How To Prevent Squeaking And Noisy Shoes | Merrell Australia

There’s nothing worse, is there? Stepping out in a brand-new pair of shoes, and before you even leave the house – you can hear that inevitable squeak on the inside of your footwear, like you’re walking on a cloud of deflated balloons.

Whether you’re wearing walking shoes or something more casual, to stop the stares – follow our tips for helping you prime your shoes to stop them squeaking.

What Causes the Squeak?

The noises you hear when your shoes are squeaking may be caused by air or moisture getting trapped different parts of the shoe. Predominantly, this is usually in the insole area and when the insole rubs against another part of the shoe, it creates that squeaking noise.

1. Conditioner on the Upper

Give the exterior of the shoes a coat of any shoe conditioner (suitable conditioner for the upper of your shoes of course).

Gently rub the product on your shoes, paying attention to any natural creases in the material.

2. Powder under the InnerSole or Orthotic

   For shoes that have either a removeable sockliner (innersole) or for those that are adding their own Orthotic, simply take this out of the shoe and sprinkle either Baby or Talcum powder where it sits. The powder works in absorbing any excess moisture while reducing any friction that might be present between the Midsole and Innersole. You can also sprinkle some around the shoelaces or anywhere else you think the material might be rubbing. Let the powder set overnight before cleaning off any excess.

(If the Sockliner is fixed in the shoe (either by glue or stitching) then this is proabably not the cause of your squeak).

3. Dry your Shoes

   One of the leading causes towards squeaking shoes, is Moisture, expecially in the Midsole.

   Make sure your shoes are nice and dry. Filling the shoe with Newspaper, putting in a Silica gel packet, or putting them in an airing cupboard are a few ways of giving them a proper dry out.

   From the outside the shoe may seem dry, but the midsole can take a lot longer to dry so make sure it gets a proper air out.

4. Wear your shoes in

If your shoes are squeaking early on, it could simply be the shoes not yet used to being used as a shoe. It may just need a few days of bending and impact to loosen them up. Some shoes especially can be rather stiff in the midsole early on.

5. The Tumble Dryer strategy

This is usually the idea that majority of people aim for, HOWEVER, take note that tumble Dryers are not made for hard shoes to be thrown around so please be careful with this method with causing damage to your Dryer.