I sometimes find it difficult to walk during snow, rainstorms, or blizzards because my shoes slip. I found some hacks to give my shoes more grip and make it much easier and injury-free for me to commute in the snow.
To make your shoe have more grip, use these hacks including:
- Cleaning your shoe sole
- Scuffing the outsole
- Use sandpaper
- Using traction spray
- Use hairspray
- Resole your shoes
- Using a rubber adhesive
- Applying salt and rubber glue mixture
- Using ice grips
- Grip pads
- Double-sided tape
- Puff paint
- Masking tape
- Wear them often
- Going to a shoe repairer or cobbler
The grip is an essential feature of any shoe. Sticking to the ground helps you move and cut as efficiently as possible no matter what surface you run, play, or walk on. Get more details by continuing to read the article.
1. Cleaning The Sole For Better Grip
Shoes wear out quickly, especially their outsoles because they accumulate dirt on them. It is a primary reason why you slide or slip.
While shoes wear out over time, you can do a few things to keep them in good condition. The first is to clean them regularly. Our shoes tend to pick up dust and dirt from the ground, which causes them to lose their traction.
Use a damp washcloth and wipe the bottom of your shoe. Make sure you reach all of the grooves. Scrubbing intensely isn’t necessary; it is just enough to lift all the dust particles.
If you want to clean your shoes deep, use soapy water and a stiff bristle brush. This will give your shoes a more thorough cleaning. I find this similar to using a rag. However, it depends on your preference and how dirty your shoes are.
2. Scuff The Outsole By Walking
Adding grip to your shoes is as easy as scuffing their outsoles. You can give your shoes more grip by scraping the outsoles against hard surfaces. This is primarily a better option if your shoes are brand new. New shoes are slippery because they are unworn and have perfectly smooth soles.
You can scuff the outsoles of your shoes by walking in them on rough surfaces like gravel, concrete, walkways, rocks, and boulders. Once the soles have softened and have developed abrasions, they tend to be a little less slippery, and you will have more grip on your shoes.
3. Scuff The Outsole with Sandpaper/Nail File
Suppose you cannot take the risk of walking in your new shoes to scuff them against abrasive surfaces. In that case, you can try other options, such as a nail file, sandpaper, or anything with a textured texture like a brick or gravel.
Take your shoes and rub the smoothest areas of the sole that touch the ground with 100-grit sandpaper until they become rougher and more textured. The sandpaper’s grit helps give your shoes more grip by creating a rough surface that will stick to the floor.
I suggest using fantastic sandpaper since it creates tiny grooves in the sole and removes the entire coating. It is especially beneficial for a more controlled, firmer, and permanent grip, but make sure you won’t return those shoes.
If you don’t have sandpaper, you can use a nail file. Use the same method as sandpaper; scuff the outsole’s flat surfaces that touch the ground until they have some rough texture.
4. Use Traction Spray For Grip
Another easy way to give your shoes more grip is to use spray-on coatings (article). In addition, a few spray products are specially designed to be used on the shoe sole to give them more traction, called grip sprays or traction sprays.
I would suggest investing in some good shoe adhesive sprays. It works similar to a hairspray but lasts much longer. Cover the sole of your shoes with a grip spray to add tackiness. Traction spray coats the sole of your shoes to protect them from slipping on many surfaces.
5. Use Hairspray on Soles For Grip
Rather than spend money on traction spray, I have a quick fix for you. I think you might have a hairspray at home; take it out and spray a generous amount of hairspray on the soles of your shoes for extra traction.
The stickiness allows your soles to stick to the ground a lot better. But before putting on the shoes, it will enable the hairspray to dry and become tacky for about a minute.
I would not guarantee that using hairspray would have similar results as the professional ones. However, it’s a simple, quick, and easy way to fix non-slippery shoes if you’re in a bind and it does require reapplication.
6. Resole your Shoes For Better Grip
Another professional way to increase the grip of your shoes is to resole them. No matter if your winter shoes don’t have rubber soles or are worn out due to constant use,
You can give them to a shoemaker and ask them to add rubber traction to your shoes or DIY. This will increase the traction and give your shoes more grip.
7. Use An Adhesive Rubber Cement For Grip
Rubber has a soft composition, which gives your shoes more grip. If you don’t want to resole your entire shoe, you can add adhesive rubber (article) to your favorite shoes. These adhesives can create a non-slip grip for your shoes, and you can easily add it to the bottom of your shoe.
You can use it on the heel, toe, or even both, depending on your shoes. But remember that any adhesive rubber sticks better to clean surfaces than dirty surfaces.
8. Use Salt and Rubber Glue Mixture For Grip
Another permanent solution to increase the grip of your shoes is using a grainy texture to the outsoles. For example, combine a crushed mixture of sand or salt and rubber glue, apply the mixture on the outsoles or heels, and let it dry.
This simple hack will create a rough surface on the outsoles and increase traction.
9. Use Ice Grips To Prevent Slipping
If you don’t want to experiment on your shoes, I recommend using ice grips. You can add tread to your shoes without compromising their integrity. These traction grips are easy to put on take off, and go well with any shoe.
Though you cannot use them on heels, they are an excellent way to turn any fashion shoe into a winter shoe. All you have to do is attach the ice grips to the bottoms of your shoes.
10. Use Grip Pads To Prevent Slipping
You can lose the grip of your shoes either because they have been worn too much or are barely worn. A grip pad can give them the extra life they may need if worn too much.
Likewise, adding grip pads to the outsole gives your shoe an extra grip. To do it professionally, use shoe pads specially designed for this purpose.
You can stick these textured grip pads to the sole using an adhesive, but remember that your shoe may feel sticky once the grip pad comes off.
11. Use Double Sided Tape
It might seem wild, but you can use double-sided tape on your shoe. It’s a less permanent solution and will not work on ice or water, but you can use it when you hurry and don’t want to slip.
Place the double-sided tap on the bottom of your shoes; likely, a strip behind the toes might work. The sticky surface of the tape will help give your shoes a grip and provide a little extra traction.
I think keeping extra tape with you in the car or office would be a good idea. Besides helping you get a different grip, if you need it to secure items, it can help you prevent most anything from coming loose.
12. Use Puff Paint
Applying puff paint to the bottom of the shoes provides a textured surface that helps you have more grip. I think it adds a little more uniqueness to your shoes if you try to add some designs.
It’s an easy way to increase the traction between the shoe and the ground because puff paint turns into a grippy, bumpy surface upon drying. As a result of those bumps, you walk more steadily. Plus, you can use whatever color you want!
Apply a thin layer to the shoe’s sole, allow it to dry for a few hours, and test it! It’s a better hack than hairspray, but still, you’ll need to reapply it after some time for maximum effectiveness.
13. Using Masking Tape
Another temporary hack I have for you is to stick a few masking tapes on the bottom of your shoes. Then, apply the masking tapes in a way that makes a cross-shaped on the soles of your shoes.
The cross needs to overlap in the middle to cover the entire sole. But it should be your last option since the tape can quickly lose its stickiness.
14. Wear Your Shoes More Often For Grip
A simple and effective way to give your shoes more grip is to wear them as much as possible. This is specifically effective if you deal with new shoes or shoes with smooth outsoles made of leather. These shoes are at high risk of slipping on smooth surfaces.
The simplest way to improve their traction is to wear them on rough surfaces before using them in real life. You may be skeptical about whether you are out wearing your brand-new leather shoes on rough tracks, but trust me, it will help you.
Rough surfaces such as cobblestones or asphalt will scratch your outsoles. By doing so, you add grip and grooves to the surface of the outsole, increasing the traction, making your shoe slip-resistant, and helping you give your shoes more grip.
Walking in your new pair of shoes for a few days or weeks will likely eliminate the slickness of your shoes. But make sure to change to another pair whenever you anticipate slipping.
You can also use this trick for old shoes, but I won’t recommend it. As mentioned above, I have other hacks for your older shoes.
15. Go To a Cobbler To Replace Your Soles
If you don’t want to do a DIY, you always have a safer option, which to someone professional, like a cobbler or shoe repairer. They have different and more professional ways to make your shoe slip-resistant and increase its grip.
I think visiting a professional is especially useful for your old and worn-out shoes. You might need to resole them before attempting any DIY solution for a permanent fix.
Even if you use the hacks mentioned above, you will reach a point where the shoe grip wears out beyond repair, and that’s where you need to visit a professional.
Getting your shoes resoled will give them a brand-new feel. Though it won’t be as simple as applying a spray or cleaning them, it’s definitely cheaper than buying a new one.
I would also recommend going to a professional cobbler for your expensive shoes or the shoes you love too much. Experimenting with expensive tricks or hacks may backfire.
Take Away
Most of us give up on our shoes too quickly because they feel slippery, haven’t enough traction, or maybe we don’t have much grip on them. However, you can use various simple and easy hacks and methods to give your shoes more grip.
You can try whichever method you like or seems easy to you. Choosing a specific method depends on your personal preference and the condition of your shoe soles.
The first time you try any of the abovementioned methods, test at home to ensure it will work in the real world. For example, taking a walk inside your house or maybe a trip around your building will help you determine the effectiveness of your solution.
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