When you go to purchase shoes, there are a few features you will check before buying. Like the style, color, fit, also the soles. The soles are important for your safety. Your footwear shouldn’t be slippery, but instead should protect you from falling on wet surfaces.
However, with time and usage, the soles tend to wear off and slowly lose their traction. Usually in such situations, people tend to change their shoes and purchase the next one.
However, this idea isn’t very pocket friendly and therefore, we have come up with this article to tell you about the different ways you can enhance the grip of your soles even after many uses.
One such method is using hair sprays on the soles, however they aren’t very effective for long duration.
It’s actually a misconception that applying hairspray on your shoes would increase your grip.
Hairspray is sticky and will temporarily increase your grip. Instead, the stickiness will collect dirt and dust to the bottom of your shoe, reducing traction. A shoe’s grip is determined by its cleanliness rather than its stickiness.
Then what can you do to enhance good grip on your shoes? We’ll provide you with answers in this article if you continue to read further.
But first, let us know why good grip is required?
You need good grip on your footwear for safety purposes. Imagine you’re walking or working in an area where there are slippery surfaces, there is a danger that you might fall and injure yourself.
Proper shoes with good traction will allow you to work or walk freely without having to worry about slipping and falling.
Examine your sole carefully and make sure they’re made of rubber since it offers good traction. However, if your soles are made of plastic or leather, there is a good chance that you will slip and fall frequently.
See also: Why Are Leathers Soles More Slippery Than Rubber Soles?
What if we told you that cleaning your shoes and soles properly can improve traction, would you believe?
Yes, your shoes may have worn out and lost their grip, but before you toss them in the trash, see whether they only need a thorough cleaning.
Warm water, a regular dish soap, a precise tool like scissors or a small screwdriver, a toothbrush and a clean towel are all that you need.
Now we take you step by step into the process of cleaning:
1st Step: Clean any debris from your shoes’ outsole. This includes any small stones, clumps of mud, or anything else that has gotten into your sole’s cracks. Any sharp pointy object can assist, but be careful not to injure yourself.
2nd Step: Pour warm soapy water into a container. Use this water to clean the bottom of your shoe, but avoid submerging the entire shoe, keep the top as dry as possible.
Scrub the sole well with a toothbrush, but this will take twice as long in all places, even around the sides. Scrub in a circular motion to ensure that all angles are covered. Continue to rinse the brush as you go.
3rd Step: After cleaning, dry each area with a clean towel. If there is a lot of water on the upper of the shoe, you should wipe it down on a regular basis.
4th Step: Put them away in a clean bag until you’re ready to use it again.
So apart from hair sprays, what are the other ways through which you can improve grip of your shoes?
Use traction spray- Traction spray is a good anti-slip solution to increase traction in the soles. It works similarly to hairspray but lasts considerably longer.
With traction sprays, you’ll never have to worry about slipping and injuring yourself. It’s generally water-resistant, which makes it ideal for a slippery working environment.
Check out this Seymour Good Grip Traction Spray-
- Manufactured with a special plastic bead suspended in an epoxy resin system
- Designed to improve traction on most surfaces
- Ideal for both industrial and consumer use
- Most surfaces are traffic ready within 24 hours of application
- VOC Compliant
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Scuff the soles- This is one of the more long-term remedies on this list of tips for making shoes less slippery. Grab some sandpaper to scuff the outsoles of your shoes.
The paper’s grit will scuff your shoes sufficiently to give them a rough surface, ensuring that your shoes’ outsoles adhere to the ground rather than sliding on it.
Another option is simply cut into the bottoms of slippery soles using a pair of scissors, knife or a blade, basically anything that can cut and get the job done. But of course, not too deep. However, it is sufficient to provide some much-needed traction.
Non-slip outsoles or grip pads- Non-slip outsoles are a more permanent remedy for your preferred and sadly slippery heels. These non-slip soles are applied to the bottoms of your heels in the same way as adhesive bandages are applied to the bottoms of your feet.
They’re usually composed of rubber or have grit on them to protect your heels. Most importantly, it does not result in their being permanently damaged. It’s the most effective method for making heels less slick.
Outsoles can wear off and become slippery if they’re being worn too much, as opposed to shoes that haven’t been used at all. In this case, a textured grip pad placed to the sole of your shoe will provide the needed additional life.
Check out these grip-pads by Feeke No Slip Shoes Pads-
- Non-Skid Pads for shoes
- Suit for any size of shoes for man or women
- Durable Matrials
- Easy to Use for your shoes
- Great value
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Use salt, sand and glue- Another quick fix for your slippery soles are using a mixture of salt, sand and glue and applying a thin layer onto the soles which will create traction. But remember, this isn’t a permanent solution.
Adhesive tape- Adhesive bandages/tapes are a less permanent technique to provide grip to shoes. The rough surface of the band-aid will assist hold the floor, so your feet remain on it, if you place it sticky side down on the bottoms of your shoes.
This is why we recommend keeping a few bandages in your handbag at all times because not only will they help you build a gripping outsole, but they will also prevent blisters and make your heels more comfortable.
Using hot glue- The procedure is as follows:
1.) Use the cloth and alcohol to clean the bottoms of your shoes.
2.) Plug in the glue gun and insert a glue stick until it heats up.
3.) Make glue dots over the heels and soles of your shoes, or lines at regular intervals.
4.) Wait until the adhesive is almost dry before proceeding, the dots or lines should dry completely.
FAQs-
How can you identify if your shoes have a good grip?
To see if your shoes have adequate traction,
Examine the footwear’s bottom to see if it has a precise tread pattern or if it has big lugs.
Feel the sole of the shoe. In addition to utilising your eyes, you should also feel the sole of the footwear.
What are some additional tips in order to improve grip on your shoes?
Well, there are some additional precautions you can take to improve the traction on your shoes, they are:
If you have noticed that your outsoles are lacking traction, then it might be because of the dirt and debris stuck on the soles.
Even though you wear the shoes outside, the shoes and outsoles should be cleaned on a regular basis. It is recommended that you wipe them after each usage.
The only way to enhance their durability is to clean them on a regular basis and keep the soles free of any dirt, stones or mud.
Conclusion
Having a good grip that provides traction even on the most uncertain surfaces is important for your safety. You wouldn’t want to slip and fall, especially when you know it can be dangerous and can be avoided.
Using proper footwear is essential for comfort and safety. Well by now we have understood that hairsprays are not as effective, but there are other measures you can take to maintain grip on your outsoles.
