Having a shoe that squeaks can be annoying; it can draw attention and cause embarrassment. However, you shouldn’t have to feel this way just because of your shoes.
Before you return the shoes or get rid of them, there are a few things you can try to stop them from squeaking. Today, we’ll be looking at how to stop shoes from squeaking so you can regain your confident stride.
How to Stop Shoes from Squeaking – Short Tips
- Look for any manufacturer defects.
- Add traction to the bottom of the shoe using rubber sole spray or sandpaper.
- Remove moisture by air drying the shoes, using your hairdryer, throwing in the dryer, or using silica gel packs.
- Use a dryer sheet on the sole.
- Try thicker insoles or baby powder between the insole and bottom of the shoes.
- Remove trapped pebbles or rocks.
- Glue loose soles.
- Use conditioning oil on leather shoes.
- Rub saddle soap on the front side of the shoe tongues.
- Cover buckles and metallic parts with candle wax.
Why Are My Shoes Squeaking When I Walk?
Sometimes it’s the shoes themselves that squeak, other times it because of the surface that you’re walking on. To better understand why shoes squeak, let’s have a look at this little breakdown.
New Shoes
New shoes may squeak because the rubber soles are too smooth. Smooth rubber soles squeak when walking over a similarly smooth surface. In some instances, the shoe will stop squeaking as you begin to wear the shoes on rougher terrain.
Old Shoes
Most shoes are going to fall apart after a while. Unfortunately, when this happens, they can create awful noises. Old or cheaply built shoes may start coming off at the sole. The sole will start to loosen from the front of the heel of the shoe first.
You can also experience a loose insole, which means that the pad inside the shoe is slipping on the midsole.
Damaged Shoes
There are several ways that you may have caused damage to your shoe, which can result in squeaking. For example, walking in the rain or mistakenly spilling water on them can cause them to squeak.
Dancing and running can also cause damage as both these activities may loosen the heel, the sole, the insole.
Patent Leather Shoes
Leather shoes are one of the most common shoes to squeak. They can squeak due to friction caused by wear and tear, loose parts, and rubbing.
Tennis Shoes
New tennis shoes may require several weeks to grow into and that is why they can squeak for the first few weeks. Other times, tennis shoes will squeak due to the amount of wear they endure.
How to Make Shoes Stop Squeaking on Linoleum-5 Tips
1. Inspect the Shoe
Before attempting any fixes, inspect the shoe first, especially if it’s a new pair. Check for any manufacturer defects and return them ASAP if you find any. This way you will not void your warranty.
2. Add Traction to The Soles
Soles on new shoes tend to be too smooth, which means that they lack proper traction and create squeaky sounds as you walk across the floor.
In this instance, you can:
Use A Rubber Sole Spray
Rubber sole sprays are a form of shoe adhesive that can be sprayed on rubber soles to make the shoes less slippery and easier to walk in. Apply evenly to the entire sole by following the instructions of the rubber sole spray that you purchased.
Once you’ve applied the spray correctly give the shoes some time to air dry.
Sand the Soles with Fine Grain Sandpaper
If using a rubber sole spray isn’t something you’re willing to try, then you can sand the soles of the shoe. To do so, you will need to purchase some fine-grit sandpaper.
Sand the sole slightly and test as you go by walking across the floor after every sanding session. If your shoes have leather soles, then you may need to use high-grit sandpaper since leather is harder to sand. Once again, sand and test as you go to avoid damaging the leather soles.
3. Dry the Shoes
If you’ve been walking in the rain with your shoes, then you may notice a squeaking sound coming from the area where the upper part is attached to the sole. In cases like this, you will need to dry the shoes completely.
To completely dry the shoe, you will have to remove the laces, the insoles, and any other removable parts. You can either let the shoe and its removable parts air dry, put them in the sun, use a hairdryer, or if it can withstand heat, simply throw them in the dryer.
If you find that the shoes still squeak after trying these methods, that means moisture is still present in the shoe.
To ensure all moisture is removed, you’ll have to use moisture absorbers, such as baby powder, rice, or old newspaper, to suck up any excess moisture.
If you saved them, you can also use the silica gel bags that came with your shoes.
Once all the moisture is gone, your shoes should stop squeaking.
If you think you’ll be walking in rain or may get into situations where your shoes get wet, you can use some water-repelling spray on the soles and other parts of the shoe.
4. Rub the Sole with A Dryer Sheet
Using a dryer sheet on the sole of the shoe is a very effective method to stop your shoe from squeaking.
Dryer sheets are readily available and are something that you probably have in your home already.
Just grab a sheet and rub the soles a few times, then walk on the floor and see if the squeaking is gone.
No matter how many times you rub the soles with the dryer sheets, it cannot cause any damage, so go ahead and give it a try.
5. Fix Squeaky Insoles
Loose parts like moving insoles could be causing the noise. You can try thicker insoles or applying baby powder or oil to the space between the sole and the insole.
How to Keep Shoes from Squeaking on Tile – 10 Tips
Stopping Shoes from squeaking on tile includes a few of the methods mentioned above:
1. Checking the shoe for manufacturer defects.
2. Adding traction to the shoe.
3. Drying the shoe
4. Using dryer sheets on the soles
5. Fixing squeaky insoles
Other methods to follow include
6. Checking the Bottom of the Shoes
First, visually inspect the bottom of the shoes. Check to see if there are any pebbles, small rocks, or other objects stuck in the lugs. These objects are known to cause squeaking on various surfaces, especially tile.
If you do see small pebbles or objects in the lugs, simply remove them and that should eliminate the noise. If it doesn’t, then you may have a problem with the sole or some other part of the shoe itself.
7. Use Super Glue to Reattach Soles
The tiniest detachment of the sole can cause a squeak or clapping sound every time you walk. Use super glue to put the sole back into its correct position and give it enough time to dry.
You can use a clamp or put a heavy object on the shoe after applying the glue to assist in keeping pressure. Ultimately, you want to make sure that the sole goes back to its original position and that there are no air pockets justify.
8. Condition Your Shoes
Sometimes, the squeaking may not be coming from the floor but from the shoes themselves due to the materials on the outside of the shoe. To fix this issue, try using a conditioning oil on the outer parts of the shoe so that they are well lubricated and less likely to squeak.
Be sure to purchase a conditioning oil that is specifically designed to be used on your shoe type. If you have patent leather shoes, then you need to use leather conditioning oil. Keep in mind that you will need to reapply the oil to your shoes from time to time.
9. Use Saddle Soap
If the squeaking is coming from the laces, then you can use saddle soap as a conditioning cream. Rub the saddle soap on the front side of the tongues and it should stop the squeaking when the tongues rub against the laces.
10. Apply Candle Wax
If your shoes have noisy buckles and other metallic parts, apply candle wax to stop them from creating a ruckus as you walk.
Final Thoughts
In the end, there are many ways to stop your shoes from squeaking. Most of these are relatively cheap and easy to do on your own. You can also check out the 21 useful shoes hacks article for other shoe tips and tricks.
