Whenever you walk on tiled or linoleum floors do your shoes announce your arrival by making a very annoying squeaky noise?
If so, you’re probably thinking that it’s just the way the shoe is, which is not the truth. There are many reasons that can cause shoes to squeak but you can fix this problem using some of the easily available DIY methods that we will mention below.
Why do shoes squeak?
Squeaky shoes are very common for many people.
Doesn’t matter what type of flooring you are working on, the squeaking of the shoes against the floor can be really annoying and also bothersome.
Before we hop on to find the solutions as to how to stop shoes from squeaking on linoleum, we need to dive into all the reasons that could cause this type of problem.
New shoes
In the case of many shoes when the soles are new they rub against the floor and cause a squeaky noise. This quickly goes away after some time when the sole rubs against the floor and smooths it out.
The material of the shoe doesn’t really matter in this case and it can be very hard to tell if new shoes squeak or not before trying it out. For example, your shoe may be made of either rubber, leather, or a synthetic sole and can still squeak on any type of flooring when you try it out.
Something may be stuck on the sole
If your shoe is not brand new and it doesn’t usually squeak on any kind of flooring but it is squeaking now, one of the reasons could be something stuck on the sole. Just check the sole to see if there is something stuck on it. Remove the material and that will resolve this quickly. You might want to check for even a few grains of sand on the lugs that can cause the squeak especially only on linoleum floors.
Too much friction
Another reason why your sole is squeaking could be because of its age. Many old pairs of shoes start to squeak because of too much wear and tear or damage on the sole of the shoe.
Sometimes there may be too much friction between the floor and the sole of the shoe or sometimes it could be just because of regular use and regular pressure on it.
This is mainly a design problem as the lugs may be too sticky or sharp and that can cause a lot of friction when they come into contact with the floor.
There are two soles in a shoe- the outer sole and the inner sole. With frequent wear and age of the shoe, the friction between these surfaces may go up causing it to squeak.
Water damage
Is it only when you walk in the rain or on a wet surface that your shoes start to squeak? Well, that could be because of the water damage. this problem will resolve by itself when the insole completely dries off.
In case the water damage is a little too much you should wait for the shoes to completely dry off before wearing them again. Leave them out in the air or in the sun to dry for a day or two so that no moisture is left.
How To Stop Shoes From Squeaking On Linoleum?
Usually, the shoe squeaking is not really noticeable unless you walk on hard floors such as tiles or linoleum.
You can easily replace or get rid of those squeaky shoes if you want but that is not the only solution there is.
First of all, you need to identify the problem. Walk slowly with the shoes on a hard floor and once you start noticing the sound, rock your heel back and forth to see exactly where the sound is coming from.
Also, look at the bottom of your shoe for any kind of stone or dirt or sand stuck on the outsoles. Try to get rid of the dirt or stone by rubbing the shoe against the rest surface switch the stair or a rough surface like a concrete floor. This will stop the squeaking if caused by such materials.
If this still does not resolve your problem, here are a few more fixes you can try to get rid of the noise.
- Rub shoe bottom with dryer sheet
Sometimes the squeaking is caused since the rubber on new shoes is too slick. You can easily fix this by rubbing the shoe bottom with a dryer sheet. Repeat the process a few times to prevent further squeaking.
- Rubbing with sandpaper
Another method to stop the shoes from squeaking is by rubbing the bottom with sandpaper. This will make the smooth surface relatively rough and the shoes won’t make any noise on hard floors.
Sandpapers if used improperly can also damage your shoes, so use very fine sandpaper for rubber soles and even finer sandpapers for leather bottoms.
- Use rubber sole spray
Rubber sole sprays are anti-slip substances that help reduce the squeaking due to traction. Spraying the shoe bottom with these will reduce the squeaking. Sole sprays enhance shoe grip and also clean the bottom of your shoes. Hence, you can easily walk over hard surfaces like tiles or linoleum flooring.
- Use glue for the broken bottom
In many shoes, a broken sole is the main reason for the noise. Even a small or the slightest detachment can cause noisy or clapping sounds as you walk. Apply some glue to reattach that part of the sole and you will discover the squeaking stops immediately. After applying the glue apply some pressure on your shoe by clamping or putting it under heavy stuff for superior adhesion of the upper part with the sole.
- Use baby powder
Sometimes the squeaking can be caused by the insole of the shoe. This is caused because of friction between the insole and the midsole which can be reduced by sprinkling some baby powder underneath the insole. Another added benefit of using baby powder is that it can absorb moisture and hence if the noise is due to moist insoles this method will fix even that.
- Reduce sole traction with oil
You can reduce the squeaking of the insole by applying some grease or oil on the surface which will prevent the inside from grinding and causing noise.
- Glue loose insole
Sometimes the problem is in the loosely attached insole. For a long-term fix for the noisy sole, pull out the insole and apply some glue on the inner side of the shoe. Let it dry for a few seconds and then carefully put the insole back again. This works best for sneakers and dress shoes as it keeps the insole in place by eliminating any friction.
- Use heat to dry your shoes
You can use a regular hair dryer to dry your shoes if you realize that the problem lies in wet soles. Many times when you walk on wet surfaces or in the rain your shoes start to squeak and that is because of the water damage. You can either let them air dry or sun dry or even use a dryer to dry your shoes out. The squeaking goes away as soon as the shoes are dry.
- Use water-displacing spray
Water displacing spray is another good method to stop squeaky shoes on hard floors like linoleum or tiles. For fixing leather or rubber shoes you can buy a water repellent spray to drive out the moisture.
You can also make a DIY spray using natural ingredients to stop the shoe from squeaking. You can mix three parts of sunflower oil with one part of water in a spray bottle shake it properly and spray it on the noisy shoes. Similarly, you can also try a mixture of 90% vegetable oil with 10% acetone to prevent the noise.
- Use moisture absorbents
Regular stuff like rice, newspaper, baby powder is great for absorbing moisture. If your shoes are not too wet, you can use some of this stuff to dry your shoes or you can also try this trick after blow-drying your wet shoes.
It is also a very good habit to put silica gel bags in your shoes to keep them dry. This helps prevent the water damage in the shoes that often leads to squeaking noise.
- Condition your shoes
For shoes with leather soles, a good layer of conditioner can take care of any squeak and prevent the surfaces from cracking.
Some shoes have very noisy buckles. You can rub some candle wax on the metallic part to eliminate all the noise.
- More DIY tricks to stop your shoes from squeaking
- You can apply a good leather conditioner on the leather shows to prevent them from squeaking. It will also detect the shoes from cracks and prolong their lifetime.
- For heels that squeak you can apply a thin layer of rubber cement to the shoe heels. Allow it to dry completely before wearing them again. The reduction in traction due to the adhesive coating on the heels will eliminate the noise. You can also use it to reattach broken heels or soles.
- Sometimes the shoes become noisy because of the air bubbles between the top and the bottom layer. You can rub some baby powder or baby oil in the area to stop the shoes from squeaking on hard floors.
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Conclusion
These easy DIY solutions can stop shoes from squeaking on linoleum floors or tiles. You can try either one of the solutions or compile more than one solution together to get the desired results. Squeaky shoes are a common problem but that doesn’t mean you have to live with it.
Make sure to analyze your problem and where the squeaking is rising from and shoes your method accordingly. For example, if your shoes are squeaking because of water damage then rubbing the sole with the sandpaper will have absolutely no effect on them.
And if none of these methods work, you could get your shoe checked by a cobbler or replace it if necessary.