How to Stop Your Shoes from Squeaking

Co-authored by Moe Draper and Kyle Hall

Squeaky shoes can be embarrassing and annoying. The squeaking noises can be caused by the bottoms of the shoes, the insoles that are inside of the shoes, or the outer parts of the shoes. Fortunately, regardless of where the squeaking is coming from, you can usually fix the problem yourself right at home.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Fixing Squeaky Insoles

1
Sprinkle baby powder underneath the insoles in your shoes. If your insoles are moving around a lot when you’re walking, that could be why your shoes are making squeaking noises. Pull out the insoles, sprinkle some baby powder inside of your shoes, and then put the insoles back in. The baby powder will help reduce the friction between your insoles and shoes so they don’t squeak as much.^{[1]
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- If you don’t have baby powder, you can use talcum powder or cornstarch instead.
- If your shoes don’t have removable insoles, sprinkle the baby powder along the seams of the insoles instead of underneath them.
2
Try putting paper towels underneath the insoles. Fold 2 paper towels so they’re small enough to fit inside your shoes and then slip them underneath the insoles. Putting a paper towel underneath your insoles will help prevent them from moving around and squeaking as much when you’re walking.^{[2]
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- If you don’t have paper towels available, try using napkins or dryer sheets instead.
- You may want to change out the paper towels after you wear your shoes a few times so they don’t start to smell.
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3
Apply coconut oil under the insoles if your shoes are still squeaking. Remove the insoles and rub coconut oil on the bottom of the inside of your shoes. Then, reinsert the insoles. Coconut oil can help lubricate your insoles so they’re less likely to squeak when they move around.^{[3]
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- You only need to apply a thin layer of coconut oil to your shoes.
- You may need to reapply the oil if your shoes start squeaking again later on.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Stopping Shoe Bottoms from Squeaking

1
Rub the bottoms of your shoes with a dryer sheet. If your shoes squeak when you walk on smooth surfaces like tile or hardwood floors, it could be because the bottoms are too slick. Go over the bottoms a few times with a dryer sheet to make them less slick so they don’t squeak as much.^{[4]
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- You may need to rub the bottoms of your shoes with a dryer sheet every few times you wear them so they don’t start squeaking again.
2
Try roughing up the bottoms of your shoes with sandpaper. Gently go over the bottoms with a piece of fine sandpaper until they feel slightly rough to the touch. Sandpaper can make the bottoms of your shoes less smooth and polished so they don’t squeak as much when you walk around in them.^{[5]
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- You can find fine sandpaper online or at your local hardware store.
- Make sure you use a fine sandpaper that's 120-220 grit so you don't scratch up your shoes too much.
3
Use super glue to reattach the bottoms of your shoes if they’re loose. If there is a gap between the bottom and the upper part of one of your shoes, fill in the gap with super glue and then clamp it down until the glue dries. Loose shoe bottoms can also cause squeaking noises when you walk, so reattaching them may solve the problem.^{[6]
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- If you don’t have clamps, try setting something heavy on your shoe or wrapping rubber bands around it to hold the bottom and upper part of the shoe in place.
- Let the super glue dry for 24 hours before wearing your shoes.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Fixing Squeaking on the Outside of Shoes

1
Apply conditioning oil to your shoes if the outsides are squeaking. Sometimes, shoes squeak because the material on the outside of the shoes rubs together. If you notice the outsides of your shoes squeaking every time you take a step, try rubbing a conditioning oil into the outer parts of the shoes so they’re lubricated and less likely to squeak.^{[7]
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- Make sure you use a conditioning oil designed for your shoe type. For example, if your shoes are made out of leather, you’ll want to use a leather conditioning oil.
- Keep in mind that the conditioning oil will fade over time. If your shoes start to squeak again, reapply the oil.
- You can find conditioning oil online or at your local shoe store.
2
Put saddle soap on the tongues if the squeaking is coming from the laces. Saddle soap is a conditioning cream that can be used to lubricate shoes. If the tongues on your shoes are rubbing against the laces and making squeaking noises, rub saddle soap onto the front side of the tongues to make the squeaking stop.^{[8]
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- You can order saddle soap online. If you don’t want to order saddle soap, try applying conditioning oil to the tongues instead.
- You may need to reapply the saddle soap after the first application wears off.
3
Try drying your shoes if moisture is causing the squeaking. Moisture trapped inside of shoes can cause them to squeak. There are a couple of ways you can dry out your shoes so they don’t squeak anymore, including:^{[9]
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- Hanging them in a dry, warm location. A laundry room or a spot near a fireplace are both good places you can hang your shoes to dry.
- Stuffing them with newspaper. The newspaper will absorb any moisture that’s in your shoes. Tightly stuff your shoes with crumpled balls of newspaper and leave them in a warm, dry place overnight.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do I stop my leather boots from squeaking when I walk?

Moe Draper
Shoe Care & Repair Specialist
Moe Draper is a Shoe Care and Repair Specialist and the Owner of Detroit Shoe Shine and Shoe Repair. With over 20 years of personal experience, Moe specializes in shoe shining, cosmetic restorations for quality leather goods, and minor/major shoe repair services. Moe and his staff at Detroit Shoe Shine and Repair have over 30 years of combined experience and knowledge.

Moe Draper

Shoe Care & Repair Specialist

Expert Answer

The best way to stop leather boots from squeaking is to take your boots to your local shoe repair professional or cobbler. Shoe squeaks are caused by a hole or rip in the sole (or somewhere else on the shoe), which has allowed moisture to enter. Many times, a professional can take the shoe apart and re-glue your soles to eliminate the squeaks.
Question

How do you fix squeaky high heels?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

You can try sprinkling baby powder or cornstarch inside the shoe if the problem is caused by moisture, or massage the insole to get out trapped air bubbles. If you suspect the squeak is due to a structural problem with the shoe, you might need to take it to a shoe repair specialist to get it fixed.
Question

Why do my shoes squeak when I wear them without socks?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Probably because your bare feet are producing moisture, which can create a squeaking sound when your foot and shoe rub against each other. If you don’t want to wear socks, you can try sprinkling some baby powder or corn starch in your shoe, or slip on a thin no-show sock or footlet that just covers your heels, soles, and toes.