How to Stop Your Shoes Slipping at the Heel

The perfect shoes combine comfort, fit and style. But when your shoes slip at the heel, they most definitely are not comfortable!

Heel slippage can impact your confidence as well as the comfort of your shoes, making it crucial to get them sorted as soon as possible. In this guide we’ll look at the challenges you might face when your heels start slipping, as well as different methods you can try to solve the problem.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• Challenges you may face when your heel is slipping out of your shoes
• Making sure your shoes are the correct size for your feet
• Methods to prevent your heels from slipping
• Testing whether the fix has worked

You can also browse our cosy and classic shoes, and our premium comfort features, over at The Comfort Hub.

Challenges You May Face When Your Heel Is Slipping Out of Your Shoes

Heel slippage is fairly common and, depending on the severity, you might be able to ignore it for a while and muddle through. But if left unaddressed it can lead to more serious issues, including:

• Quicker wear and tear: if your shoes, especially delicate high heels, don’t fit properly, the constant movement of your feet inside them can create pressure and friction that reduces their overall lifespan.

• Stability issues: a slippery heel can lead to reduced grip within your shoe while walking. In severe cases this can increase the risk of trips and falls.

• Lower confidence: feeling uncomfortable and less stable can impact confidence, especially if it’s a pair of shoes you value highly.

• Blisters: over time the excess movement of your foot inside the shoe can lead to friction and blisters - a source of pain and discomfort.

As you can see, there are many compelling reasons to fix a slippery heel before things get too bad! Before we look at solutions though, let’s briefly explore prevention.

Making Sure Your Shoes Are the Correct Size for Your Feet

The best way to avoid heel slippage is to make sure your shoes—whether high heels, flats, or boots—are the right size for your feet. When you’re planning to buy a new pair of shoes, take time to measure your feet properly. We recommend doing this even if you know your size already, because our shoe size can change over time as a result of weight fluctuations, ageing, and other factors.

We also recommend measuring both feet, rather than assuming they’ll be the same size. While most of us will take both shoes in the same size, some people will benefit from having different sizes.

Methods to Prevent Your Heels from Slipping

If you’ve got a pair of shoes that are slipping, even if they were the right size when you bought them, you’re probably looking for ways to fix the issue. In this section we’ll cover 6 methods for preventing heel slippage.

We recommend trying these methods one at a time, then testing it to see whether it’s worked.

1. Use Invisible Socks

2. Use Non-Slip Socks

Non-slip socks are another option: these have textured grips on the bottom of the sock and inside the heel, both of which help your foot to stay in place. Non-slip socks go great with shoes where you don’t mind your socks being on display, like trainers or boots.

3. Add Heel Liners or Inserts

Heel liners or cushioned inserts are designed to be placed inside your shoe, to reduce space and create a tighter fit around your heel. These are ideal if your shoe is a bit too big, or if the material at the heel is too hard.

4. Use a Shoe Tongue Pad

If there’s too much room at the top of your shoe and it’s creating space for your feet to slide around in, you can try a tongue pad. These pads are small, sticky inserts that attach to the underside of the tongue. They push your foot back into the heel, preventing it from slipping and improving the overall fit of your shoe.

Shoe tongue pads are great if you can feel that your shoes are too spacious at the front.

5. Use a Different Tying Method

With laced shoes, you can sometimes create a better fit by trying a different tying method. There are several options, including criss-cross lacing, straight bar lacing, ladder lacing, loopback lacing and more. We won’t go into detail on each here, but it is worth testing different methods if a loose shoe is causing slippage.

6. Wear Thicker Socks

Sometimes a thicker pair of socks is all you need to stop slipping, especially if the slippage is only minor. The additional space taken up by your feet when wearing a thick pair of socks may be enough to prevent slippage, and if not, definitely consider one of the other methods

This technique is especially useful in cooler weather but, may not be very popular at the height of summer as the extra thickness obviously translates to more warmth!

Testing whether the fix has worked

Testing whether your shoes are fitting more comfortably after each attempt to fix the issue has the combined benefit of saving you time and making it clear which method worked. It doesn’t take long to test, either. Just follow the steps below:

• Test indoors: walk around your living space for a while to get a feel for how your shoe fits and compare the heel slippage with how it was previously.

• Adjust and rejig: with some of the methods above you can tweak things slightly to see if things can be made even better - for example, going for a thicker pair of socks, or moving the heel liner slightly.

• Monitor changes: if the fix is looking good, stay vigilant over time. Our shoes can change size and so can our feet, meaning that the issue may reappear in the future.

All Your Troubles Will Slip Away

When you notice your heels slipping in your favourite pair of shoes, it can be upsetting. Especially if they’ve served you well for a long time. But as we’ve seen in this guide, there are plenty of things to try before giving up hope! In most cases you’ll be able to make a significant difference to the amount of heel slippage and, as a result, to the comfort and safety of your shoes.

And if you do discover that you can’t put the heel slipping issue to bed, we’re here to help you find a new pair of shoes that are a perfect fit. Just head over and browse our comprehensive range, and let us help you to find a comfortable, stylish, well-fitting new pair.