Heel slippage is a common phenomenon that happens with new leather boots. New boots are stiff and do not flex very well along with your foot when you walk in them. This makes your foot keep coming out of boots at the heel area.
Heel slippage greatly compromises your comfort in leather boots. It also brings you the risk of losing balance and falling while walking. So, you must take some proactive steps to fix it.
Fixing heel slippage in leather boots is not a big thing to lose your sleep over. In most cases, it goes away on its own once you have broken into the pair. If the issue persists, below are some proven ways to fix it. Here you are:
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7 Ways to Fix Heel Slippage in Leather Boots
Important: The primary reason for the heel slippage in leather boots is the stiffness of the new pair. Until you have fully broken into your new pair, you do not need to apply any techniques below. Let’s discuss the techniques:
Buy Leather Boots of Your True Size
The leather boots that are true to your size rarely cause the issue of heel slippage.
With a good fit, the flexing point of your boots will line up perfectly with the flexing point of your feet. Thus, the pair will accommodate the natural movements of your feet without pushing them out of it.
So, before you buy new leather boots, find out your true foot size. This guide on how to measure your foot will help you do that.
You can also visit a shoe store nearby and ask them to measure your foot size but with a Brannock device only.
As a rule of thumb, there must be some wiggling of toes and a sudden thud when you try to put your feet in new leather boots.
Additionally, a heel rise of up to one inch is normal with new boots. A more than one-inch rise means the boots are too big for your feet. Go half a size down.
Tighten Up Your Lacing Knots
This is a very simple trick to fix heel slippage in leather boots. Lace your boots a bit tighter. The tight lacing will push the feet back into the heel cup and prevent them from coming out of the boots.
The idea is to tie your laces as tightly as possible without sacrificing foot comfort. If you worry about the tongue getting the burn from the laces, add a false tongue for a few days. As soon as the heel slippage in leather boots is fixed, you can restore your normal lacing style.
You do not need to be very creative here. There is no need to get caught up with fancy lacing styles such as rabbit lacing or hikers lacing. Follow the video given above to achieve the goal.
Install Padded Tongue Pads
Padded tongue pads help push your feet back into the heel when you walk. Thus, fixing heel slippage in leather boots is a simple and economical solution.
Most modern boots, especially work boots, already come with a padded tongue. In case your boots do not have padded tongues or the padding is a bit lacking, install pads yourself.
Peel off the protective layer of the pads and place the adhesive side on the inner side of the tongue. The pads will immediately stick to the tongue. You may also trim the pad as you see fit.
Wear Non-Slip Socks
Non-slip socks are like regular socks, but they come with a rugged pattern carved on the bottom of them. This corrugated pattern maximizes friction. Thus, the pattern prevents your feet from coming out of leather boots.
Another benefit of non-slip socks is that they are made fairly padded. If you wear them, you do not have to install separate tongue pads. Alternatively, you may also use a thick pair of work socks for padding purposes.
Change Your Insoles
These days, leather boots come with insoles that have a contoured design. The intentional profile of the insoles helps to lock the heel of your foot in its place. Thus, the insoles play a big part in fixing heel slippage in leather boots.
If your leather boots do not have contoured insoles, consider replacing your insoles. They do not take a huge toll on your pocket and work wonders to fix heel slippage in leather boots.
Use Heel Liners
Heel liners are a miniature version of boots insoles. They are made to provide a contour at the heel area. This contour locks your heels in their places and fixes heel slippage in leather boots.
A heel liner is a padded patch with adhesive and padding on the opposite side. To install the liner, you need to press the adhesive side firmly into your boots at the heel area.
Heel liners are very useful to fix heel slippage in leather boots.
Mind Your Gait
This one is for you if you walk on your toe. Walking on your toe will make it super hard for you to fix heel slippage in leather boots.
Work on your gait and try to land your heels on the ground first and then the rest of the foot when you walk.
Deliberate practice for a week or two will change the way you walk. Along with that, it will fix heel slippage in your leather boots.
What’s Next
It is super easy to fix heel slippage in your leather boots all by yourself with the right approach. Try one technique at a time and watch for a few days before moving on to the next one.
If all methods fail to fix heel slippage in your leather boots, do not be creative with your pair and take it to a cobbler. This will be a rare case, though. Thanks!
