubt either talk to the store where you bought the shoes from or a shoe repairer. The last thing you want to do is ruin an expensive pair of shoes.
That said most of our methods are relatively harmless and shouldn’t make your squeaky shoes worse. Here are some of the treatments we recommend that will help you to learn how to stop shoes from making noise.
Shoe Silencer For Loud Shoes – Use a Rubber Sole
If you have a shoe sole that makes too much noise there is a simple solution and that is to change the bottom of your shoe to one with a rubber sole.
Yes of course you can go to a shoe repairer and get them to do a full professional refit of the sole but that won’t necessarily be cheap. A quicker and cheaper alternative is to buy some rubber soles and stick them onto the bottom of your shoes to silence the noisy shoes.
Non-slip shoe pads are a great solution to the problem as you can do them yourself. All you need to do is stick the self-adhesive pad to the bottom of your shoes and you have the solution to your shoes making noise.
Just make a note for the future that buying a pair of rubber-soled shoes might be a better solution for your next purchase as they are less likely to make noise.
Silicone Spray for Squeaky Shoes
Using a Silicone spray such as WD40 is a well-known hack for helping silence shoes that are making noise. Just take care when you are using this spray as certain materials such as velvet or suede are not going to be suitable for this solution.
Just put some of the spray onto a cotton ball or a clean cloth and start to work it into the seams and crevices in shoe joins. Clean any excess off with a paper towel and you should have silenced the noise.
Get Rid of Shoe Noise – Use Talcum or Baby Powder
One of the major causes of squeaky shoes is moisture which makes an irritating sound because your shoes aren’t fully dry.
If you sprinkle baby powder inside your shoes then that can help to absorb any excess moisture and help with reducing noise. Baby powder is a great product for being able to absorb moisture. Just use the talcum powder either inside your insoles or in the inner part of your shoe to try and stop squeaking.
It is worth noting that if you don’t have any baby powder lying around corn starch or baking powder can be a substitute product.
How To Stop Shoes Making Noise When You Walk – Use Saddle Soap
Saddle soap is traditionally something that has been used to clean horse saddles and tack yet it can also be used to solve the problems of shoes making noise.
The tongue of a shoe for example can often cause problems because of the leather rubbing against the laces or other parts of a shoe. When that happens you hear the annoying noise that can drive you crazy.
Rub some saddle soap on the tongue of the shoe and shine and you can solve the problem.
Stop Shoes From Squeaking – Removable Insoles
Shoes are obviously made up of a number of component parts that can create problems. One of the common areas that can be making squeaking noises is the insole.
All shoes have an insole and in many cases, this insole can be removed and adjusted to fit better. If it is a loose insole that is the problem then you can always purchase a new one relatively cheaply to resolve the problem.
The inner sole of the shoe can also be lifted and baby powder sprinkled underneath it to stop any squeaking noises.
It is a good idea to also check your orthotics for problems if you wear them in your shoes. Adjust them or purchase new ones if they turn out to be the source of the noise.
How to Make Shoes Quieter – Gel Cushions
We know that some shoe noise may be caused by the friction of the foot inside the shoe rubbing and creating sounds. Whilst other sounds can be caused by the foot hitting the floor. Gel cushions go some way to helping both.
Gel cushions can be used either as full removable soles or just on the balls of the feet to help stop shoes from making too much noise. The gel cushions are great at stopping your feet from sliding around in shoes and they can also help to deaden the sound of your foot hitting the floor.
Gel cushions are really simple to insert into your shoes and can make a big difference.
Heel Silencer – High Heel Caps
If you are a wearer of high heeled shoes then you are certainly going to be aware of the sound the shoes make especially on hardwood floors or stone. It can be embarrassing walking into certain rooms if the noise is too loud so what can you do to silence them?
There is a really simple solution and that is to use high heel caps over the metal heel tips to deaden the sound. Gogo heels quick tips are slip-on covers that you insert over the metal section of the shoes to stop the noise. They are a really simple solution and don’t cost the earth. There are lots of other makes on the market as well in different colours so they can match your particular shoes.
Quiet Shoes – Dryer Sheets
If you want to know how to stop shoes from making noise then start looking for some simple handy household items to help. Did you know that dryer sheets can be helpful at helping stop shoes from making noise?
If you have squeaky insoles one of the first things you can do is pop a dryer sheet folded in half Firstly you can pop a dryer sheet in between the shoe and insole to deaden the noise. As the dyer sheet smells nice is also acts as an odor remover as well.
You can also rub the dryer sheet on the bottom of the insole if that is causing the problem. Just make sure that you test your shoes first if you do this as you don’t want to make them so slippy that you could hurt yourself.
Leather Conditioner to Make Shoes Supple
If you are wearing annoyingly squeaky shoes then try using a leather conditioner on the shoes. Leather conditioner helps to soften and condition your shoes allowing them not only to look great but to stay supple as well.
Bickmore Leather Conditioner is a good brand to try because it doesn’t change the colour of your shoes which can be a problem with other makes.
Coconut Oil for Quieter Shoes
Coconut oil is one of those amazing ingredients that can be used around the home for a multitude of uses. In this case, it is a great product that can be used to help prevent annoyingly squeaking shoes from driving you mad.
Start by removing the insole from the inside of your shoe and then get a cotton ball or clean cloth and work in a small amount around the edge of the inside of your shoe. This helps to lubricate the area where the shoe bottoms meet the upper part of your footwear. When the oil has dried you can reinsert the removable soles and hopefully, the noise will have disappeared.
Petroleum Jelly and Vaseline to Reduce Noise
You can use the exact same methodology with petroleum jelly to make your shoes quieter. Petroleum jelly is mainly used as a beauty product but it also acts as a lubricant and moisture barrier. Use it underneath your insoles and it will do a similar job to the coconut oil at preventing noise.
Wearing Duct Tape On the Bottom of Your Shoes
Duct tape might not be the most elegant of solutions for a squeaking noise but it is a simple solution that can do the trick especially if you are pushed for time.
Just apply the duct tape to the sole of the shoe and see if it can help to deaden the sound especially on hard floors.
Wear Socks To Prevent Moisture
If you want to know how to stop shoes from making noise then look for the obvious solutions first. It is well known that moisture and in particular sweaty from your feet can cause your shoes to squeak. Whilst talcum powder can help to absorb some of this moisture it makes sense to try and prevent it in the first place.
If you wear socks and regularly change them as well as keep your feet clean and dry then you are less likely to have problems with noisy shoes.
There are plenty of moisture-wicking socks that you can buy that can help the problem as well as solving the problem with the noise.
Dry Shoes Properly to Stop Them Making Squeaking Noises
Moisture as we have already spoken about is a problem for shoes. Not only can it cause them to make noise but it can increase your chances of a fungal infection and make your feet smell. It, therefore, makes sense to do what you can to prevent the moisture in the first place.
A sensible step to take is to allow your shoes to dry out properly before wearing them again. Where you can try and alternate between at least two pairs of shoes so that any that get sweaty or wet are able to dry out before being worn again.
You could also invest in a pair of shoe and boot dryers. These are a great gadget to have around the house especially in the winter months. Just place your shoes on the dryer and warm air will blow into the shoes allowing them to dry out usually overnight. It doesn’t cost much to run and it could be your answer to solving two problems rather than just one.
Use Sandpaper on The Soles of Brand New Shoes
Often shoes squeak because they are new and not worn in. The sole of the shoe in particular may not have the grip to deal with certain floors and that makes the shoes start squeaking.
Another household item that you can use to stop the noise is some sandpaper. Whilst sandpaper isn’t always the first thing that you might think of to stop shoe noise it can be useful at preventing irritating sounds.
A sanding sponge is just the right size to use on your shoe soles. Just rub it over the shoe bottoms and let the sandpaper grit roughen the surface. This is usually enough to quieten the noise.
Shoe Goo To Stop Irritating Shoe Noise
Finally, last but not least if you want to stop shoes from making noise think about buying some Shoe Goo. Remember that old shoes can start to come apart in areas which can be behind the annoying noises. Shoe Goo is a great adhesive that can help you repair these problems at home rather than spending money on a shoe repairer.
This is a particularly useful product at helping to stick together areas where the sole of your shoe is coming apart from your upper. Just make sure you clean up any residue so that you don’t end up ruining your shoes.
More Useful Footwear Tips 
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