Walking in your friend’s birthday party, with a well-groomed appearance, your newly bought shiny and polished boots are grabbing everyone’s attention. Before you could give one more step, your foot slips out of the boot, and you stumbled over. Isn’t it so embarrassing?
Alas, the same incident happened to me. Out of embarrassment, I immediately left the party.
Luckily, one of my friends works at a footwear company; I called him and asked for the heel slippage solution.
Knowing all the tips and tricks now, I can walk comfortably in my boots without any slippage.
If you have faced the same situation and in search of how to fix heel slippage in boots, my friend, you have opened the right window.
Undoubtedly, this article will provide you with innovative yet straightforward tricks in fixing your heel slippage.
So let’s jump in!
What Is Heel Slippage In Boots?
Heel slippage is nothing but slipping your foot out of the boot while walking and sometimes completely slipping out, leaving the shoes behind.
It can be an uncomfortable situation while walking. As well as dangerous too because when you are trekking or in a construction site working a hundred feet above in the air, heel slippage can be life-threatening.
But before that, go through our epic guide how to Clean Muddy Leather Boots
What Makes Heel Slips?
Heel slippage can happen for various reasons.
Some of the reasons for heel slipping are listed below:
- Heel slippage mostly happens with brand new boots. Because initially, the shoes are stiff, and you haven’t broken into leather boots yet. Breaking into leather boots means softening the boots by crushing them so that the leather strands loosen up.
- Choosing the wrong size of boots can also be a reason for heel slippage.
Check out our separate post on Do I Need Hiking Boots For Sedona
How To Prevent Heel Slippage In Boots?
Heel slippage in boots is not only risky but also embarrassing. Luckily, following some easy techniques, you can easily prevent heel slippage in boots.
Here are the simple and easy ways following which you can stop heel slippage in boots:
Get The Exact Size Of Shoes
One of the significant reasons for heel slippage is not buying the size of the perfect boot. It is evident, if your shoes are more extensive than your feet, they will pop out of your feet. Also, if the boot size is smaller, you will end up having blisters on your feet. Not too large nor too small always buy snug fit boots.
Before purchasing any boots, try to measure your feet size as accurately as possible. Also, keep in mind that our feet’ length changes over time; measure your feet size every three months if possible.
Different shoe brands have another shoe sizing, so before purchasing, check the shoe size chart to avoid investing in any wrong boots.
Lace-Up Your Boots
This method will only work on boots with laces on.
Lacing up or tightening your boot’s laces will secure the boot to your foot. Don’t tie it too much tight so that you are not comfortable while walking. If you want to avoid heel slippage, always try to buy boots with laces on.
There are different methods of lace locking like the “rabbit hole” method, “hiking boot lacing” method, “butterfly lacing” method, and many more. Just Google it; you will get many tutorials on it.
Use Shoe Tongue Pads
Shoe tongue pads are a shoe fitter’s secret weapon. A tongue pad pushes your feet backward while walking. You are ensuring that your feet are snug inside the boots and avoiding heel slippage.
A tongue pad has an adhesive backing, and you can place it on the underside of your shoe’s tongue. So just peel off the sticker and stick it to your boot, and you are good to go.
Most of the boots come with tongue pads. But if your shoes don’t have one, you can easily find them in any footwear store. Tongue pads are affordable and can enhance your comfort level.
But before that, you check out why are Lucchese Boots So Expensive
Usage Of Cork Cheaters Or Taps
Another way to accommodate heel slippage is to add cork cheaters or taps.
Detach the insole of the boots, place the taps beneath the toes, and close to the end of your shoes. Now, put the insole back in there for a close-fitting; it functions as a slight slope and presses you back into the heel. This gives you a better grip.
With a liner in the boots is a permanent fix, they will never move again.
Wear Non-Slip Socks
Wearing non-slip socks keeps your feet stay in their place, gives a firmer grip.
Usual socks have a smoother surface, which makes it a lot easier to get into the boots also makes it easier to get out of the shoes, which results in heel slippage. But non-slip socks are stubby and tough on the outside to comfortably stick to the boots’ outer lining.
If you don’t like to wear non-slip socks with your boots, try to wear it and make it a habit because wearing non-slip socks is a game-changer in preventing heel slippage.
Use Heel Liner
The heel liner is the same as tongue pads. Heel liner works great for boots that are larger than your actual boot size.
A heel liner is a padded patch with adhesive on one side. You need to press it into your boots at the heel area, and it will quickly stick to it.
Heel liners are a quick fix to avoid heel slippage.
Use Boot Dryer
To keep your boots slipping off, keeping the shoes dry from inside is a must. A boot dryer can remove the excess moisture keeping the shoes dry.
Excessive heat can make the boots too dry and break. So use the boot dryer with utmost care.
Usage Of Hair Spray
You use hair spray in your hair to hold your hairstyle in place, right? The same goes for boots; you can spray hair spray on your shoe soles, this will make your shoes a little slip-proof.
Keep in mind that this method is only a temporary solution; hair sprays are meant for hair, not boots. So don’t expect you are getting a firmer grip using hair sprays.
Check out the easiest way to are Cowboy Boots comfortable?
Mind Your Steps
Learn to walk on your heels rather than walking on your toes. It means that your heel should first come in touch with the ground and then the rest of the foot.
So if you don’t want any heel slippage, change your walking style as soon as possible.
Frequently Asking Questions
Question: Should boots slip in the heel?
Answer: It is normal to slide slightly in the heel. The more you wear the boots, the sole will become more pliable, and most of the slippage will vanish. The shoes will slip more when the instep is too large, so always buy tight-fitting boots.
Question: Should boots be a little loose?
Answer: Absolutely not. Neither too tight nor too loose, Always buy the snug fit.
Question: How snug shoes should fit?
Answer: A correctly fitting running shoe should feel comfortable in the heel and midfoot, with wriggle room around the toes. While standing, check the exact length and width by pushing your thumb down next to your foot’s ball and close to your toes. A slight fitting will allow for 1/2 to a full thumb’s width of space.
Conclusion
You don’t want to ruin your special day only because of heel slippage, right! Try any of the techniques mentioned above and say goodbye to heel slippage; otherwise, you will end up having injured feet.
And there is always an option left- Cobbler to the rescue; if you want to invest a fair amount of money rather than fixing your problem, then cobbler will be your ultimate option.
Hopefully, this article will help you prevent heel slippage and walk without any discomfort.
Do let us know in the comment section if this article helped you. Happy walking!
