I’ve had my fair share of slippery shoes but they’re more than just annoying – they’re dangerous. They heighten risks for slips, falls, injuries, and broken bones. If you have a favorite pair of shoes but you find them too slippery, then you should be familiar with how to make shoes non-slip.
The best and most practical way to make your shoes non-slip is with sole grip pads, a more permanent solution. Applying some traction spray on the soles is an effective, low-cost, and long-lasting solution too. You can also scuff up the soles with sandpaper to give them texture for proper grip on smooth surfaces.
For sure, there are even more ways to make your shoes non-slip, avoiding slips, falls, and accidents. What we’ve briefly stated above aren’t the only solutions, especially if you don’t have the materials needed readily available.
Below, we’ll go over our favorite hacks and home remedies for how to make shoes non slip. And if you still aren’t fully convinced, we’ll tell you in detail why you should consider doing these hacks on your favorite pair of shoes.
Why Use Slip-Resistant Shoes?
Slippery shoes can open up a world of accidents. You can slip, fall, and trip when you decide to ride out wearing slippery shoes.
Slipping and falling on your butt isn’t the worst thing to come out of wearing slippery shoes. When you slip and fall, you can injure or break your wrists, arms, legs, feet, or even your face.
Wearing non-slip shoes can reduce the risk of slips, falls, and accidents. This is especially important if you work in an environment where you’re on the go and up on your feet for hours on end.
People who work in restaurants, hospitals, schools, and kitchens, for example, are always on their feet and would most likely need to use non-slip shoes. This will help them prevent shoe-related accidents at work.
Wearing shoes that slip can take away a lot of your confidence. This is because while walking, your mind will often wander to your feet. When you’re walking in slippery shoes, you will have to pay very close attention to how you’re walking so you don’t slip and fall. This is what takes away your confidence.
When you’re walking in non-slip shoes instead, you can walk confidently and take your mind off your shoes and the risk of slipping and falling.
What Makes Shoes Slip-Resistant and Non-Slip?
When you’re out shopping for a new pair of shoes to take you places, of course, you’re weighing in the most important things first: the style, design, color, and fit. But another major factor that often gets overlooked is the shoe’s non-slip factor, which it gets from its traction. So what makes a pair of shoes actually non-slip?
The right outsole material
The best non-slip shoes have a rubber sole as it provides excellent grip and traction. Rubber soles are sticky and waterproof, even on very smooth and flat surfaces.
Other outsole materials like leather are commonly used in dress shoes. And though they look dressy in business and formal settings, the leather outsoles often lack the grip and traction you need to prevent slips and falls.
The right outsole design
Apart from the shoe sole material used, the design also plays a huge role in whether your shoes are slippery or non-slip.
Non-slip shoes have soles that incorporate grooves, treads, traction pads, and studs. These design choices are what give the shoes grip and traction, even on wet or oily floor surfaces.
The best example of this is Vans shoes. These shoes have a mix of different treads of circles and rhombus shapes across the soles. This gives them maximum grip and traction even on slippery surfaces
Shoes with totally smooth outsoles without any texture will simply slide across floor surfaces, heightening the risk of slips and falls. The more texture the sole has, the more traction it has.
Why Not Just Buy Non-Slip Shoes?
You’re here for one thing: to learn how you can make your shoes non-slip.
But now you might be thinking why can’t you just buy a new pair of non-slip shoes?
Of course, buying a new pair of shoes that are already non-slip is always an option. But if your current budget doesn’t allow it, then buying new shoes isn’t an entirely viable option.
Additionally, not all non-slip shoes you can find available are compatible with your work environment or the event you’re attending.
For many workplaces, dress codes are set in place which also means you have to wear a certain type of shoe. So even if you find a non-slip shoe you like, it might not be on par with your workplace’s code of dressing. The same goes for occasions with dress codes in place.
If you find yourself in such a predicament, making your shoes non-slip might be the only way you can go.
How to Make Shoes Non-Slip
If you have your problem shoes ready in hand, here’s everything you need to know on how to fix slippery shoes:
- Attach non-slip sole grip pads
Non-slip sole grip pads are an excellent and more permanent way to add grip and traction to the bottom of your shoes.
Sole grip pads are adhesive stickers that go on the bottom of the shoes. They add texture to your shoes without altering the soles. These offer the perfect solution for walking with traction and confidence.
Different stores and even Amazon are filled with various choices of these shoe soles. They come in different shapes and sizes to accommodate different styles of shoes. But generally, these are universal and can fit any shoe in your closet. Some are even available in varying colors in an effort to match the soles of your shoes.
- Apply traction spray
Applying traction spray on the bottom of your shoes is effective, low-cost, and long-lasting all in one.
This is a great semi-permanent solution. Though keep in mind that you might need to respray the bottoms of your shoes once the solution wears down.
- Scuff up the soles
When you’re worried that your new pair of shoes are slippery, scuffing the soles should make a great permanent solution.
Grab some sandpaper and scuff the outsoles of the shoes. Doing this will give the bottoms of the shoe a rough surface, perfect for grip and traction.
When you’re doing this with older shoes, do so with caution so as not to damage them.
- Use adhesive bandages
An adhesive bandage is not only useful when you have injuries, cuts, or wounds. Attaching them to the bottom of your shoes will give you the grip and traction you need to walk confidently.
Before you stick anything on, make sure to clean the bottom of your shoes first. Let it air dry for the best results. Then, take four pieces of bandages and simply stick two on each shoe. If you’re low on bandages at home, you can get away with just one bandage on each shoe.
It would be best to keep a few more bandages in your bag so it comes in handy when you wear out the bandages on your shoe.
This is a more temporary way to get grip and traction on your shoes but effective nonetheless.
- Use masking tape
Another cheap way to give your shoes the grip and traction it needs is with masking tape. Like adhesive bandages, these are a temporary solution and you would need to regularly change it.
On the bottom of your shoes, make an x-mark out of the tape and this will give you sufficient grip.
- Try hairspray
If you don’t have traction spray readily available, one quick home remedy is to use hairspray. Simply spray a generous amount on the bottoms of the shoes. The chemical compound in the hairspray will give them grip and traction.
A drawback to this is it’s messy. You also have to wait for the spray to air dry before you can wear and use the shoes. And because the spray will most likely wear out, you need to reapply it after each use.
- Try puff paint
A simple (and colorful) way to get traction on your shoes is with puff paint.
Puff paint dries down to a bumpy surface. These act as treads to give your shoes a non-slip grip. What’s more, you can be as creative and colorful as you want.
- Try a salt and rubber glue mixture
For this hack, coat the bottom of your shoe with a salt and rubber glue mixture.
To make this mixture, simply mix the salt and rubber glue in a bowl. Then, use a brush to apply it on the outsoles of your shoes. Wait for it to dry before using.
- Put your shoes on and take a walk
One very simple yet effective way to give your shoes grip and traction is by putting it on and taking a walk. Take a walk not on smooth tiles and surfaces.
This hack works best if you walk and rub the bottoms of your shoe on rough surfaces like concrete or asphalt. The rough surface will scuff up the otherwise smooth surface of your shoes, especially on new shoes.
This will give them texture for that much-needed grip so you can avoid slips and accidents.
- Attach ankle straps for high heels
Though attaching an ankle strap to your shoes will not make the soles slip-free, it will wear on your feet better and will give you better balance. This is true if the shoes you’re worried about are a pair of heels.
This is a better hack to follow if you find that your own balance and how the shoe fits are issues themselves. And if your soles need even more grip, try any of the hacks above.
- Pay a cobbler a visit
If none of our hacks worked for you, it’s time to pay a cobbler a visit.
Ask them to replace your shoes’ soles with non-slip soles. These are a sure way to give your shoes the grip and traction your feet need.
The drawback to this is it can be expensive. Because of that, not many find the value in having the soles removed and replaced. But if you’re determined to make your favorite shoes non-slip and don’t mind spending on them, definitely try a cobbler.
On the plus side, they can fix an array of other shoe issues as well.
Conclusion
Slippery shoes are a common enemy for many. They’re annoying and can cause accidents from slips and falls to broken bones. If you have a favorite shoe in your closet and would like to make them essentially non-slip, try these home remedies and hacks:
Attach non-slip sole grip pads on the bottoms of your shoes. These are widely available, easy, and a more permanent solution to your problem. Traction sprays also offer an effective, low-cost, and long-lasting solution. Though you need to reapply once it’s worn down. And scuffing up the soles of your shoes, especially a new pair, with sandpaper shall give it a rough texture for grip and traction.
And that has been our detailed guide on how to make shoes non-slip. You can reach out to us below with more of your queries and concerns!
