Slides are great casual shoes. Perfect for the beach, a backyard barbecue, lazing around at home, or even taking a quick trip to the store, they’re a staple in almost any wardrobe.
They come with one common problem, though—they slip off your feet a lot more easily than any other shoes! We have some answers if you’re here to discover how to keep slides from slipping off your feet.
Try one or try all of them, but at least one of these methods should work for you. Say goodbye to unsafe, uncomfortable footwear!
Reasons Why Slides Slip off Your Feet
There are several reasons why your slides may need to be put on your feet. Figuring out the reason is the first step to fixing it!
They Don’t Fit Right
Slides that are too big will naturally slip and slide when you walk. If they don’t hug your feet, nothing is holding them there! You can try gripping the footbed with your toes, but you will only end up with sore toes… And still slippery slides.
On the other hand, if your slides are too small, you may be unable to fit your feet in them. In this case, it’s still not hugging your foot because your foot isn’t in it properly!
They’re Not Textured
A textured footbed helps your feet to grip the shoe better, stopping them from sliding forward as you walk. If your footbed isn’t textured enough, your feet may be sliding around, especially if they’re a little sweaty.
Your Feet Sweat a Lot
Even if your slides’ footbed is textured, it may not work effectively if your feet sweat more than average. This is particularly troublesome in areas that experience high levels of heat in the summer months.
8 Ways to Keep Slides on Your Feet
The good news is that there are several things you can try to keep slides from slipping off your feet when you walk. Each of these addresses one of the above issues that could be causing the slipping in the first place.
1. Choose the Right Slides for Your Feet
This is one of the most common reasons for slippery slides! Making the right shoe choice will keep the shoes on your feet and reduce your chances of developing foot pain.
Shoe Style
A slide is a slide, but you still get different styles within that category. For example, some slides are more fine and elegant, with just a small strip—or multiple stringy bits—holding the shoe onto your foot.
Then there are those slides with a thick, chunky strip of material over the top of your foot. Naturally, these hold way better than the skinny slides, so we advise going for this type instead of the designer ones.
You can also choose closed-toe slides if you want to, but make sure they’re the right size for your feet! If you can find one with an adjustable strap, even better.
Shoe Fit
Now for the most important part—the fit. Chances are you’ll pick a pair that’s in your regular shoe size, but pay more attention to how it feels on your foot.
Your foot should slide easily into the shoe without feeling like it’s swimming around. Conversely, the slide’s band should not feel like strangling your forefoot. The band should rest just lightly on top of your foot.
There should be about a finger’s width between the end of your toes and the end of the shoe. If your toes are hanging over the front of the shoe, it’s not the right fit. Then again, if you can hardly see your toes poking out underneath the band, it’s also not right!
Narrow Feet
If you have particularly narrow feet, you may need to go a half-size or even a full-size down from your regular size. In this case, it’s a huge advantage if you can get a slide with an adjustable strap, so you don’t have to try to slide your foot underneath a too-low band.
2. Talcum Powder
Many of you probably already have a bottle of talcum powder sitting in your closet! It does a great job absorbing moisture, so try this method if you think sweaty feet might be your problem.
Just sprinkle a little on the footbed and a little on your feet. It makes a surprisingly noticeable difference! If you don’t have talcum powder, you can try cornstarch or even baking soda.
3. Use Double-Sided Tape
Crafters, this one’s for you! If you’ve got some double-sided tape lying around, you can use it to stick your slides to your feet literally. Note that this method works best if your feet aren’t overly sweaty and if your slides aren’t too big.
Simply stick a strip—or a few—on the footbed and place your foot in the shoe, sticking it to your skin. You can also add a strip or two underneath the band. It’ll work for a few hours, but this isn’t a long-term solution!
If you’re going to be at the beach, swimming pool, or in the rain, it’ll quickly ruin the stickiness of the tape. Also, dust can easily settle onto the sticky side, reducing the stickiness, so you may need to re-tape after a few hours.
4. Foot Antiperspirant
Another one to counteract sweaty feet is foot antiperspirant could help to reduce sweat and stop slippery slides. They come in many forms—roll-ons, powders, or lotions, like the Carpe Antiperspirant Foot Lotion.
One of the benefits of a foot antiperspirant lotion is that you simply use it like your normal lotion after a shower or bath. It reduces sweat production, eliminates foot odor, and lasts for hours. You can also wash your feet and reapply anytime during the day.
5. Spray Hairspray on Your Slides
Yes—hairspray can stop your feet from sliding around inside your shoes! It’s invisible and tacky, so you might want to skip this one if you don’t enjoy feeling sticky.
You can either spray it on your shoe and slide your foot in before it’s dry, or you can spray it directly onto your feet. Wait a minute or two for it to dry, and you’ll be good to go for 2 to 3 hours.
You can buy mini travel-sized bottles of hairspray to carry in your handbag or backpack if you’ll be out for longer than a few hours and need to reapply it.
6. Metatarsal Pad or Ball of Foot Cushion
Adding a metatarsal pad to your slides can effectively add texture to the footbed to prevent your feet from sliding. They may be marketed for high heels, but they can be an easy solution to keep your slides on your feet!
You can choose one like the Dr. Scholl’s Ball of Foot Cushions, which is made of a soft, gel-like material that’s got good grip. Or, if you prefer, you can go for one with a metatarsal ridge—toe bar—that can help your toes to grip the footbed better, like the Walkize Metatarsal Pads.
7. Use a Shoe Liner
Shoe liners—inserts or sometimes insoles—can effectively add some texture and reduce moisture in your slides.
Depending on your preferences, you can opt for full-length adhesive liners, like Accents Inserts, or a smaller forefoot insert, like Dr. Shoesert Non-Slip Shoes Pads.
8. Draw or Shelf Liner
If the idea of lining your shoes sounds good, you might already have something at home to help—draw or shelf liner. This tacky lining can be used to line your shoes too. All you need to do is cut it to the right size and shape!
They’re usually made of spongy, waterproof material, so you should be able to use this method on the beach or at the pool. You may need to replace it after a few uses, but it should last at least a few days with normal, water-free use.
