How to stop shoes squeaking

Find where the noise comes from

Foot Locker says to ask whether it comes from the inside, where the insoles rub, or the outside, where the outsoles grip the floor. Nike adds that squeaks are not always the shoe: sometimes it is your foot, so try a pair of socks.

Fixes by cause

• Moisture trapped in the shoe. Nike says sun drying does not always reach it. Pull out the inserts, pack the shoes with paper and dry them somewhere ventilated. Foot Locker says to leave them for 24 hours.
• Insole rubbing. Foot Locker and a shoe-care retailer, Langer & Messmer, both say to take out the insole and dust talcum powder, baby powder or cornstarch underneath it. Nike suggests a thin layer of petroleum jelly or coconut oil on the underside.
• Slick outsole on a hard floor. Foot Locker says to lightly scuff the bottom with fine sandpaper.
• Leather tongue or laces rubbing. Nike and Foot Locker suggest leather conditioner on dry leather. Nike also mentions saddle soap.
• A shoe that is too big, so the foot moves. Foot Locker suggests a thicker insole or thicker socks.
• New shoes. Nike says the more you wear new shoes, the more they loosen and quiet down, and Langer & Messmer says the squeak often goes away on its own.

Where sources disagree

Oils on leather split the sources. Nike and Foot Locker suggest a light oil or jelly, and Foot Locker mentions a lubricant on a cloth, never sprayed on the shoe. Langer & Messmer warns that oils such as WD-40 can stain leather, soften it and damage it for good. If you are unsure, start with powder, which no source warns against.

Langer & Messmer also says never to dry leather on a radiator, because it can make it brittle, and that a loose heel or open bond is a job for a shoe repairer.