The Vine: September 5, 2008
Hi Sars,
I am a 24-year-old male.Not that my age is important, but I’m hoping my gender will make this question — and my lack of knowledge on the subject — seem more legitimate.
I work in an office building downtown in my city and walk about a half mile to and from public transportation every day.I’ve not yet crossed over to wearing running shoes while walking to work and changing when I get there.Because of this, I go through dress shoes rather quickly dealing with the various Chicago climates.I purchase a new pair of black dress shoes more often than a normal person should, and each time I deal with the insane ice-slick bottoms as I glide over my office carpet.
Do you have any bits of wisdom for how best to doctor-up the bottom of my shoes to help curb the ridiculousness?
Thanks!
Apollo Anton Oh-No He Di’int!….I don’t know.
Dear Heh,
If you’ve walked outside for half a mile before getting to work, that really should scuff up the bottoms enough for them to “take” carpet, but here’s the trick Ma taught me to give a new pair of shoes grip: key the soles.The kind of key doesn’t really matter, although I’ve found that bike keys work really well, but whatever you use, scratch a crosshatch pattern on the ball of the foot.
That usually takes care of it with women’s dress shoes; if that doesn’t give you enough traction, put them on at home, find a patch of sidewalk in your neighborhood that’s made of big-gauge concrete (or has names scratched into it), and do the twist on that patch for 60 seconds.
Readers, anything else to add?
Dear Sars,
I have one for you and/or the readers.It’s wedding season (or, since I’m in my mid-twenties, wedding decade), and as a result, I’m massing a really cute collection of dresses and shoes.Really, really cute shoes.They were all great bargains and great fits, and most are either comfortable, or else are just mildly uncomfortable in a that stick-a-Band-Aid-on-your-heel-’til-they-break-in kind of way.
One pair, though.Black slingbacks that make my feet look amazing.They’re comfortable as anything, as long as the little slingback strap stays put.When it slips, though, I kind of scoot up my toes to keep my shoe from falling off until I can fix it, and in the process my feet get all rubbed and blistered up.And while the strap stayed up during my eight-hour trial run, it would not stay put more than three consecutive minutes at the main event.And yes, I tightened it repeatedly.
So my question: what can I do to make my strap stay put?I’m open to both professional products and DIYs (double-sided Scotch tape is cool if it works, but chewed-up gum crosses the line).
Thanks a lot,
No, seriously, someone suggested I use chewed-up gum
Dear Gum,
If you’re going to use any gum, make it spirit gum — the stuff theater professionals and toupee-wearers use to make wigs and prosthetics stay put.Not all spirit gum is created equal, and a heel is a little higher-traffic than a fake sideburn, but that might work.
But I’d suggest taking the shoes to a professional, and either having another hole punched into the strap, or having her take out that tiny bolt of elastic that’s often on a slingback strap to allow some give.I see what those mean to do, but on my shoes, that bolt gets stretched out for good after a few wearings and I have to wear the strap one hole tighter…unless I already had it on the last hole, in which case I have to bring the shoes to my guy up the hill and have him awl another hole in there.
Another possibility: you have too much movement in the toe box.(Hee.Also I just said “hole” like ten times.)Putting one of those Dr. Scholl’s shoe pads for high heels into the ball-of-the-foot area of the shoe may “brake” the front of your foot so that the back strap isn’t prone to move as much.
The readers can suggest anything I missed. Readers?
Tags: Ask The Readers health and beauty
For the guy shoe problem: they have stick-on grips at ANY shoe store and I’m surprised none of the salespeople have ever tried to sell them to you. Instant grip.
And for the gal problem: go to hollywoodfashiontape.com It’s double-stick tape made specifically to stick to human skin on one side and some type of textile on the other. You can also buy it from QVC.
“(Hee. Also I just said “hole” like ten times.)”
Hee – you said “box” too.
I vote for the last thing, the ball-of-the-foot pad to keep your foot far enough back in the shoe to keep the strap up. I have chicken heels, and this works well for me. Or you could add a skinny little strip of moleskin on the inside of the strap to give it some traction, that’s also worked for me.
For gum,
They make these silicon (I think) sticky pads that are made for sling backs – I think the brand is Foot Petals. I have a box at home, although I have to admit that I haven’t used them yet.
For Apollo,
I’d suggest that the next time you buy shoes, you look for one with a rubber sole. They seem to make a lot more dress styles with them now. But don’t underestimate the entertainment you’re providing for your colleagues. Do you really want to deprive them of that?
Apollo,
Similar to the “key” suggestion, my grandmother swore by sandpaper. Same idea, it roughs up the sole. We’ve been doing it in our family since I slipped and fell at kindergarten graduation.
For “Oh No He Di’nt”: The non-skid pads do work pretty well (you can get them in most CVS/Walgreen’s/etc.), but they look a little goofy. This probably doesn’t matter to the average person, but as a costume designer, it always drives me nuts to see this weird grey oval on the bottom of someone’s shoes. Us theatre folk use two alternatives, depending on our budget:
Expensive option (but super-durable and pretty): Rubbering the soles. Most shoe repair places will know how to do this – they basically glue one layer of textured rubber sole onto the existing sole, and then sand the edges to remove all evidence of tampering. (And since you’re in Chicago, my favorite place to do this is at Belmont and Broadway)
Cheap-o option: buy some non-skid paint at Home Depot (the kind they paint on stair steps) and paint the bottom of your dress shoes with it. It’s black, very unobtrusive, and works like a dream. It just requires getting your own hands dirty.
Good luck!
For the guy, take the shoes before you wear them to Brooks in the Pittsfield building (if you work in the Loop – http://www.brooksshoeservice.com) or your local shoe place and have them put thin ribbed or textured rubber soles on your shoes. Unless the soles are specially molded, this should work. I have not just carpet but marble flooring in my office, and this works really well for me.
The first thing I do with a new pair of shoes/boots is get rubber sole protectors put on before I wear them for the first time. It costs another 10 quid here in the UK (probably much cheaper in the US), but it stops the slipperiness of new leather soles AND will make your shoes last much longer — particularly as you can get the sole protectors replaced. Either that or you switch to Doc Martens — those soles never die and never slip!
Apollo,
If it’s just the bottom soles of your shoes that are getting worn out, have you tried having a cobbler replace them? When I used to work downtown and walked all over the place, I had my shoes re-heeled quite often, and at $6 a pop, that’s a lot cheaper than a new pair of shoes. They can also put caps on the toes if those are getting overly scuffed up.
For “Heh,” he could try scuffing them up on the slick parts with sand paper (it works on my heels). Doing to rumba on the sidewalk would likely be a bit more fun, though.
For the fashion tape, Victoria’s Secret sells it (I’m not a big fan of shopping online). It’s usually somewhat hidden so I just ask right away, it’s the only reason I go in there these days!
My suggestion for the shoe-slick guy may not work for those of the male persuasion. But I have found a little hairspray on the bottom of new shoes does the trick. Might be worth it to get a bottle and store it under the sink. It works like a charm!
My dad always wore these rubber covers over his dress shoes. He even walked to work in them and we have the same, if not worse, weather as Chicago.
In a quick Google search I found ones like he wore: http://www.totes-isotoner.com/product/id/101951.do
But I’m sure there are more places that sell them. Good luck!
I have a follow-up question: where does one BUY spirit gum, when it’s not Halloween season? I know I can find it online, but what sorts of brick-and-mortar stores carry it? Anyone?
My grandmother used a cheap, quick trick to get me through the first couple of days with new shoes – masking tape. She’d tear off a couple short strips, stick them on the sole of each shoe and give me a week or so to break them in before just peeling it off. Quick, easy, cheap, and not permanent.
Living in a cold-clime city, I would recommend the guy just find a better brand of dress shoe – in my neck of the woods, LL Beans makes men’s dress shoes that look like dress shoes but have weather-proof rubber soles, and most guys in my office where those kind. they’re a little more expensive, probably, but most likely better to buy one pair a year than several. I know berkenstock and ugz also make similar men’s weather-resistant dress foot wear.
For the shoe sole problem, I’m seconding all suggestions of taking the shoes to a shoe repair place to add grips as soon as you buy them.
Pretty much all of my shoes have regular visits to the shoe doctor to improve the grip or replace heel lifts or whatever. I highly recommend it.
And gum? Let us know if these suggestions work, hey? The straps on my slingbacks rarely touch my actual heels. Why do I continue to buy them?
Shoe guy~my dad had these insane rubber booties he’d put on over his work shoes~growing up in upstate NY, we got a lot of the same crappy snow-ice-street salt-mix, and it kept his shoes clean and kept him from falling. I thought they were goofy looking alone, sitting by the door, but once he had them on over his shoes, it was really hard to tell.
And sling-back girl~I have the same problem~and spirit gum does help for a while. We have some costume shops in the area (Cappell’s) and they sell it year round, but I’ve also found it in Hobby Lobby and Michael’s. Word of advice~if it’s a long event, like a long wedding reception with dancing, bring the little bottle with you so you can do touch-ups if you need to.
I am also a Chicagoan, and I have NEVER worn my good workshoes outside the office in the winter. That is what boots are for. Just buy a nice pair of boots and keep your work shoes under your desk. That is what most of my co-workers do. It will save you a lot of wear and tear on your shoes.
I pretty much never wear my good work shoes outside…i just wear flip flops/chucks/boots depending on the season.
For Gum and her slingbacks. Foot Petals has been suggested and they make pads you can stick on the inside of the shoe (where the ball of the foot would touch) that keep your feet from sliding forward. They also make skinny straps that you can place on the slingback strap. Foot Petals can be pricey for what they are, but Target makes a “house brand” version of these things. They are, not surprisingly, in the womens’ hosiery and lingerie section.
@kerry, if you live in an urban area, look up party supply and costume stores. They usually carry theatrical makeup and accoutrements. If you’re rural, internet for the same thing.
In response to Rachel’s comment: “Either that or you switch to Doc Martens — those soles never die and never slip!”, I’m afraid I must disagree. My much loved Doc Martens with the buckle are SUPER slippery from lots & lots of wear. It’s all I can do to not kill myself walking on the kind of linoleum floor you find in airports & public places like malls. The sole did last for a long time but it’s definitely slippery.
For the shoe guy- get some Yak-trax. They slip on the bottom of whatever shoes you are wearing easily and you can take them off once you are inside, so that you aren’t tripping over your own feet using those stick on grips on carpet. Yak-traks + Keens are what I use for Alaskan winters, so I’m pretty sure just the Yak-trax be fine for the ice and slush in Chi-town.
http://yaktrax.com/ProductsWalker.aspx
Oh, wow, I totally mis-read the Apollo guy’s letter. Not actual ice that he’s dealing with. I’d think that it’d be more difficult dealing with Chicago winter weather outside than the carpet inside. Man, I can’t believe his shoes are that slick on the bottom. Scuff ’em up- doesn’t seem like that’d be a tough one to figure out.
For slippery shoe guy – you walk around outside wearing dress shoes in Chicago in the winter, when there’s ice and snow on the ground? And you’re worrying about slipping and sliding on the… carpet? Get some nonskid shoes or BOOTS, yes, BOOTS for the winter, to keep warm and not slip on ice and use previously-recommended methods for making the bottom of your dress shoes less slippery. Your dress shoes will last a whole lot longer too and you’ll be more comfortable.
I am surprised someone had to write to Sars with such a question – do they not have shoe stores in Chicago? Ask Oprah where she gets her Louboutins! (Well she gets some of them from Jerry Seinfeld’s plagiarizing wife, but that’s a story for another day.)
TO: Oh-No He Di’int!
I have seen small ( 3 inch or 4 inch long) rubber straps that you put on the underside of the strap of a shoulder strap purse, so it doesn’t slip off the shoulder. I think they could be cut to fit the back strap of the sling back shoes, and glued on. Not elegant, but should work very well.
Unfortunately, at this moment, i can’t find any of them online.
Re: Ellen- I’m glad I wasn’t the only one a little surprised at the question. Chicago + dress shoes in the winter = not a great idea. He could at least get those gallosh looking things that are designed to cover dress shoes and seem pretty easy to take on and off. Up here, we’re all just smart and no one wears ‘dressy’ dress shoes. Solves that problem fast and I don’t have to buy heels anymore. Bonus!
@J Mad: “My much loved Doc Martens with the buckle are SUPER slippery from lots & lots of wear.”
Yeah, once that center cross is gone, you’re toast! But Doc Martens, too, can be resoled. I find Docs a booger to break in, so it seems that by the time I get the uppers just right, the soles are shot. My favorite old pair is on its third set of soles, though, and the uppers are only minimally scruffy.
Kerry- Ben Nye makes the spirit gum, if you have a store in your area go there. Or Kryolan, but I only know of four brick and mortar Kryolan stores in the U.S.
Check with theatrical supply shops, if they don’t carry it the person behind the counter probably knows who does. Granted, if you aren’t in a metropolitan area, mail order/online might be your only option.
Others have mentioned having a layer of rubber afixed to the sole. One brand is Topy. Go to a cobbler, not a shoe store, to have this done.
I find that a leather sole eventually roughs up enough for me, but it takes tens of miles of walking on concrete.
Another thing: men’s shoes should last years or decades, not months — but they won’t if you wear the same pair day after day. Keep at least three pairs in rotation.
Dear Margaret in CO,
Chicken heels! You are my people.
That is all.
I’m a shoe girl and I have never been able to make slingbacks stay on my feet. It’s just the shape of my feet. Hope that doesn’t turn out to be the case for you, but it’s true for some (confirmed by my favorite shoe store manager.)
I’ve read that you can use eyelash glue to secure thin straps on dresses in place. I wonder if the same would work for the slingback strap?
If not, I’d also recommend spirit gum. That stuff’s a pain in the butt to get off if you use it to glue fake beards on or whatever, but a little bit on the shoe strap shouldn’t be too bad. Buy it at a costume or dance/theatre supply store.
Gum, there is a product called Shoo Sticks which is actually designed for this problem. See the website: http://www.shoosticks.com/usa/home.htm
Yeah, keys would work I guess. I use 80 grit sand paper. :D
I don’t see anything wrong with Apollo asking about slippery shoes… We’ve all asked questions that other people thought had obvious answers. Cut him some slack, folks!
:)
Re: Ellen and autiger — Thanks heidi!! I wrote into Sars because I thought it would be fun and she (and her readers) seem to consistently give unique advice. I didn’t realize my question would be met with such disdain from a few readers. Doesn’t every question on here have a more conventional solution than writing into Sars?
For what it’s worth, I don’t have the option of wearing “semi” dressy shoes. My dress-code requires dressier than most. There’s some great ideas here and I’m sure a few of them would work. I’m most likely going to check out the shoe repair on Belmont and Broadway that Emily mentioned. (That’s a block from my house! Are we neighbors?) I refrain from wearing boots and galoshes because often times I end up walking outside with clients for up to a few blocks and keeping the professional look seems more appropriate than making them wait as I change shoes.
I definitely agree that the wisest thing to do would have been to keep the camera in the room with Thousands.
I guess it’s just one of those hard-learned lessons.
@Apollo: try not to take it personally. An awful lot of the “Ask Sars” questions seem to pick up disdain along the way. Just use a disdain-remover and you’ll be OK. I would suggest that if you can, at least wear boots to, and if possible, from work; it will help save them your shoes, even if you can’t wear them while walking with clients. If you don’t want to opt for boots, you can try the ever-popular TINGLEY “high quality stretch rubber overshoes” – they run about $25.00. If even those aren’t an option for you, I would go with at least two pairs of shoes, alternating them – and three would be better. Let each pair naturally before wearing again, and stuff them to help them keep their shape (treeshoes would be better, if you’re making that kind of money). I would suggest scoring the soles with sandpaper; you can keep from going to the edges where it might be seen, and you won’t go as deep into the soles as keying might, which would be bad for any waterproofness. I also suggest that you test some AMSOIL Silicone Spray on an old pair of dress shoes to make certain it doesn’t change the appearance to an unacceptable degree; it has a special non-staining formula for leather and suede boots, shoes and coats. This will help preserve the tops, sides, and seams of your shoes; I don’t know that you want it sprayed on the bottom, so you need to check the instructions for that.
Whoops – my apologies – I posted the comment above on the wrong thread!
Apollo: I’d still look into those rubber shoe covers for your dress shoes. No, their not as attrative as your shoes, but there’s nothing “un-dressy” about them either. A lot of high-level lawyers and coporate managers use them all the time (seriously! Bet the guys in the upper echelons of your company have them!).
Plus, once you get the hang of it, it takes literally 1 minute TOPS to get them on. One guy I know can snap ’em on in under 30 seconds as he’s heading out the door. They protect the leather on your shoes from salt and rain damage, and have rubber soles to keep them from slipping.
Honestly, it’s the most practical suggestion you can get – PLUS it’s cheaper than buying a new pair of shoes every time your current shoes start looking scuffy and worn from the water damage. Ask your local shoe store or shoe repair place about them
“they’re” not “their”… Grrr….
Felis, you just missed one. I tried to tighten up my writing and left out about half of what would have helped it make more sense. “Because wearing boots will help save shoes; let the shoes dry naturally.”
Note to Self: Do not give advice before the morning caffeine.