Noisy shoes can make you feel self-conscious every time you take a step. These tricks will silence the squeaks.
8 Easy Ways to Get Rid of Squeaky Shoes
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Throw in the dryer
If trapped water is making your shoes squeak, you’ll want to dry them out. Add a little bit of fabric softener onto a sponge or washcloth. Toss the sponge, along with your squeaking shoes, into the dryer. Make sure not to leave them in for more than ten minutes though, or you could risk ending up with shrunken, heat-damaged shoes.
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Sprinkle baby powder
Moisture can get trapped where shoes rub against each other, leaving you with annoyingly squeaky shoes. Shaking a bit of baby powder or talcum powder under the inner sole will absorb moisture. If your pair doesn’t have removable soles, try adding the powder around the inside sole instead. Check out these 35 other extraordinary uses for household staples.
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Soften your soles
New kicks tend to be noisy before you’ve had a chance to wear them in. If that’s the case, speed up the process by using sandpaper to gently rub down the bottom of your squeaky shoes to soften them up.
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Add petroleum jelly
Your insole could start to make noise as it rubs against the inside of your shoe. For a quick fix, smear a thin layer of petroleum jelly or lotion under the insole to help the parts rub against each other more smoothly. Read about these tricks for making your shoes last longer.
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Rub with a dryer sheet
Added a new insole, only to realize it’s giving you squeaky shoes with every step? Head to the laundry room for a dryer sheet. Slipping the sheet under the insole should create a buffer and stop the noise.
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Try WD-40
Soak a cotton ball with a bit of WD-40 or silicone spray, then apply it to the outside seams of your squeaking shoes. Just don’t use this trick on suede, which could ruin your footwear. These are the 46 brilliant uses for WD-40.
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Rub on saddle soap
Shoelaces are another common source of squeaky shoes. When the laces on leather shoes rub against the tongue, your footwear could start crying out with every step. Rub a bit of saddle soap or another leather conditioner on the tongue to moisturize the area and calm the noise.
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Fix loose heels
Examine your squeaking shoes to see if there’s a gap where the heels came loose. Once you find the trouble spot, put some superglue in the seam around the heel, then hold it together or use a clamp to keep it tight until the glue dries. If you’re worried about missing the mark with unsightly glue, take your pair to a cobbler to do the dirty work professionally. While you’re at it, get your footwear pristine with these tricks for cleaning every type of shoe.
[Sources: whowhatwear.com, menshealth.com, laurenconrad.com, mademan.com, journaltimes.com, thefashionspot.com, ehow.com]
Originally Published in Reader's Digest
