There is nothing more annoying than a squeaky shoe. Most of the time when shoes squeak, it’s a result of one of these two issues:
1. The result of dry leather. When leather is dry and rubs on itself or another piece of leather, it squeaks. The best way to fix this is to use mink oil and rub in a liberal amount on all parts of the leather and into the joint between the sole and the leather. Let it soak in for an hour and rub off any excess with a soft cloth. Both of these have an odor and may darken the leather. The smell will dissipate in a day or so. We have also heard of customers having success using hand lotion on their feet, or soaking the spot with WD-40, but we have not tried these. (That’s not to say they might not work).
2. The result of an air bubble trapped between the sole and the boot uppers, which develops over time just by walking. It is a rare phenomenon, and there are few things more annoying than a squeaky boot. Often you need a “squeaker” (a piece of cloth put between the shank end and the lower insole of the shoe) to kill the friction that causes the squeak.
If the heel base is solid–and not hollow–it may only take tightening the bond between the base and the sole of the shoe to get rid of the squeak. Occasionally a bit of talc can be used if the squeak is between the heel base and the shoe sole.
Whatever the reason, there are some ways to fix this annoying problem of squeaky shoes, but you should take them to a professional cobbler to take a look at them. The best way to take care of it is let someone who really knows shoe structure take care of the problem.
Chat with a Fluevogologist on our Live Chat (get chatting by clicking the box on the bottom right-hand corner of your screen) or contact your local Fluevog Store for cobbler recommendations.
