Quick fix for shoe that falls out? - YouLookFab Forum

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Quick fix for shoe that falls out?

K.M.

Veteran

This might be a long shot, but... I'm in need of a quick and easy fix for shoes that slip out of my feet when I walk. By quick and easy I mean something I can do/procure today at work! (But I'm also interested in long-term solutions for the future.)

Long story: I left home wearing mid-heel pumps that I had worn once outside of the house. They had been totally fine. I tried them on again yesterday and today around the house, and they were fine. But as I stepped into my garage the one on my left foot started to slip out with every step. It was too late to change/go back/get an insole etc.

I have difficult feet, and this often happens with pumps; my feet are thin and low-volume, narrow in the heels, but wide in the toe box, and my right foot is wider because of a bunion (so basically I have duck feet). Most pumps either are too tight and painful, or slip out when I walk.

Now these pumps I'm wearing today have a bit of a higher vamp than usual--not ultra high, but enough that they didn't slip out the first time I wore them. So I was just thrilled to finally have this elegant, versatile, and actually comfortable shoe! I am including pictures and a link for your reference (link here: https://www.arezzo.com.br/sapa.....age/p/0448).

The material is patent leather, so I guess it must have stretched (which is not a terrible thing since it makes it more comfortable on my right foot).

I have two questions:
1) Is there anything I can do today with limited resources of what I can find around the office (elastic band? adhesive tape? glue? paper clips? toilet paper?)
2) Is there a long-term solution such as an insole?

Note: I've tried some insoles with other pumps in the past (lower-vamp pumps than this one, which slipped out of my foot right out of the box), and they didn't work--didn't change a thing... but maybe I didn't try the right ones.

Help! I've been walking extremely and unnaturally slowly and sometimes limping or dragging my left foot so the shoe won't fall off...

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Urgent

22 replies

Latest reply was from Eliza

bridgie

Veteran

K.M. I am only replying here to let you know I care and bump-up your post so maybe someone who one can help will see it sooner. I take it you don't have a spare pair of shoes, even if they are sneaks. I think I might try stuffing the shoe with toilet tissue. I just have never had that to happen.

Hang in there. I know someone will come up with an idea shortly.

Ginger

Veteran

Not at all elegant, but try a rubber band around both shoe and foot at your arch, like a Mary Jane strap. It should keep you at least walking.

Ginger

Veteran

A longer-term solution can be heel grips. They are rubbery strips that stick to the inside back of your shoe above the heel. You have to be careful not to tear them off when you stick your feet in, but they should work. My mother has narrow feet and they help her with some shoes.

Ginger

Veteran

Another temporary fix (which may damage the shoe, so be warned) is to use tape or adhesive on the heel part of the insole. If you can get some sticky on both the shoe there and on your own heel, it can help keep the shoe from slipping off so easily. And when you walk it will put pressure on the adhesive, which helps.

K.M.

Veteran

bridgie, that's very sweet! <3

Ginger, these are all excellent solutions! I had never heard of a heel grip and I'm excited to get some for this shoe and others that I haven't been able to wear. And for now I will try first the adhesive, and then the rubber band if that doesn't work. I am kicking myself for not keeping a spare pair of shoes in the office... Although I'm wearing longish pants so not every shoe would fit the bill (on the plus side the pants might be able to cover a rubber band).

thanks

Liz A.

Veteran

I have also had luck with a heel grip. The ones I had the best luck with were like this. The gel looking ones didn't stay stuck in my shoe, but YMMV.

K.M.

Veteran

Liz A., thanks for the specific recommendation. That's good to know; I might have to try out different ones, but in my experience, if something can fall out, it will... so I'll start with the ones you suggested! Thanks!

Anonymous

Depending on the shoe, it might help to stuff a bit of tissue in the toe of the shoe, so that your heel is more firmly against the back.

ETA, those are darn good-looking shoes! I certainly hope you can find a long-term solution.

Ginger

Veteran

I hope you find a good solution! Those are lovely shoes!

ETA: Liz A., those are the grips my mother has used. They usually work very well.

JP

Veteran

I feel you, I have low volume feet and bunion on both sides...For a quick fix - If you can find feminine pads, put those in there, it helps that they have the adhesive strip at the bottom so they stay in place. Hope this helps

K.M.

Veteran

Ryce and Ginger, yes, I do love the look of these shoes, and I don't own very many feminine dainty shoes like these that I could use in the everyday. Thank you!

JP, that is a really creative use of feminine pads!!! I don't think I have any on hand (although I should based on the time of the month--thanks for the reminder ) I will give it a try at home!

For now, I've put a rubber band, but I will try out all the other solutions. The temporary fixes are very helpful for the future and I'll have an arsenal of them! Thank you everyone!

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Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

I use the heel grips, like Ginger mentioned, but because the adhesive on them never seems strong, I buy wig tape strips (they have them at every beauty supply store I've been to), and use those as adhesive.

harmonica

Veteran

Beautiful shoes! The rubber band trick is really smart! How about adding double sided tape or Hollywood tape on the insole. That way your foot will be taped to your shoe. It has sometimes worked for me, even when wearing hose. Best of luck!

Diana

Veteran

I have pretty much the same kind of duck feet and my experience is that shoes that do this cannot be fixed. Sorry. =(

I think this style of shoe is so pretty but your experience is precisely why I don't own any!

K.M.

Veteran

La Belle Demimondaine, that's good to know about wig tape strips--I didn't know about them!

harmonica, wow, I'm impressed that fashion tape has worked with hose for you. I have some at home, it never occurred to me to try.

Diana, I think I will say goodbye to most of my pumps that do this (actually many flats as well). I probably have 6-10 pairs of shoes that have this problem to different degrees! I will keep trying with these ones though... unlike the other shoes, the right foot is not falling (yay for bunion), so that makes me more motivated to try.

(To solve this problem with a pair of D'Orsay pumps that was falling off my left foot right out of the box, I purchased two pairs in consecutive sizes--the right foot is sized up--but evidently this is not a sustainable solution and only happened because of a sale!)

rachylou

Veteran

A napkin or paper towel folded up and placed under the ball of the foot...?

MTBGirl

Veteran

I have had success with the gel heel strip placed on top of my foot (I think someone on the forum commented on this) for a pair of loafers I could not keep on no matter how carefully I walked. It might be worth it to try. Glad the rubber band is working for today!

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Anonymous

Just adding that as someone with a narrow heel and low volume feet I think Rachylou is on the right track for type of insole. It seems like your foot is sliding forward into the toe box and a partial insole might help. Adding a full insole would lift the entire foot which might actually make the fit even less stable.

K.M.

Veteran

Donna and Rachylou, those are interesting spots for the strip/tissue paper/other filler, I'll try them. Donna, that is a GORGEOUS shoe by the way!

Isabel, I hadn't thought about it this way. In my other problem shoes, I simply tried adding full insoles--thicker and thicker, I even doubled up--and as you said, it didn't work and at points even got worse. It didn't occur to me to try a half insole. I'll try it out in some of my other shoes too!

As for today, it was rubber band for the win! I was able to walk normally around, especially the three blocks from my office to the garage (which were the most challenging part earlier today). But it only worked because I was wearing long, wideleg pants that covered most of my feet (only pointed toes and an inch of heel showing). Also, the elastic dug in... so not a sustainable solution.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I have had some shoes that do this. For some a half insole works really well. One pair I tried the half insole AND heel grips but it kept happening, I ended up giving those ones away

Vildy

Veteran

Here's what I did. I have feet almost exactly like yours. The narrow heel, wider forefoot and on the larger right foot I have the beginnings of a bunion. Heels can be very tough for me because my foot will slip down into them a bit, just enough that my heel lifts out of the shoe.

Found a pair of shoes at the thrift store that were the exact shade of nude I wanted plus they fit comfortably and were easy to walk and balance in. Stupidly, I didn't think to look at the back heel fit and when I got them home and tried them on again, they were too large a size and had a good gap at the back heel. Oh man.

I tried everything and finally found a solution. I have some sets of gel inserts that are not full or half but just for particular spots like ball of foot, arch. They self-stick. I put an arch support in each shoe at the right spot for my own arch if I could wear them with heel in proper place. Wasn't enough. I then put a ball of foot cushion (which leaves free room for the toes) in front of that and presto!

ETA: I had read about some anchorwoman trick of using a maxi pad in the shoe to keep your foot in place comfortably and stop sliding forward in heels. Bought a pack. Did not work for me whatsoever.

I may be the one who originally wrote about the trick of placing a heel pad - cushiony like the one pictured upthread - into the front edge of the shoe. When I don't accidentally buy shoes in the wrong size, this does work for me.

Eliza

Veteran

Similar issues with loose heels here. I don't think it will work with pumps that have a very low vamp, but for loafers, smoking slipper styles, monk straps and oxfords, a shoe sales person showed me how a somewhat "fuzzy" pad stuck on the front inside top of the shoe can help the heel stay in place.

I had pretty good luck with these from Amazon:
Felt Tongue Pad Cushions
https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod.....#038;psc=1

Good luck- I know it is a challenge.