How to Eliminate Squeaky Shoes
If your workers hear you coming from a mile away, you may want to fix the squeaking that alerts them to your presence. Unless you are on the racquetball court, squeaky shoes are not acceptable and they are often downright annoying. But before you toss good shoes into the garbage bin, try to figure out the source of the squeak. The simplicity of stopping the squeak may surprise you. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Talcum powder
- Hammer
- Saddle soap
- Contact cement
- Leather conditioner
- Cotton towels or paper towels
Instructions
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1
Dust the inside of your shoes with some talcum powder. If it is the inner sole of the shoes that causes the squeak, pulling it up and sprinkling the talcum powder underneath may help. Replace the sole and see if the squeak stops.
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2
Check the nails. You can lift the insole out of the shoes to determine whether the nails that attach the heel to the sole of the shoe need adjusting. Drive loose nails further into the heel with a hammer to form a securer connection.
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3
Apply saddle soap to the tongue of the shoes. In some cases, the friction of the tongue rubbing against the front of the shoe, or the laces, can cause a squeaking sound. Rubbing a small amount of saddle soap onto the tongue may alleviate that annoying squeak.
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4
Apply contact cement, according to label instructions, to a loose heel. If the heel is causing the squeak, rectify it by placing some contact cement in between the heel and the sole of the shoe. A better bond between the heel and sole may stop the squeak.
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5
Condition the shoes with a leather conditioner. New leather shoes usually need some breaking in before they fit comfortably. Until the leather softens, they may also squeak. Get a jumpstart on the softening process by rubbing the entire shoe, inside and out, with a leather conditioner. Once softened, the squeak usually stops.
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6
Dry your feet. Wet feet inside of a pair of shoes can cause a squeaking disaster. So can the bottoms of a pair of wet shoes on a tile or hardwood floor. Stop the squeak by drying your feet and your shoes with cotton or paper towels.
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Tips & Warnings
If all else fails, take your shoes to a cobbler--a person who specializes in repairing shoes. He will find the cause of the squeak and eliminate it.
Do not attempt to use oils or lotions on canvas shoes. The oils can ruin the canvas, making them not only squeaky, but also stained.
