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Slippery shoe solution?

Mander

(website)

Veteran

So, yesterday I slipped on a wet floor in a train station and bruised the hell out of my knee (fortunately my favorite jeans survived, however!). The shoes I was wearing at the time are my new ankle boots, which I have worn quite a bit around town so they are already fairly scuffed up on the bottom, which is supposed to help. However, I suspect the reason why I fell is because the heel part is made from some kind of hard plastic, which is still pretty slippery.

Has anyone tried any of the various stick-on grip tape, etc. for shoes like this? Or had a cobbler do something to make them more stable? Bonus points if it makes them quieter to walk in -- I am imagining some kind of stick-on rubber sole but I don't know if such a thing really exists.

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17 replies

Latest reply was from Laurinda

Joyce B

Veteran

Sorry about your fall. I hate slippery shoes and most of the pretty ones are slippery. I know the heel that you describe, it is very slippery. My cobbler changes the heels for some rubber ones and that helps. You could also have your cobbler put a rubber front part to the sole.

El Cee

Veteran

Oh, no! That stinks. Hope your knee recovers fast. (The same thing happened to me last year, and I ended up throwing out the boots.) In the past, I have had some success with having a cobbler put rubber grips on the heels and soles. Have never tried the "do-it-yourself" methods. Now I only wear rubber soled boots and shoes for wet day commuting and save my prettier footwear for indoors and drier days. LOL about the "quieter to walk in" concern. Unfortunately, I have no hints here. All my boots "talk".

JillG

I've had good luck using regular masking tape on slippery soles and heels.

Von

Veteran

I hate slippery heels as well, and as someone who did a lethal split one day in a restaurant I feel your pain! Sometimes, it's hard to get enough grip on a heel to stop slipping, but on my new pair of booties, I noticed that while the heel is still slick, the entire sole is rubber and grippy, and it makes for a very steady walk. Perhaps having a more grippy sole (Vibram maybe?) put on may help the problem more than covering the tiny heel area.

The bottom of these isn't pretty, but for my clumsy feet, so far so good!

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Emily

Veteran

Ugh, that is the worst! I hope your knee feels better soon.

Here's another plug for the Vibram rubber outsole: I had these put on a pair of flats and a pair of slippery booties last year and they make a huge difference in both traction and wear. They are quieter, too. Totally worth it in my opinion.

Vildy

Veteran

I slipped in the supermarket in shoes with an inch wide heel base. I put some stick on grippie things on the front part but then realized it was the heel. Had the lifts changed at the cobblers.

Glory

Veteran

I have a pair of boots like that. I purchased a strip from Aldo and this has solved my problem. I used sandpaper on the bottom first to make sure it was clean and the thing would grip. Worked like a charm. Resole from a cobbler is also a great option like some of the ladies have mentioned.

Greyscale

Veteran

I get the heels of my boots redone in hard rubber instead of plastic. It's mostly because I hate clicky noises, but I also find it easier to walk.

Mander

(website)

Veteran

Sounds like there's hope for the cobbler! Hopefully since they are fairly new there will be plenty of material to work with. I took a pair of DH's shoes in once but he had worn them down so far that there was nothing to attach the new sole to. Perhaps this will be my mission tomorrow.

deb

Veteran

I take all new shoes with this type of heel and have the plastic part replaces with a non slip heel. I fact, My new booties are going to the cobbler today.

Oh, and the new heel will make it quieter. If you hear the clikity-clak, then you know you have a plastic heel that need to be fixed before wearing.

Gigi

Veteran

Consider this another vote for the cobbler and having rubber heel tips put on instead of the plastic. Plastic must be cheaper, because I see it on so many shoes. It's irritating--and loud. I just had this done on a pair of boots, and they feel more secure and aren't so dang loud. And the nice thing is that it's not an expensive repair.

Mrs Moo

Hi Mander, definitely try the cobbler, mine is a genius and can do anything, including when things are so worn down they appear unfixable! Are you still in the same city? I used to use a great cobbler in the Green Market but it's closed now to make way for the new bit of Eldon Sq

gryffin

Veteran

Hi Mander - I also highly recommend a cobbler. I have a great pair of Charles David spanish style riding boots that came with leather soles. Scuffing and tape did not solve the slippery problem. My cobbler applied a very thing rubber sole (must be about 1/8" to the sole and heel area and they have been great ever since. It's three years out and the sole and heel are still holding up well and you would never know anything had been done. Good luck but it is so not worth the risk of hurting yourself without getting them fixed!! PS the rubber does make the sound much softer.

Thistle

Veteran

Thanks for posting this! I slipped at work with a new pair of shoes. The bottoms were leather, but still slippery.

Looks like it is time to take them to the cobbler.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

Mander, hope you are not too badly hurt! I agree, the cobbler can do wonders, but if the issue is just a slick leather sole on new shoes, a bit of sanding with sandpaper will make a big difference. Or go walk around on some gritty concrete for a couple minutes, same difference!

Gaylene

Veteran

As a senior, I take falls VERY seriously so I have all my fashion shoes re-done by a cobbler. I just had the plastic heel of my new Okalas replaced with a rubber one and it makes a huge difference. I walk fast and I need my footwear to do their job without putting me on the ground unexpectedly.

Laurinda

Veteran

A helpful post, but note that it is from 9 months ago.
Too bad it was resurrected by a spammer.