Sliding shoes: what to do to prevent shoes from slipping?

New shoes or boots can be very, very slippery on a flat and wet asphalt surface or in cold winter, when there is ice. But before you throw your shoes in the trash, you should try to correct the situation on your own and make them less slippery.

If the shoes are new

To prevent your new shoes from slipping, take into account the following tips and recommendations:

1. Put it on and walk on the rough surface of concrete or gravel, old paving stones or rocks - this way you will not only wear out your shoes, but also make the perfectly flat surface of the sole rougher and less slippery. The main rule in this case is that the more and longer you wear new shoes, the less slippery their soles will be.
2. If you don’t want to go somewhere, we use sandpaper - just walk it over the surface of the sole of your new boots or shoes. It is best to choose coarse sandpaper, but before you try this method, check whether it can be used on certain types of soles. Most often this applies to some fabrics and soles made from natural materials. If you don’t have sandpaper at hand, take a file or a coarse-grained nail file.

Additional funds

What else can you do? Experts recommend the following.

Nozzles and coatings

If your shoes still slip, purchase special attachments and coatings that are specially designed for these purposes and can be purchased in specialized stores.Most often, they are attached to the sole using adhesive and do not allow the sole to slide. Such attachments can be either ice drifts or ice access devices equipped with spikes. In addition to them, you can put special heels on your shoes.

Such heels can be very different, for example, made of polyurethane - they cling perfectly to ice and will freeze to the surface at sub-zero temperatures. Although in some cases rubber pads are better suited - they are optimal for both the winter season and summer shoes. Thus, metal heels also allow you to solve the issue of shoes slipping in winter, but they are less popular due to the specific knocking sound while walking.

Sprays

You can use a special anti-slip spray for shoes and soles. Just consult a shoe store about which product is best and follow the instructions. Such products are quite affordable, but the only drawback is that, depending on the quality, they may be enough for no more than 1-2 walks around the city.

Hair fixation spray

As an option, you can use regular anti-slip hairspray. This option is optimal for the most economical ones, when you do not want to spend money on special products. But it’s worth making a certain reservation right away - such a product is unlikely to give you a good final result, but it will help quite well against light ice or wet asphalt. It is enough to simply spray the varnish on the sole and let it dry for a couple of minutes, without placing the shoes on the floor, so as not to wipe off the still fresh sticky layer from them.As soon as you find yourself in a heavy downpour or on a dense layer of ice, this option will not help you stay on your feet wearing slippery shoes.

Paints

You can also use three-dimensional children's paints to combat excessive slipping - their peculiarity is that under the influence of temperatures they will expand and form a three-dimensional pattern on the surface. It is enough to apply it to the sole and let it dry for several hours - this will create roughness on the surface and will not allow your feet to slip. The main thing to remember is that this procedure will have to be repeated often, since the effect does not last long and, accordingly, the paint will peel off every time you go outside. But if you show a little creativity, you can use this paint to turn your own shoes into a real work of art.

Duct tape

Special, with a sticky surface, double-sided tape - such tape can be purchased in special shoe stores or you can resort to using a patch, but always with a rough and dense fabric base that will not fall off 5 minutes after going outside. And even in this case, you will have to change the patch itself from time to time.

Specialists

If you are happy to have an exclusive pair of shoes, such methods are certainly not acceptable to you. In this case, you should contact specialists who will advise you on what is best to do in such a situation. But in this case, you should immediately take note - this service in a good workshop and from an experienced shoemaker will cost you quite a lot of money.Taking into account the material from which your shoes are made, their upper and the sole itself, you will pay almost the cost of your pair of boots or summer sandals. However, the specialist will tell you the best option, and you will wear your shoes with pleasure and safely for your feet.

What should you avoid?

To avoid buying shoes whose soles will slip and cause you a lot of inconvenience in the future, put them on right at the point of sale and walk around and see if they slip. For example, some enterprises require their employees, as part of their dress code, to wear special shoes at work with non-slip soles. If you do too, this can create a lot of problems, both in the workplace and with your own health, for example, injuries. If you have vague doubts, it is best to buy shoes with non-slip soles, taking into account the coefficient of friction with a rough surface. The thing is that in many enterprises this figure should not exceed 0.5-0.7 - this point should be clarified with the employer in advance.

Before you wear a new pair of shoes to work, be sure to put them on and wear them in another place, for example, in a store or at home. The main thing is that the surface is similar to the one you have at work - this way you will quickly understand whether it is comfortable for you or whether you should abandon it.

If there is a need to repair your shoes, you should not use for this purpose a glue or spray composition that will be aggressive towards the material from which your pair of shoes or boots is made.If there is a need to work with thin and delicate material, such as leather, before using this or that product, read the instructions included with this product.

Of course, there are no rules without exceptions, but some compounds can discolor or deform the shoe material, not having the best effect on its condition and appearance. As an example, if you use hairspray against slipping, you should use it so that it does not get on the outside of the shoe, but only on the sole. So the active substances contained in it can negatively affect the skin and other natural materials.

If you couldn’t solve the problem using the methods and means described above from the arsenal of folk craftsmen, it is better to buy a new pair, since not all the methods described above always give the desired result. You should not tempt your fate and your own safety - the risk of falling on slippery shoes and getting injured will not be worth your beauty, which will only last a couple of minutes before the fall. And you should understand that if the sole of your pair of shoes is too slippery and nothing can be done about it, you simply have no choice but to buy new shoes.

If the shoes are too slippery for your hobby or work, and you don’t dare throw them away, sell them or give them to someone who needs them. This way you will do a good deed, and the person will be pleased, and you will be comfortable in your favorite and comfortable sneakers or sneakers.