If you own a pair of shoes at least, you probably have dealt with its squeaky noise once. This is a very common thing that owners face when they buy a new pair of shoes or they have worn it for a long time. This is very uncomfortable for anyone while walking on a tile floor especially. But why do shoes squeak on the tile floor?
The squeaking noise of shoes on the tile floor could be because of moisture getting trapped in the shoe. This generally happens in the insole area but the bottoms can also cause the same issue. Apart from moisture, the quality of the shoes also matters in squeaking on the tile floor.
If you want to know more about the shoe squeaking issue and more information regarding this matter, keep reading till the end!
➤ Why Do My Shoes Squeak on Tile?
Squeaking shoes on the tile floor is really annoying. This makes the wearer really uncomfortable while walking. There are numerous reasons which can make your shoes squeak on the tile floor.
- Brand new shoes
- Damaged or old shoes
- Moisture trapped in shoes
- Smooth soles
- Shoelaces
✦ Brand New Shoes
When you wear a new pair of shoes, these can also make a squeaking noise. This generally happens when the ground and soles both are very smooth which creates a sound when friction occurs. Also when new soles rub against the inside of the shoes, the same noise can come from the shoes as well.
✦ There is Water in Your Shoes
While walking on a rainy day with your shoes on sounds safe, it becomes extremely annoying when your shoes become squeaky after that. While getting shoes wet from rain is sometimes unavoidable, squeaky shoes can become a noticeable problem if not dried right away. Even when shoe parts are not initially loose, excess moisture can still lead to the vibrating friction that produces the sound.
✦ Damaged or Old Shoes
Opposite to the brand new shoes squeaking noise, the damaged shoes can also cause the same issue. The shoes can be damaged in many different ways. For example: when water enters the shoes, as mentioned above, the moisture gets trapped in the shoes.
This can make squeaking sounds. The trapped water does not go out, rather stays in place and continues making the sound until the shoe is dried enough.
If the shoe sole has something stuck inside it, a similar thing happens. There are few companies that provide stickers on the sole which can make a squeaking noise if not taken off before wearing.
Sometimes even after taking the sticker off does not matter as the residue remains there instead. This also makes the shoes equally squeaking.
✦ Smooth Sole
The smooth soles of your shoes can also make your footwear squeaky. The reason is the smoothness of both the floor and the soles, making friction between the surfaces and the squeaky noises as a result.
Wearing the shoes barefoot sometimes can also make a squeaking noise while walking.
✦ Shoelaces
Shoelaces can create squeaking noises when it gets in contact with eyelets. This contact creates friction which eventually makes the sound even more hearable.
This issue can occur both in old and new shoes as the friction makes the suede turn into leather, which creates a more squeaky surface for rubbing.
➤ How to Stop Shoes from Squeaking on Hard Floors?
Now that you know the reasons behind the squeaky shoes, you need to know how to stop these shoes from making that sound. There are a few ways that you can follow to make your shoes non squeaky:
✦ Water Damage
Water can easily damage your shoes and make them squeaky in nature. When water enters your shoes, you need to follow these steps:
- Dry the shoes
- Sprinkle baby powder
• Dry the Shoes
This is the first step that you can apply when your shoes are wet and it has moisture trapped inside. In this case, you can dry your shoes using natural sunlight or keep them in the dryer.
You can go for sunlight in the beginning when the shoes are wet and become heavy due to the leather. This will help keep your shoes intact and without any leather-cracking possibilities.
You can also use a hair dryer or keep the shoes under the fan on high speed so that it dries fastly.
The second option is to go for a dryer which can potentially be harmful if not done properly.
You should put your shoes inside a mesh sort of bag and then place them in the dryer with some cloth softener.
Keep the dryer at a low temperature for a maximum of 10 minutes. Otherwise, the shoes can shrink due to excess absorption of water.
• Sprinkle Baby Powder
This is the second and most effective method to make your shoes dry. You need to sprinkle baby powder or talcum powder underneath the inner sole as it contains the absorbent required to absorb the water immediately.
Leave the shoes overnight and then wipe them off the next day to use again.
✦ Outsoles
For making your outsole less squeaky, you can use sandpaper of 100-120 grit that can help the shoes to create traction. It also makes the shoes less slippery.
You can also go for a dryer sheet or grip adhesive to create more traction on the outsole. The dryer sheet can help to make shoes less smooth to prevent squeaking on the tile floor. A grip adhesive will work in the same manner and you need to apply it to both of the outsoles.
✦ Insoles
For the insoles part, you can go for the dryer sheet method or sprinkle baby powder. But the easiest way is to wear socks instead which can help lessen the moisture of the shoes and the foot and lessen/ reduce the squeaking noise.
✦ Outside and Bottom of the Shoe
You can apply conditioning oil if the outer part of your shoes is rubbing against each other. This application will make the surface smoother which will eventually help reduce the noise as well.
You can go for a conditioning cream, like saddle soap which can help reduce the friction between tongues and the laces. This way the squeaking noise will go eventually.
Using vaseline or coconut oil can do the same thing if the other mentioned methods do not work properly.
For the bottom of your shoe, you can use a sandpaper or dryer sheet first to lessen the friction of the shoe. You may also try to attach the bottom part of the shoe if it is loose with the help of super glue.
✦ Shoelace
In the case of shoelaces, you can first use saddle soap which is a conducting cream to reduce the friction of the shoelaces. If it does not work, you can buy a new pair of shoelaces and replace the old ones with them.
Summary
Shoe squeaking can occur on different occasions and it is really annoying for the wearer. Generally, this happens when your shoes are either new or old if moisture gets trapped or the soles or shoelaces are very smooth. Whatever the reasons are, you can fix your squeaky shoes using sandpaper, dryer sheets, baby powder, conditioning oil or cream, and more. All these procedures make your shoes less squeaky or completely reduce the squeakiness. Hence if you have a pair of squeaky shoes, read the above methods and try those out, and do let us know too!