How to make the sole of winter shoes non-slip?

There are special requirements for winter boots and boots: the main thing is that the shoes do not slip, otherwise a walk along the icy sidewalks can end in serious trouble. There are several methods and devices that allow you to increase the grip of the sole with the ice surface and make sure that the legs do not part.

What shoes do not slip?

In the winter season, especially at the beginning and end of the season, the weather is very changeable. Night frosts give way to a daytime thaw, as a result of which roads and sidewalks are covered with a thin ice crust. Therefore, choosing shoes for winter walks, you need to pay attention not so much to the appearance of the model, but to comfort and stability on a slippery surface.

So that the shoes do not slip, they must meet the following requirements:

• The sole is made of material that provides good grip. It can be ordinary or thermoplastic rubber, rubber.
• The tread has not too deep, but randomly located grooves. The more clutter in the picture, the stronger the grip.
• It is better to give preference to models with solid soles or low wide heels.
• Platform height no more than 5 cm.

It is bad when during walking the heel deviates back, and the toe of the boot rises more than 1 cm.

When buying a new pair of boots, you need to check in the store whether the sole is slipping. It is better to take shoes made in those countries where they know firsthand what winter and ice are. This, for example, Russia, Finland, Norway, Germany.

What is the most non-slip sole?

The shoe sole is made from various natural and synthetic materials, but for winter models, ordinary or thermoplastic rubber is most suitable.

• The rubber sole is durable and can withstand extreme temperatures. Flexible elastic material provides a tenacious connection with the ice surface, so walking in boots on a rubber platform is quite safe to walk in winter.
• In thermoplastic rubber (TEP), the properties of vulcanized rubber and thermoplastics are combined. Strength and elasticity are the main advantages of this material. Shoes with such a sole are lightweight and comfortable, absolutely not slipping on ice. TEP retains its properties at lower temperatures to -45 ° C.

You should not choose winter boots with a platform of tunit, genuine leather or polyurethane. These materials harden in the cold and become incredibly slippery.

Why does the sole slip?

A sole made of a porous material, such as polyurethane, gets frosty and loses its flexibility and ductility. Micropores, in large numbers located on its surface, are closed. The platform becomes absolutely smooth and the shoes begin to slide.

Boots on the "semolina", as polyurethane is often called by the people, are suitable for those who spend no more than half an hour in the cold and move mainly in a car. Polyurethane is not suitable for everyday winter shoes, since at a temperature below -20 ° C it begins to break and crumble, and the sole slips very much.

How to grate the sole for stability on ice?

If the shoes slip very much and you don’t feel like changing the fashionable boots, you can use folk remedies and try to cope with the problem yourself.

What to do with a sliding sole to maintain a respectable appearance and increase its stability on the ice track?

• Superglue mesh. The sole of the boot is degreased with alcohol or solvent, after which the entire surface is painted with glue. To enhance the effect, the adhesive can be applied one more time, allowing the first layer to dry. Then the boot is placed on the sand and well pressed so that the grains stick into the glue. Homemade tread ready. The main thing is not to walk around the apartment in such shoes so as not to spoil the floors.
• Silicone glue. The lower part of the platform must be treated with large emery paper, then smeared with silicone glue. The procedure is repeated twice, then the shoes are dried until the glue hardens completely (about 2 days).
• Kapron stocking. If you burn old knee-high socks or tights, they will melt. The result is a viscous, sticky substance that is applied dropwise to the sole.
• Volumetric paints push-up. Paints for creating volumetric drawings from children's creativity kits will help to cope with the “slippery” problem. It is only necessary to smear the sole and allow the paints to dry. The resulting friable pattern will prevent slipping into ice.

Desperate owners of slippery shoes come up with the most incredible ways, trying to make the sole more stable. For example, they say that you can grate the surface of the platform or scratch with a knife. Perhaps it's a pity to spoil only the boots. Another dubious way is to spread the sole of a cut potato. Starch will settle and for a few minutes make the shoes less slippery.

What to stick to boots, so as not to slip?

Pieces of flannel, patch or sandpaper glued to the bottom of the platform will help reduce gliding.

To make a homemade tread last longer, shoes must be thoroughly washed and dried before work. Particular attention is paid to the back and nose, on which pieces of felt or adhesive plaster are glued, placing the strips in different directions. To preserve the appearance of the shoe, the white patch can be painted over with a black felt-tip pen.

This method is simple and affordable, but short-lived. After a maximum of two days, the strips will fly apart, and the work will have to be done again.

Those who do not believe in folk remedies and are looking for more thorough ways should contact any repair shop and stick a rubber anti-slip pad on the sole. And here you can choose the thickness of the sticker, and the tread pattern. Shoes will not only stop slipping, but will also become warmer.

Winter shoe

In pharmacies or hardware stores special devices are sold that increase grip and reliably protect a person from falling in any ice. These are rubber products with metal inserts in the heel and toe.

Ice boots are put on boots just before leaving the house, since it is impossible to move around the apartment in such overlays. The product looks quite aesthetically pleasing. Some models can even be adapted to elegant female ankle boots with heels.

Ice boots are the most effective and reliable way to protect yourself on an icy surface.

Do not risk your health, putting up with slippery shoes in the period of ice. There are many ways to avoid this problem. And if you do not want to spoil the appearance of new boots or boots, the sole of which turned out to be insufficiently stable, it is better to buy ice boots or take a couple to a repair shop, where the master carefully glues a suitable tread.