It's embarrassing ... and fixable
This Is Why Your Shoes Always Squeak in the Summer—And How to Get It to Stop
Published on Jul. 24, 2025
I once had a brand-new pair of white sneakers that were rendered useless in about two weeks. No, I didn’t get them dirty. And yes, they fit me just fine. In fact, they were quite comfy. But they were also quite squeaky. At first, it was a faint squeak, but it grew progressively louder.
How loud, you ask?
I stepped onto the elevator in my apartment building with two other neighbors, who looked around in amazement. “Did I just hear a bird?” one of them said.
I could have said nothing. But instead, I blurted out: “No, I’m sorry—it’s my new sneakers!” We all had a good laugh as I squeaked off the elevator, down the hall and into my apartment. I kicked off the shoes and never wore them again.
Over the years, I’ve heard similar stories of squeaky shoes—everything from walking shoes to boots to high heels to sandals, along with prices that ran the gamut from discount to designer. And the weird thing is, it’s not always the soles that are squeaking. If you’ve hidden squeaky shoes in your closet that have embarrassed you in public, I have some good news for you: You might actually be able to wear them again, squeak-free.
I asked three shoe and foot pros—Nicole Freels, the founder and CEO of Lexington Podiatry; Galahad Clark, a seventh-generation cobbler and the founder of Vivobarefoot; and Filip Tokarz, the owner of Euro Shoe House in Schaumburg, Illinois—about why this annoying problem persists and how to fix it. Read on to save your shoes.
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Why do shoes squeak?
If only there were just one answer to this question! Unfortunately, there are a number of factors that can cause soles, midsoles and even your foot itself to squeak. Let’s take a look at why your shoes are putting up such a fuss.
The shoe’s materials
“The No. 1 reason [shoes squeak] is the materials,” says Dr. Freels. One particular culprit is EVA, or ethylene-vinyl acetate, a cushiony, foam-like material often used in sneaker midsoles and other casual footwear. The foam is lightweight and flexible, but it traps moisture and air within it, creating all those squeaks.
You can also expect squeak city with synthetic uppers, foamy midsoles and shoes made from polyurethane or faux leather, says Clark. It’s not much better with plastic heel counters—the plastic inserts that reinforce heel cups and boost overall foot support found in overly structured sneakers, he adds.
But it’s not only synthetic materials that can be a problem. Tokarz also blames poor construction or aging glue that was used to keep the layers together. “When adhesives break down or stitching loosens, internal parts can shift and cause tiny noises,” he explains.
Moisture and friction inside the shoe
Squeaks coming from within the shoe originate from trapped moisture. Sweat and rainwater can become lodged inside the layers of shoes, especially with synthetic insoles and glued midsoles, says Clark.
Friction within the shoe is also a major problem, both when your foot rubs against the shoe as well as when the rest of the shoe parts come in contact with one another. “A common culprit is when the insole rubs against the midsole—especially if it’s slightly loose or moisture has crept in,” explains Tokarz.
Friction with the floor
Rubber soles on hardwood floors and glossy surfaces can also cause squeaking. “Rubber outsoles can squeak on polished surfaces, particularly when new or worn unevenly,” Tokarz adds.
If you’ve ever walked in wet shoes or boots on a floor that’s coated with tracked-in snow or rain from other people’s wet footwear, then you know the cacophony of squeaks that can emerge from both inside and outside your shoes.
But even if your shoes and the floor are dry, it’s not a match made in heaven. “Rubber on certain smooth surfaces squeaks,” Clark says, “especially if the rubber is too hard or too soft.”
Poorly fitting shoe inserts or orthotics
Dr. Freels says orthotics, whether custom or over-the-counter, can cause squeaking if they don’t fit or aren’t inserted just right. “It creates this friction, and that’s where the squeaking comes from,” she explains. “Because a lot of times, these inserts are plastic, and they’re rubbing up against the inside of the sole.”
It’s also worth mentioning that if a shoe is too big for you and your heel is lifting to let air in and out, there could be some noise involved too. (More on that in a bit.)
The way you walk
Although the shoe bears most of the blame, your gait can share in some of it. “You’ve got a lot of instability in your gait in general, so your foundation’s not solid,” Dr. Freels says. Put on a poorly made flexible shoe with a rubber sole, and you’ll have squeaks on parade.
If you find your shoes squeak at the end of a long day, it’s because your feet are tired and dragging or shuffling, which may cause squeaking against the surface due to the additional friction, adds Dr. Freels.
Does this only happen in summer?
No, but it’s understandable if your shoes squeak more in the summertime. Between rain, humidity and sweat, your feet and your shoes are too moist to stay silent. The additional moisture gets trapped inside the shoes’ layers, and any rubber will get tacky, Clark explains.
And you may prefer to go sockless in the summer, but the additional moisture and friction will almost certainly cause squeaking. Dr. Freels says to reconsider socks because they not only absorb moisture, but they also provide a layer of separation between your foot and the shoe, preventing that noisy friction.
But you’re not out of the woods in the cold weather, as materials like foam, plastics and “pointless padding” lose their flexibility when the mercury drops, causing awkward rubbing noises, Clark adds.
Which types of shoes are more prone to squeaking?
- Any shoes with excess structure, such as rigidly designed boots or sneakers, will make their presence known, even if they’re made from “good” materials. “The more layers and rigid bits, the more friction points,” says Clark.
- Shoes that are made from synthetic materials are typically not flexible or breathable, and they don’t have much cushioning, all of which can lead to unfortunate squeaking, adds Dr. Freels. (I have another embarrassing squeaky shoe story starring a pair of patent leather heels that proves this point.)
- Cheap shoes with plastic insoles—especially when combined with poorly molded orthotics that are not custom-made or fitted properly for your foot.
- Flip-flops are also high on the problem list—and not just because of the sweat and moisture that can build up on them. Air also gets trapped and released under your heel with every footfall, adding a suction noise to the mix. (Good times.)
How can you stop shoes from squeaking?
OK, so now you know that you’re not hallucinating those squeaky sounds—and you’re certainly not the only one for whom loud shoes are a thing. Here’s the info you need to stop the squeaks in their tracks.
- Sprinkle some powder under the insole. Regular baby powder or talcum powder will do, experts say, but Dr. Freels swears by Monkey Butt.
- Dry them out. Clark recommends removing the insoles and airing out your shoes overnight. (If they can spend a few hours in the sun, even better, he says.)
- Apply leather conditioner. Both Clark and Tokarz say leather conditioner works like a charm. “It keeps uppers supple and reduces noise caused by stiff or cracking material,” Tokarz says.
- Wash them. Not every shoe is washable, so proceed with caution here. But there are a growing number of shoe brands that use washable materials, so if the shoe fits, wash it accordingly and see if that removes the squeak. Flip-flops can often do with a bath; in fact, the team at Archie’s Footwear recommends washing squeaky flip-flops in warm water, then giving them a scrub with a brush before drying them thoroughly with a towel.
- Spray some WD-40 on them. Yes, the same stuff used to fix squeaks throughout your house can fix your squeaky shoes, says Tokarz. Just be careful to use it only on the outsole, not the tread, to avoid damage to your shoes, especially if they’re made of suede or cloth. (And always do a spot test first.)
- Wear moisture-wicking socks. Sweaty bare feet will cause friction in any shoe, so try to wear moisture-wicking socks as the fashion dictates.
- Take your shoes to a cobbler. When in doubt, bring your shoes to the pros for fixing. “A good local repair expert can spot hidden causes like a cracked shank or internal looseness that a DIY fix won’t reach,” says Tokarz.
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Sources:
- Nicole G. Freels, CEO and founder of Lexington Podiatry; phone interview, July 9, 2025
- Galahad Clark, seventh-generation cobbler and founder of Vivobarefoot; email interview, July 10, 2025
- Filip Tokarz, owner of Euro Shoe House; email interview, July 9, 2025
- Feet Relief: “What to Look For in a ‘Good Shoe'”
- Archie’s Footwear: “My Flip Flops are squeaking, is there anything I can do to fix this?”
