Have you ever bought a new pair of shoes and when you have started to wear them realized that they are slippery? There is nothing worse than not feeling secure wearing your footwear and feeling as if you could fall over at any minute. This is why we have created a list of our favorite slippery shoe hacks to help you create permanent solutions to a potentially dangerous problem.
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What Makes Shoes Slippery?
Before we begin however it is important to understand that different weather conditions, areas where you will be wearing your shoes, shoe materials and designs are all going to impact how slippy your shoes are.
In simple terms, you should know that shoes that are suitable for dry summer conditions are not necessarily going to be suitable for snow, ice or even wet weather. This means that before looking at the solutions we have to make your shoes less slippery you need to decide which of our shoe solutions are going to work for your particular circumstances.
In general, the smoother your soles are the more likely they are to cause problems in certain conditions. This is because there is no way for your foot to get any traction on the ground. If there are also slippery surfaces where you are walking then the problem is going to be even worse. Add water, oil or even ice and snow into the mix and things get worse again.
This is why in general shoes that have a rubber sole and that have much-needed traction due to grooves in the sole are going to be more likely to stop accidental slips.
Buying the Right Shoes
The first of our slippery shoes hacks is the simplest one of all. Buy the right shoes for the right job.
If you are a shoe addict don’t let the initial design of a shoe make you forget the practicalities. When you are buying new shoes take time to look at the soles and decide whether they are likely to cause you problems in the future.
A shiny sole on a winter boot for example isn’t a great idea from the start. You know that soles that have depth and are made from rubber are more likely to help you with winter weather. That much-needed traction can help you stop falling over when the weather gets worse. STQ Winter Hiking and Walking Boots are a great example of something you can wear that can help prevent falls.
Similarly, if you are working in a warehouse with oil spills or water on the ground then having slippery shoes is a recipe for disaster. You need to find shoes that can withstand the products that you might be walking on. Rock Poster Men’s Work Boots for example are slip-resistant in environments where there is oil and have steel toes.
Even for basic shoes having soles that grip or are rough is going to be more helpful in certain areas where you walk that might have shiny tiles or wood floors and so on. Preventing shoe problems from the start is clearly going to be more helpful to you that fixing the problems afterwards.
For older shoes, however, you are going to need a permanent fix to the problem so here are some potential slippery shoe hacks that can help.
What Can You Put On The Bottom of Shoes to Make Them Less Slippery? – Try Some Hairspray
Ok let’s start with one of the easiest ways to help shoes stick to the ground and that is by using hairspray on the bottom of the shoes soles.
Hairspray feels sticky when it is applied which can help to create a surface that is more likely to stay on the ground. It acts as a form of traction spray which can help shoes feel more secure when you are walking.
Whilst they can be a great fix for a short period of time hairspray isn’t going to be a long term solution to your problems. Firstly because the hairspray will quickly wear off after a few wears and secondly because it won’t work well in the wet.
Remember when you wear hairspray in your hair it only lasts until you wash it. The same thing will occur in wet weather. When your soles get damp they are going to dissolve whatever traction you have and you are back to square one. This is why a thin layer of hairspray is probably only suitable for dry weather or for when you are wearing your shoes indoors.
Shoe Grips for Bottom of Shoes
To really make a shoe slip-resistant then you need to think about the surface of the sole. It can be easy to make shoes less slippery when you use grip pads or similar products to help create traction and help your feet stay on the ground.
Non-Slip Sole Pads are usually made from rubber that has a strong adhesive on one side which you simply attach to your shoes. These soles stick to your existing sole and create extra protection as well as a great anti-slip surface
Sole grips are more permanent solutions than some of our other methods and certainly help your shoes to become less slippery. Just remember that they might not be the best way to help with boots and shoes that are in an environment involving oil or chemicals. In these cases, you really need the right shoes for your job to create the grip and protection you need.
How to Fix Slippery Shoes at Home – Use Sandpaper
Slippery shoes are usually caused because the soles of your existing shoes are too smooth either because they are brand new or because they are old and any rough surface has worn away. This means to make your shoes less slippery you need to create a bumpy surface to help create that much-needed traction.
One really easy way to do this on many shiny soles is to use sandpaper to create that grippy outsole. Gently sand the soles of our shoes and the heels as well to make your shoes rougher so that they grip the ground. Remember you don’t need to sand too much. It is better to do a light sand first and then test the results. If you need to do a little more then you can do it in stages. This method is great for preventing heel slippage as well as problems with the sole.
Traction Spray for Shoes
Whilst hairspray can be used to make shoes less slippery it really is a DIY hack that you can use at home. There are other alternatives to this such as traction sprays that have been specially designed to resolve the problem of slippery shoes.
Performance Grip Basketball Spray for example is a product that has been specially designed for basketball shoes. You just need to spray a thin layer over the sole of your shoes and it helps to create extra traction for shoes that already have a rubber sole.
This is actually a non-sticky spray that helps make shoes less slippery and may work on any shoes that you have to help create traction.
Bare Ground Slip Grip is another alternative to the previous spray and has been designed to work in more extreme conditions.
With this particular spray, the makers claim that it will work with snow and icy driveways, sidewalks and roads. It should also be suitable no matter whether you have leather or rubber soles that you wear daily. Just spray on the soles of your shoes to stop slippery shoes.
How to Add Grip to Shoes – Use Double Sided Tape
The next one of our slippery shoe hacks is another solution that is most likely to work as a temporary fix and will work best when the weather is ok. This is a really simple idea but one that is perfect for minor slipping problems in the short term and that is to use double-sided tape.
When you have slippery shoes you need to either create a rough surface on your sole to walk or use something to make your feet more able to stick to the ground. Double-sided tape is a useful solution for the short term as a quick fix to make your shoes less slippery.
Of course in the longer term the stickiness will fade and the tape is likely to peel off but it can be really helpful if you want something that you have around the house that can work fast.
How to Fix Slippery Shoes With Adhesive Bandages
It isn’t unusual for people to carry around adhesive bandages with them just in case of minor cuts and scrapes but did you know they are also incredibly useful at stopping your shoes from slipping?
Just get a band-aid and stick it onto the sole or your shoe or boos and feel the difference. The material can make a difference and add traction and grip on certain surfaces.
Once again this is a temporary solution that is more suitable for good weather but it can be a handy quick fix in an emergency.
Add Traction to Shoes
This one of our slippery shoe hacks is really designed for bad weather in particular snow and ice. Everyone knows that walking in winter weather conditions can be hazardous so doing anything you can to minimize the risk of falling is going to be important for your health.
We recommend purchasing ice grips to place on your old shoes to make them less slippery. Remember that even shoes that aren’t smooth may not be able to deal with winter weather which is why using ice grips to place over your shoes when you go out is essential especially if you live in an area that gets bad weather.
Yaktrax Pro Traction Cleats are a great solution for not only walking but jogging on snow and ice as well. These are made from rubber and stainless steel and they can be easily placed over your shoes to get the important traction you need. They come in different sizes as well which means you can find the perfect ones to suit your feet.
Plus these have been tested in temperatures as low as -41 degrees so these should be perfect for just about anyone looking for solutions to slippery shoes.
How to Make Shoes Non-Slip
Finally, if you really want to stop slippery heels and soles then head for some shoe repairs. Whilst our many shoe solutions can help they are not always a permanent fix or could involve permanently damaging your shoes. Taking your shoes to a cobbler however who will do the appropriate shoe repairs properly can make all the difference.
Many cobblers will replace the entire sole and heel of your shoe with material better suited to creating the traction you need. Whilst our slippery shoe hacks are a quick cheap fix and may do the job for many people sometimes you need to spend a little extra and let the professionals solve the problem.
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