Non-slip shoes are now required for more and more vocations, from waiters in restaurants to doctors in hospitals.
Slips and falls are the second biggest cause of unintentional mortality in the world, and non-slip shoes may help lower your risk.
In this article, we’ll go through the many methods for making new or worn-out shoes non-slip.
Contents
1. Break in Your Shoes:
Wearing your shoes on a regular basis might help improve the grip on your soles. Walking naturally wears down the soles of your shoes, making them more textured.
Slick shoes should be broken in by walking on uneven surfaces like asphalt or gravel. Your shoes will wear out more rapidly on rough terrain, but you’ll have more grip, making it safer for you to walk in smooth shoes.
2. Scuff the Soles:
In the event that you don’t have the luxury of time to wear your new shoes for many weeks, you may hurry things up by scuffing the bottom of them. Just a few minutes of your time may make a huge difference to your grip strength.
It’s also more secure than walking barefoot, and you don’t have to search for a rough surface to do it on.
Sandpaper is a great technique to wear down the soles of your shoes.
3. Scoring the Underside:
Sandpapering the soles of your shoes with a blade works in a similar way. On top of that, it may be more efficient in terms of time and effort.
Making incisions might be tricky if you don’t want to cut through the sole of your shoe.
4. Add Grip Pads:
Changes to the sole of your shoe aren’t always required. Adhesive grip pads are an alternative to razor blades and sandpaper when it comes to improving the grip of your vehicle if you care about appearance or resale value.
Grip pads are available with an adhesive side and a durable, abrasive material side. No matter how smooth the bottoms of your shoes are, these textured patches provide excellent traction right out of the box.
5. Apply Hairspray:
In the same way that you would apply grip pads to the soles of your shoes, grip spray does the same thing. While grip spray is more costly than pads, it can be applied to the shoe’s sole much more quickly and easily.
There is no need to worry about heels or unique shoe shapes when using a non-slip shoe spray. Simply put it to the bottom of any kind of shoe and you’re done.
6. Break Out the Hot Glue Gun:
This is a simple and cost-effective way to get the job done. Hot glue guns can be found at any craft shop for a reasonable price, and many of us already have them in our art supplies.
It’s best to use a hot glue gun since it’s more discrete than multicolored puff paints in professional settings because the glue dries clear.
In addition, it lasts longer since it firmly adheres to the bottom of your footwear.
Once the glue gun has been preheated, insert a glue stick and let it cool down. If you want to add even more texture to your shoes, you may paint the soles with lines, dots, or other designs.
It’s best to wait until the glue has dried but not quite set before using it. At this stage, it will still remain flexible.
Walking over a level, hard surface with your shoes on can let you check that the adhesive is even and won’t alter the way you walk, In the long term, this will help the adhesive stick together better.
7. Adhesive Bandages:
You may also use adhesive bandages as a short-term cure for slippery soles since they’re simple, cheap, and fast to apply. The majority of us keep bandages in the bathroom or in our first-aid box at all times.
Aside from the adhesive, the opposite side is either rough or sticky enough to help you get a grip on slippery surfaces.
At the very least, apply a bandage to the ball of your foot and a second to the heel of your foot.
Attaching one vertically along the middle of your shoe provides even more traction. In a similar way, masking tape may be used.
Consider that the adhesive in both bandages and tape can only endure a certain amount of force before it breaks down.
The strips on your shoe may come off over time as a result of normal wear and tear as well as dirt and debris. If you want the greatest effects, you’ll probably have to reapply regularly.
8. Mix Rubber Cement with Salt:
Rubber cement may be used to give your shoe soles more texture, although it’s often smooth and slippery when applied to the soles of your shoes.
The granular texture that is created by the use of salt improves the foothold on slippery surfaces.
Apply a combination of salt and rubber cement to the bottoms of your shoes to keep them from slipping.
This is a do-it-yourself alternative to sprays and grip pads that works just as well and costs much less.
Rubber cement, on the other hand, is long-lasting, so you don’t have to bother about reapplying it often.
9. Sand and Adhesive Spray:
Using an abrasive substance and an adhesive is yet another non-stick option. Spray adhesive and sand, in contrast to salt and rubber cement, must be applied in two distinct processes.
Using a heavy-duty spray adhesive, first coat the bottom of your shoe. Apply a little coating of sand as soon as it’s still damp.
Make an effort to maintain the distribution of the points as equal as possible. After that, let the material dry completely.
Your shoes’ bottoms will be made rougher by the sand, which will increase your traction. However, the spray adhesive wears off soon.
You should use high-quality glue and reapply as necessary to ensure long-lasting effects.
10. A Strap for the Ankles:
When you trip and fall, it’s not always because of your shoes’ bottoms. Clogs and mules, sandals, and other loose-fitting footwear are more likely to catch or trip you up when you’re walking.
More than that, they have the ability to transform a boring pair of shoes into something much more stylish.
Avoiding slips and falls is easier if your shoes fit securely around your foot and are less likely to slide about.
To keep your shoe in place, a strap around your ankle is a good option. You may either hire an expert or do it yourself to add a strap.
There are many different ways to do this, from a simple ribbon wrapped over the heel of the shoe to a more sophisticated design that includes adjustable buckles.
Also Read: How to Shrink Shoes: An Easy Guide for All Types of Shoes In 2022
Final Thoughts!
Shoes with non-slip soles may help you prevent slips and falls at home and on the job.
You may improve the traction of your feet in a wide range of conditions by changing the soles from smooth to rough and textured.
When walking on wet or slick surfaces, you’re less likely to trip and fall. From minor fixes to long-term alterations that can make your days safer and more comfortable, there are several low-cost and efficient methods by that you can make your shoes non-slip yourself.