How to Make Your Sneakers Non-slippery

Scuff slippery sneakers on rough concrete or asphalt.

Don't throw away those sneakers just because you keep slipping and sliding in them. Some sneakers, even expensive ones, have extremely flat soles with little or no tread. Walking on surfaces like school hallways, grocery store aisles and hardwood floors can be a slippery nightmare when your shoes don't have traction; however, if you scuff your soles you can create enough grip to grab onto most surfaces.

Things You'll Need

• 220-grit sandpaper

Instructions

Scuffing Shoes Outdoors

1. Put on your sneakers.

2. Find a patch of rough concrete that feels like sandpaper to the touch.

3. Shuffle your feet along the surface of concrete for 1 to 2 minutes. Do not lift your feet as you walk.

4. Scuff the balls of the shoe by pawing at the concrete. This will help provide extra traction.

Scuffing Shoes Indoors

1. Lay the sneakers on a work surface with the soles facing up.

2. Rub diagonally across the soles of the shoes, left to right, with 220-grit sandpaper. Focus the majority of the scuffing on the ball of the foot.

3. Switch and rub the shoes right to left, creating a crisscross scuff pattern. Continue to focus the majority of the scuffing on the ball of the foot.

4. Try on the sneakers. If they are still too slippery, repeat the process.

Tips & Warnings

• For hard-soled sneakers, try 100-grit sandpaper. The heavy grit will create deeper scoring faster.

• Don't coat the bottom of your shoes with adhesive, which will collect dust, dirt and carpet fibers, making the shoes even slicker than before.

References

• Made Manual: How to Fix Slippery Shoes