Squeaky shoes can very quickly deflate the feeling of walking in good shoes. Can you imagine wearing your new kicks and feeling on cloud nine and then suddenly you realize something is squeaking and it is your shoes? It can be very discouraging but do not worry because we have got you covered.
Why Do My Shoes Squeak?
First, let us know what is causing your shoe to squeak. The most common reason for this is the trapped air or moisture in a part of your shoe which causes the squeaky noise when it comes in contact with another part of the shoe. Let us quickly talk about other reasons for the squeaking noise from your shoes.
1. New Shoes
if you have bought new leather shoes, you might be hearing your shoes squeaking. This is happening due to insoles and the inside of the shoe coming in contact with each other while you walk. As the leather parts of the shoe rub against one another over and over again, they squeak due to the smooth surface of the material.
2. Wear And Tear
If you think only new shoes make a squeaky noise, you are wrong. Even old shoes squeak. Similar to new shoes, the squeaking might be due to the parts of the shoe rubbing with each other. It can also be due to some part of the shoe getting loose or tearing off.
3. Trapped Air Or Moisture
One of the most common causes, this can happen when the shoe has a loose insole and air or moisture gets trapped in it. It makes the shoe squeak every time you take a step.
4. Rubber Sole
If your shoes have smooth rubber soles, you might hear squeaking every time you walk on surfaces like linoleum, tiles, etc. This is due to the friction between the rubber soles and the surface you are walking on.
5. Water Damage
If your shoe has soaked water, it will be making a squeaking noise every time you take a step or a part of the shoe comes in contact with the other since the soles will be soaked.
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How to make shoes stop squeaking
Dry Them
If the reason for your squeaking shoes is trapped water in the show, drying them will make it stop. Take note that we are talking about shoes that have been drenched in the rain. You can easily put them in the dryer if they are fabric shoes.
If they are leather shoes, dry them in a warm place where they do not come in contact with direct sunlight since it can damage them.
Rough The Sole
Most of the shoes have rubber soles which are one of the reasons for squeaky shoes because whenever new shoes with rubber soles come in contact with a hard surface, they cause the shoe to squeak.
To do away with this, you can either wear out your shoe, which will be a long process, or you can roughen them up by rubbing sandpaper on the soles. While doing this, make sure not to cause damage to your shoes.
Moisturize the insole
As we talked about above, one of the reasons for squeaking is when parts of a shoe rub against one another. This is more common in new shoes. To stop this, you can moisturize the insides of your shoe so that they don’t cause friction.
You can make use of a leather conditioner for this since it will be soaked well by the shoe. Other alternatives to it include petroleum jelly and coconut oil but they should be used in very less quantities and only where the shoe squeaks.
Use Water Protection Spray
This spray protects the shoes from water damage by not allowing the shoe to soak up water and hence preventing water damage.
You can spray this on your shoe suede, canvas, or fabric shoes and your shoes won’t get wet. But keep in mind that the spray will not protect your shoes in extreme water conditions like heavy rain or deep puddles.
Sprinkle Baby Powder
Baby powder is one of the best remedies to soak up excess moisture and it works its magic on squeaky shoes as well.
It also prevents friction between shoe parts, hence preventing another reason for squeaking. Take out your sweaty soles and put baby powder on them; at the same time, keep in mind that it is not a permanent solution and one that you need to apply again and again.
Change The Laces
Since laces can also cause squeaking by causing friction by rubbing against the eyelets, especially in new shoes, replacing them with new ones can also help. You can try getting polyester laces instead of leather ones since they cause the least friction.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q.1 Why do my shoes squeak every time I walk?
It can be due to the trapped air or moisture in parts of your shoes. Usually when water or air gets trapped in the insoles, and they rub against other parts of the shoe, you can hear the squeaking.
Q.2 How do I stop my shoes from squeaking on the floor?
You can try methods like drying your shoe if your shoe got soaked, or apply baby powder in the insoles to get rid of moisture from sweat, wearing the shoe by rubbing sandpaper on it if it is a new pair or using water protection spray that prevents your shoe from absorbing water.
Q.3 What helps shoes from squeaking?
Try using baby powder, water protection spray, or moisturizing the sole with leather conditioner or Vaseline, or coconut oil to keep your shoe from squeaking.
