Making shoes less slippery

blabla89

I found a pair of low-heel shoes that I really like, but when I tried them on the hardwood floor today they felt super slippery, like I was going to slide across the floor. I'm terribly clumsy so this is a recipe for disaster, especially on my wedding day. So does anyone have tips for making the soles of shoes less slippery/adding some traction?

esstee33

I had this exact problem with my wedding shoes. They're gorgeous and have ZERO traction. I got the shoes at DSW, and on one of the little racks by the register they had these "sure step" things. There's two pairs in the package and it was like $4. I put them on as soon as I got home and they're fantastic. No slipping! 

ETA: A little more expensive on Amazon, but this is them: http://www.amazon.com/Sof-Sole-Sure-Steps-Pack/dp/B003IJ7RJM

doeydo

There are a few tips here, though I have never tried any of these myself: http://www.ehow.com/how_12146288_give-shoe-grip.html

Also, I would have posted a gif of Chandler slipping and sliding in his shoes at his wedding, but I can't find one.

Maggie0829

Typically when I find a pair of shoes that I know I will not return and they happen to be slippery on the bottom, I put them on and scuff the bottoms up on the sidewalk or the street.  The bottoms just need to be worn in a bit.  But only do this if you are sure you are going to keep them.

atlastmrsg

You can buy little strips to put on bottom, some look like sandpaper.

Or, go out to a concrete side walk or driveway and rub them on the ground to scuff the sole so it looks like it's been walked in.  I did that to all my pageant heels when they were new.

Just be sure you want to keep them.  Once the bottoms are scuffed, you can't take them back.

Like this--but you probably won't need them this scuffed:

ElcaB

If you're looking for cheap tricks, you can cross hatch the bottoms with a cheese grater, knife, or scissors. The other easy solution is to put duct tape on the bottom. The rubberish side adds lots of traction!

novella1186

I've used an exacto knife to score the bottoms of shoes in a diamond pattern (cut diagonally one way, then cut diagonally the opposite way so the lines criss-cross).  

You could also take them to a shoe repair shop (yes these actually still exist) and ask to have little discrete treads put on the bottom. 

Or you could try ordering some stick-on things from Amazon. I love Amazon. They have everything! 

weddingcactus

Sometimes I do the scuff on the sidewalk trick and that helps. But if I really want to make sure I won't slip, I've had a shoe repair place put a thin rubber sole on the bottom. I did that with a pair of high heel boots and they're perfect now. 

nicole4793

This was a problem that I always ran into with my tap shoes when I was a dancer. Wear them outside and scuff up the bottom of them. Then apply a layer of hairspray to the bottom, but be careful not to get the whole shoe because they might become a sticky mess. The day of your wedding, spray some hairspray on the bottom of them as well. This has been my trick for the past 15 years, so I hope it works for you!

climbingsingle

esstee33 said:

I had this exact problem with my wedding shoes. They're gorgeous and have ZERO traction. I got the shoes at DSW, and on one of the little racks by the register they had these "sure step" things. There's two pairs in the package and it was like $4. I put them on as soon as I got home and they're fantastic. No slipping! 

ETA: A little more expensive on Amazon, but this is them: http://www.amazon.com/Sof-Sole-Sure-Steps-Pack/dp/B003IJ7RJM

These are awesome. Iv'e used them many times and they always work. 

Knottie30291358

If you want a massively bad idea, cleats used to be screws or nails you would force through the soles of your shoes or boots. I'm sure you can find some of that type online.

Sugargirl1019

Oh Goodness. Back in dance, we put strips of masking tape in an X on the soles of our tap shoes so we wouldnt slip. I suggest masking tape. Cheap and won't damage your shoes!

[Deleted User]

cowgirl8238

I usually just scuff mine up outside on the concrete.