Heel slippage with a new shoe having a novel sole is quite a common thing to experience. It is because the shoe takes time to set in with the foot and to fit as per your comfort.
The heels usually slip off during the early days of shoes and that needs some bit of effort to be done. The issue becomes more pertinent when your shoes break into its maximum but heels keep on slipping. To fix heel slippage boots you may need to follow certain things.
This could happen in different circumstances especially when you are running quick or it may just happen anytime. In any of the situations, the problem needs to be fixed. The target here is to find a solution that not only enhances your footwear comfort but also protects you from any foot-related injury.
Things To Do To Rectify Heel Slippage of Footwear
The following are several things that you could do to fix heel slippage in your boots:
Right Shoe Size For Your Feet
If you buy any number larger than your actual size then that could be one of the main reasons for heel slippage. Fixing heel slippage in oversized boots is almost impossible unless you can find a way of shrinking your boots. Shoe size may change with your age and season, Therefore, make sure you get your foot measured before making any new purchase.
Adapt To The Right Walking Style
One critical thing to notice here is that the boots are not meant for sprinting. Therefore, your footwear’s heel may drag when you keep walking as if you are running all the time.
In other words, it also means that when you move over the surface, the ball of your foot touches the surface first. This is an approach that would give a much quicker time on the ground as it is a better approach for running quickly.
But, with boots, you should ensure that your heel makes the first contact with the track. Then you go on with the forward rolling of your feet and push with the front of your feet just as you lift it. This running posture should be adapted.
Ensuring Right Boot Maintenance
The key here is to have your shoes dry. If they are wet then feet slippage is more certain along with help slippage as well. Make sure not to use a hairdryer here as the excessive heat could damage the material of your shoe.
You must choose a standard boot dryer if there is no time for air drying. Another technique here is also to scrunch a piece of newspaper into a ball and stuff it inside the footwear overnight. It will help in sucking out all the moisture. You can also replace a newspaper with an old towel to do the job. Just push one corner of the towel inside the boot and then keep on pushing.
Proper Lacing Up Your Boots
This approach is applicable only for laced-boots of course. This is not for those having the pull-on or the slip-on boots. If you have the lace boots, then fully ensure to lock them up tightly while having the heel at the desirable place.
The issue arises when people try to be creative here. The approaches such as hikers lacing, rabbit hole lacing, etc. wouldn’t work. The target here is to tie your boot laces as tight as you are comfortable with.
Using non-slip Socks
This requires a bit of an investment but it will surely worth your money. The non-slip socks are just like your standard socks apart from coming with a rugged design underneath. Such a pattern at the bottom enhances friction between the innersole and socks, which ensures the foot in place.
Such non-slips socks are also padded and serve the purpose of having a tongue pad as well. Tongue pad installation is another method for fixing heel slippage, which in this case is already handled.
Non-slip Soles
This s what you should check in the specification of your boots. The majority of pairs with those built-in non-slip soles. They work just as the non-slip socks discussed above works in keeping the heel in place. This is also regarded as the most convenient method for fixing the heel slippage issue. You can find high-quality insoles that work as a better solution for most kinds of shoe problems.
Reaching Out To A Cobbler
In case you already have purchased a wrong size boot and facing heel slippage due to any other reason, a cobbler here could help with the fix. Cobblers these days are rare to find in some parts but they do exist and can be very helpful.
Only consider a cobbler if you think that your boots are worth the supplementary effort and the expense required. The Internet can help to find cobblers round you. The cobbler here could make the necessary adjustments in your boot to make the heel as per your liking.
Conclusion
The heel slippage issue could only be identified when your foot has gotten into the pair properly. Allow two weeks with your new boot before you decide to take any steps in fixing the heel slippage. Several methods can be tried to fix the issue and one or maybe more methods discussed above would surely work for you.
Though it may happen as your shoe starts to loosen and you may start experiencing the heel slipping sideways or sometimes the whole foot starts to slip forwards. In such cases, the above mentioned remedies may work in most cases.
Though it is important to understand the causes of heel slippage may vary according to the shoe shape, type, gait style, and body posture as well as weight that affects the shoe shape as well. If you need to keep your foot stable while in shoes, it is better to know the various aspects that affect or cause slippage.
So after determining the causes, you can simply choose the suitable solution that will keep the foot stable inside the shoe and will allow a slippage free gait without facing troubles in your shoes.