Slides and mules- do they "slap" on the ground? - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Dressing

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Slides and mules- do they "slap" on the ground?

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Hi all, shoe question for your collective wisdom. I Googled this but no joy so need to ask your experience. I notice that slides and mules seem to continue in popularity. But I remember some sequined black summer slides from maybe 2000 or 2001, a brand called "Tamara London" ( not to be confused with Tamara Mellon, I bought these at Overland now Merchant 1948 back in the day.) They were really pretty and dressy, while flat, but I eventually edited them out because they made this most terrible slapping/ cracking sound on any wooden floor or outdoor surface. You could hear me coming a mile off and I really disliked it.
I only own one pair of mules, from 2011, with 17 wears, they don't seem to do it but they have a sort of rubbery heel. I'm liking all the ones below ( don't worry, would be PPP and may well not get any, this is partly a theoretical question) and just wondering if any would be likely to do this to me? See one white pair is like Angie's, but these are all from an Australian site.
Please share your experiences- sorry it's just before bed so will be back to you in a bit over 8 hours, cheers and thanks.

This post has 6 photos. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

Dressing

29 replies

Latest reply was from

Jane

Veteran

Slides and mules mostly do for me, but I did spot last year that Angie had a pair of slides that didn't slap - may be Naturalizers. I don't think that 4 would on my feet though and may be not 2 because, maybe, they go quite far back.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

On the floor or on your feet? I'm very familiar with the sound of them slapping against feet, but assume they would do that on the floor only if you "released" them early, so they hit the floor before your foot did--unless, of course, it was a floor that any hard shoe would make a sound on. In that case it's just a matter of the material the sole is made of, so 3,4, & 5 are your best bets.

cindysmith

Veteran

I had to get rid of all my miles and slides because my sciatica didn't get along with all the effort it took to keep them on my feet. I've since bought one pair of mules (pic), but they don't seem to bother my hip and leg; I think it's because the vamp of the shoe covers so much of the foot.

#s 4 and 5 of your possibilities look like they'd cover enough of the foot to not slap around. #2 looks like it might be a good option too. #s 1 and six look like they'd definitely flop around, and 3 looks like it probably would too.

This post has 1 photo. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

Murph11

Veteran

Like CS says, a higher vamp does the trick for me. I pass on all others to avoid the slap.

bj1111

Veteran

you can avoid the slap-slap-slap by scrunching your toes. super uncomfortable so i live with the noise if the slides are pretty.

Anonymous

So I adore the look and comfort of mules and slides. Easy. Comfortable. Dressy.

The problem for me was that there was that loud slapping noise. You could literally hear me coming from any point in the building. It was especially apparent on the marble flooring of the office. I too edited them out of my wardrobe. I don't know the cause. It broke my heart.

Bennett

Veteran

Can't speak about the slides as I don't have any, all my mules have a very high vamp like cindysmith's example. They don't slap at all. Your #1 example look like the Dr. Scholl's I wore in the 70s, and they most definitely made a lot of noise! I hope you try some, I was skeptical about mules for a long time. Now I can't wait for spring so I can get them out again!

rachylou

Veteran

Me too - high vamp solves that flappy noise problem. Hate that! Yes I do. But I like slides.

kkards

Veteran

some slapping is inherent in the design, after all there is nothing "holding" the back part of the shoe to your foot....but the amount of slapping and the loudness of it is dependant both on the design of the shoe and the individual way you walk. in my experince, which of course related to how i walk, of the examples show #1 & #6 would be loud "slappers", the others would all require road testing

Bijou

Veteran

Jenni, I like slides and mules with wide straps across the foot to securely hold my feet in place, that avoids the noise effect. I have a pair of Birkenstock Arizona’s that are great to walk in and a slide with a wedge heel that stays securely on my foot, in Finds below. Of the slides that you have shown, all but 4 and 5 would be likely to fall off my feet or be noisy to walk in.

I have narrow, low volume fussy feet,so getting this style of shoe to work for me is a challenge.

View Info

nemosmom

Veteran

I walk right out of mules and haven't found a slide that works on my foot, other than a shower slide - mine are Under Armour with a velcro vamp (yes, *shudder*! Not at all fashionable, but super comfy....)

Canada

No slapping with my one pair of mules by Steve Madden with a high vamp. I find the mule style somewhat limiting because I can't wear socks with them so I use them as transitional shoe fashion in spring and fall. My mules are velvet so no wears in humid summertime. I love the look of mules worn with ankle length pants.

Anonymous

KKards provided the most succinct response to your question. I do think it has something to do with walking style. I hadn't considered the length of the vamp.

JAileen

Veteran

I had some back in the 90s that were very noisy. Now I have the Naturalizers and they aren’t noisy. Besides the vamp, it also depends on how loose they are.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Thank you everyone! Great to wake up to so much wisdom. Bennett, the first ones are Scholl's, they are a re-do of that old style from the 70s. The peacock colours really attract me, but I did suspect they would slap a lot.
FashIntern, I did actually mean the slap against the ground as opposed to on my foot, but when I Googled it was the slap against the foot that came up in discussion. No-one talked about the noise on the ground, which is what concerned me. My concern is like what happened to Sterling.
I love yours Cindy, I remember them from your shoe post, so cool! Thanks for the thoughts about the vamps and straps, both ideas I hadn't considered. Knew I would likely tap into good thinking! Number 6 is now sold out in my size, I found after I had posted last night.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Jenni, then see the rest of my comment.

Sal

Veteran

I have experienced that too! I currently have one pair of slides and they have s rubber sole and a higher vamp - so no problems to date.

I love having a pair in summer for houses where you leave shoes at the door. I have to be careful not to wear them too much as they do aggravate my foot a bit - I have very early stage plantar fasciitis and the osteo recommended straps at the back.

SarahD8

Veteran

Jenni, I was slow to warm up to the idea of slides for exactly this reason. But now I have two pair -- my house shoes that are a similar style to #2 in your post, and a pair of sandals. I don't have that "slapping" problem with either pair (although I mostly wear the house shoes with socks -- yes I realize that most people would wear them with bare feet). Both pairs are quite flat, lightweight, and high vamped. I suspect all those qualities, but especially the high vamp, prevent the slapping noise.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I have yet to find a pair that stay on. I like the look and would love a house pair like SarahDB has.

Around 2000 I had a pair from Ecco that did stay on without toe scrunching and those had rubbery soles so they didn't clack too much except sometimes on stairways.

taylor

Veteran

Like Nemosmom I walk right out of slides not to mention the annoying slap slap against my heels .... I gave up slides decades ago .
They have some awesome and beautiful designs in slide footwear but that still doesn’t tempt me .

Windchime

Veteran

Like some others, I haven’t had much luck with slides—they slip around and even give me blisters.

I loved my first pair of mules, though, purchased last summer. They were amazingly comfortable for walking, stayed in place, didn’t slap the ground, worked with everything from dresses to jeans, and were just all-around great shoes!

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I think I might unconsciously scrunch my toes - although I wouldn't wear them if they were uncomfortable. Will check in warm weather !

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I think, from some comments here, it seems it has been worse on stairs. I did find that stairs were the worst with those ones I found the problem with. We had wooden stairs and the noise was incredibly loud.
I think, with all your responses, I will put any such purchase off. I wasn't sure anyway. It is not like I need shoes! Thanks.

Sal

Veteran

You could try some in store - Hannahs and Merchant have quite a range. You might get an idea if they will work.

Joy

Veteran

Mine do not slap the ground. My experience with slapping has been with flip flops and that sort of thing. Look back at Angie's blog posts on mules. She addresses this. Those with higher sides in front stay on the foot better than more open styles

View Info

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

YES. Mules can clack, especially when you walk up stairs. The better they fit thought, the less noisy they are. Mine don't slap around, now that I order them in a narrow size.

Sara L.

Veteran

I've found that the high vamp helps with the slapping sounds. The ones I bought last summer are loafer mules with a high vamp and they don't slap. I've had many different styles over the years and anything similar to your #1 and #6 will slap.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Next round: the noise that pointy heels (even if they aren't complete stilettos) make when you walk: irritating or pure power?

After that, squeaky sneaker suspicions

Anonymous

I agree that the lower vamp ones slap more...but they look so much more refined Pointy heels, check!
There was a security guard who had squeaky shoes in one of my offices. He couldnt sneak up on anyone either