Sometimes, when you go for a walk, you notice that your shoes are squeaking, unfortunately for you. It doesn’t matter what the reason for the squeaking is, you just want to end it as soon as possible, as it ends your possible embarrassment. Do not panic, squeaky shoes are a very common thing, and there are ways to fix it.
So, what you need to do in such a situation is identify the reason for the squeaky shoes and remove it. This is where this article will definitely help you to stop shoes from squeaking.
Shoe squeak: why does it happen?
The reason for the squeaky shoes may vary, it can appear because of the quality of your shoes and because of the weather conditions of a certain day. It is possible and quite easy to identify the cause of shoe squeaking. When you get this done, it is easier to fix the problem with squeaky shoes and let you walk without irritating noise.
So, read all the possible causes of squeaking and try to figure out which one is appropriate for your situation. And identify the squeaky shoe.
Air pocket under the insole is one of the common causes of the noises of your squeaky shoes. When you make a step, the air under the insoles is compressed, which is why the sound appears. Especially, it happens in one certain place of your shoes: it is the shoe insoles around the arch area.
When the weather conditions are not pleasant, when it is raining or there is high humidity and drops of water or the moisture gets inside your shoes, the noise will be even louder.
Check your shoes and your insoles, maybe, the described situation is exactly what you have. And it will help you to stop shoes from squeaking.
Old shoes tend to make a squeaking noise quite often. For instance, there may be the metal shrank, which holds your arch. When the shoes are worn off, this detail is rubbing the leather sole unit or other parts of the shoes.
You should not remove it because it is part of the construction, but you can use other means that are in the following parts of the article.
But this is not the only problem with old shoes. For example, no metal shrank, but other details can rub each other, which causes an irritating sound.
Or it is just the parts of the shoes squeak that is just getting loose from year to year.
Unfortunately, not only do old shoes squeak but also new shoes squeak. They can squeak because several parts of the shoes are rubbing each other, especially the insoles.
Well, as you can guess relying on your experience, the new rubber soles are the most common cause of the noises from the squeaky shoes. It often happens because the soles and several materials of the floor have the same structure, and both of them are smooth. For example, when you walk on the linoleum with shoes that have rubber soles.
This is the case when you can fix squeaky shoes, too, with the appropriate means and time.
How to fix squeaky shoes: general means
How to stop shoes from squeaking on the outside? You can get rid of the squeaking noises, and you do not have to throw away your shoes. Now you should just get to know all the means that you can use against squeaky shoes and try to solve your problem. Read the description of the means, and you will understand how to stop shoes from squeaking on the outside.
If your outsoles are squeaking
If you have found out that the problem is squeaking outsoles, use one of these means.
WD-40 is a very effective penetrating oil that can easily remove all the noises of your squeaky shoes. Your shoes with the grip adhesive promise to be very silent.
To use it, you need to put gloves on your hands beforehand because the oil is not appropriate and good for human skin, you can have problems with your health if you do it without protection. You also need to prepare the cotton ball because this is where you will put the WD-40 and then get it on your shoes.
So, now read the detailed instructions.
You have to remove the soles of your shoes and apply the oil which is on the cotton ball inside your shoes and outside, on the outer sole, carefully. After these actions, you need to wait for several minutes and only then put the soles back. This will stop shoes from squeaking.
Gorilla Super Glue is the best option for you if you have shoes with a detached outsole. When you try to make a step with these outsoles, they will squeak inevitably. To remove the noise, you need to make the soles sealed with the shoes.
To do that, you need to put gloves on your hands, first. Then you have to put some super glue on the place where exactly the outsole is detached. After that, you must put them together firmly so that the glue will fasten the parts of the shoes.
Your shoes need at least twenty-four hours to get fully sealed and dry.
Another way to fix the squeaking outsole is to use fine-grit sandpaper to improve the traction. And it is easy to use.
All you should do is rub the outsoles with the sandpaper for a while and then check out if it works. In most cases, sandpaper is enough to remove the squeaking noises.
If the problem is moisture
Sometimes, the cause of the squeaking noises is moisture, and this is also possible to remove. To do it, read the following information.
Baby powder is a good way to remove any moisture from the inside of your shoes and fix squeaking shoes. Baby powder is safe and it is proven. So, if you are sure that the cause of the squeaking noises is moisture, read the instruction and use baby powder to remove it.
You have to get out your insoles from the shoes and sprinkle baby powder. But not too much of the baby powder, the powder in small amounts removes the moisture perfectly. Wait for several minutes and then replace the insoles.
This way can really help you with moisture, so you definitely should try it. It will stop shoes from squeaking.
To fully get rid of the moisture and fix the squeaking shoes and not worry anymore about it, it is recommended to dry your shoes properly, like in the laundry room.
You should use another way in this case. It is the shoes and a boot dryer. It is safe to use, you will not damage your shoes during the process of drying. And the whole drying process with a special shoe dryer will not take much time at all.
So, what you should do is get your shoes in the dryer with fabric softener and let them dry for a night. This will definitely remove the moisture and the squeaking noises as well.
Another way to absorb the whole moisture and get rid of annoying squeaking noises is to use a silica gel. It will soak up moisture quickly, and you will not spend much time and money on it.
If you want to use silica gel, you need just get some of them inside your shoes and wait until it absorbs moisture.
If the rubber soles squeak
As mentioned earlier, the rubber soles on your shoes can squeak almost all the time, just because of their structure. But don’t worry, the noises are very easy to remove even in this kind of situation. Read about all the ways and choose what is best for you to stop shoes from squeaking.
Slip Grip is an easy way to fix shoes squeaking. To use a Slip grip, you only need to spray it on your outsole and wait for a while until it is dried.
Another simple and unproblematic way to make your shoes less smooth is to rub them with the dryer sheet. This is the way that you can use almost any time you hear your new shoes with shoe soles squeaking.
So, as you could guess, all you should do is just rub the dryer sheet with the shoe soles several times to make sure that your shoes are definitely not squeaking.
If your insoles are squeaking
Unfortunately, almost every part of your shoes can produce squeaking noises. So, if it is the insoles that are doing that by rubbing with other parts, then you need to use several means to end this. Identify the squeaky shoe first.
In this situation, wearing socks can really help you with your squeaking insoles. The noises can appear when you do not wear your shoes with socks because your feet are sweating in the shoes in most cases and the moisture that appears creates friction between the insole and the foot.
So, just try to wear socks next time, and see if anything has changed. It may help you to stop shoes from squeaking.
As you know now, baby powder is a good means against moisture, but this talcum powder can also help you with squeaking insoles. The result will be satisfying.
What you need to do, is just put some powder under the squeaky insoles, and the problem will be fixed quickly.
You can glue down the insoles that are making the squeaking noises. In this situation, the noises appear because your insoles are too loose and then move when you make a step. That cannot happen, so, what you need to do is just use glue to seal the loose insole.
Put on the gloves on your hands, and carefully put the glue in the place where the insole is not sealed. After all these actions, you just have to wait for a while until the glue is dried and the insole is sealed.
This can help you to remove the noises.
If water damage caused the problem
When you were outside, and it started to rain suddenly, your shoes almost always will be inevitably wet because some drops of water can get inside. And shoes in such situations will produce squeaking noises. There are no serious problems here, you can fix squeaky shoes by following the instructions below.
Read the instructions carefully because the shoes can vary in the material they are made of and if you do something wrong you can damage it more than water did.
Drying the shoes that got water damage is the first and the main step that you definitely should do. It will stop shoes from squeaking.
Canvas and fabric shoes
So, if your shoes are made from canvas and fabric, then the solution is easy: you just need to put them in the shoe dryer and wait until it is done properly and fully. This step can help your canvas or fabric shoes to remove any water damage.
Leather shoes
If your shoes are made of leather, then the actions that you should make are different. You cannot let them in a dryer because it can damage the leather. So, what should you do then?
You should take a newspaper and put them in the shoes to remove the water damage little by little. If the first time didn’t work, change the newspaper and wait.
The leather shoes should also be treated carefully. You need to use the leather conditioner and put some part of it on your leather shoes.
Sounds weird enough, but it is also recommended to use a fan when you want to remove the water damage from your shoes. The advantage of this operation is that it will not take long: just around half an hour, and that is all.
You need to use your fan at maximum power and dry out your shoes step by step.
If your shoe laces are squeaking
The situation when the shoe laces of your shoes are rubbing the other parts of your shoes and making squeaking noises is rare, not many people even know that this is possible. But it is possible, unfortunately. And now you will learn how to get rid of it.
Leather conditioner for leather boots
The leather conditioner will certainly help you in this situation. It minimizes or fully removes the noises, like from leather soles.
All you have to do is to put some leather conditioners and rub it into the shoe tong, right in the place where it touches the laces.
Loosen the laces
Another cause of the squeaking shoelaces is that they are tied too firmly so that they inevitably rub the shoe tong and produce the noises. It is common for dress shoes. You should only try to make them less tight, you need to loosen them.
An article will be interesting – How to tie shoelaces on shoes.
If the shoe heel is squeaking
When the shoe heel is squeaking, you will definitely notice it. Do not worry, the noises can be removed.
Shoo Goo Repair Adhesive can help you in a situation when the cause of the noises is the shoe heel detached from the sole. You need to put the glue on the area where the heel is detached to seal it. Do it carefully and wait until the parts of the shoes are sealed.
Multifunctional product: saddle soap and petroleum jelly
Happily, there is a multifunctional product that you can use in almost every area of the shoes that produces irritating noses.
It is the saddle soap, a universal way to get rid of the problem. You should just put a little part of the soap on the part where the noises appear.
And it is petroleum jelly. Just put it where the squeaky noise appears.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I stop my shoes from squeaking when I walk?
You can use saddle soap. You should just put some part of the saddle soap on the problematic part of the shoes. There are also other ways to remove it, like talcum powder and petroleum jelly, but they depend on the part of the shoes which produces the sound. You can read about them above.
How do you stop new shoes from squeaking on the outside?
It depends on the cause of the problem. If it is water damage, then you should just dry them out. If it is a detached outsole or the insole, then you should glue them down. If it is shoelaces, lose them.
How do you stop rubber soles from squeaking?
You should use the dryer sheet and rub the sole with it a few times. Or you can use the rubber sole spray.
Do squeaky shoes ever stop squeaking?
Yes, they do. You should just try to fix squeaky shoes, using the ways that are described above, like using talcum powder. You will fix any cause of the problem.
In conclusion: it is easy to get rid of the noises
Sometimes, shoes squeak. But you have learned plenty of ways to remove the squeaking noises. They can fix any issue with squeaky shoes, what you should do is just try them. Identify the cause of the issue and choose the appropriate way to fix it. If nothing helped, contact shoe repair shops.
