13 Practical Shoe Hacks That Will Put You A Step Ahead

13 Practical Shoe Hacks - collage: woman's hands using sandpaper on sole of shoe, hands tying a house key to running shoe's laces, hands spraying isopropyl alcohol into tennis shoe.

These 13 Shoe Tips Are Universally Useful

Typically when I write a blog post, I know that not everyone will find it equally useful or applicable to their circumstances. Everyone is different, so not everything I share can address the wants, needs, and concerns of every person who reads it.

But today’s blog post is a rare exception to that rule, because it truly does have something in it for everyone! And that’s because today’s post is about shoes, and regardless of all our differences, I’m pretty sure we all wear shoes, right? ;-)

I recently combed through the OGT archives, and the internet in general, in a quest to collect as many shoe-related hacks, tips, and tricks as I could find. After narrowing that list down to only the best of the best, I ended up with the 13 truly brilliant shoe hacks that I’ll be sharing with you today!

Much like footwear, these hacks cover a lot of ground, addressing topics like cleaning, deodorizing, storing, organizing, and more. I’m sure these shoe tips will be as useful to you as they have been to me, no matter what your shoe collection looks like!

Related: These Are The 4 Worst Shoes For Your Feet

13 Brilliant Shoe Hacks That Everyone Should Know

13 Practical Shoe Hacks - collage: bottle of white vinegar, dish of water, and a measuring cup on a washcloth; hand using a terry cloth to clean suede Uggs

1. How To Clean And Care For Shoes, By Type

Cleaning everyday sneakers might be easy enough, but keeping specialty fabrics like leather and suede clean can be pretty intimidating! Luckily for us, it’s easier than you might think to keep any kind of shoe looking clean and well cared for.

To learn the easiest and most effective methods for cleaning various types of shoes, check out the posts at the links below:

13 Practical Shoe Hacks - collage: hands spraying alcohol into canvas shoes; yellow flats in a plastic bag in the freezer,

2. Deodorize Stinky Shoes

One of the most common shoe-related questions I’ve been asked over the years how to get rid of unpleasant odors. No one wants to be walking around in smelly shoes all day (or be subjected to the smell of someone else’s!)

But there are several simple ways to get rid of shoe odor, and most of them deal with addressing the most common root of the problem: moisture. Check out the link below for simple methods you can use to deodorize your shoes!

Read More: This Is How To Remove Odor From Stinky Shoes

13 Practical Shoe Hacks - collage: woman's hand pouring water into a ziplock baggie in a shoe; hands holding zipper of boots open to show bag of ice inside

3. Stretch Out Too-Tight Shoes

I bought a pair of leopard print ankle boots a few years ago that I was so excited about, but I was devastated to discover that even though they were my size, they were a little too snug to wear comfortably. Unwilling to concede defeat, I immediately set out to discover if there was anything I could do to make them more wearable.

And not only did I find one way to successfully stretch out tight shoes, I actually found three! Get all the details on how to stretch out too-tight shoes at the link below.

Read More: 3 Easy Methods That Will Save Your Too-Tight Shoes

13 Practical Shoe Hacks - collage: row of colorful shoes stored heel to toe; shoes in a plastic door organizer; shoes on a tray sliding under a piece of furniture

4. Smart Storage Solutions For Shoes

Shoes can take up a lot of space in your closet or anywhere you happen to store them. But there are a few simple shoe storage tips that can help:

  • Arrange your shoes in alternating directions to fit more shoes on a shelf or rack.
  • Store shoes in an over-the-door organizer and turn any door in your house into additional shoe storage!
  • Store shoes on a tray underneath your furniture, such as the gap beneath your bed or sofa.
13 Practical Shoe Hacks - hand using a microfiber cloth and vinegar to clean salt off a leather boot

5. Erase Salt Stains From Leather Shoes

Walking through parking lots and across city streets during the wintertime guarantees the same result: salt stains. And you don’t want salt stains marring any of your nice boots, but especially not your leather ones!

But with the aid of some white vinegar, you can erase those salt stains easily and restore the look of your leather shoes in minutes. Check out the step-by-step method at the link below.

Read More: How To Clean Salt Stains From Leather Shoes In 4 Easy Steps

13 Practical Shoe Hacks- sliding a pair of shoes into a shower cap for packing.

6. Cleanly Pack Your Dirty Shoes

When you’re packing shoes into your luggage for a trip, wrap a shower cap over the soles of your shoes before putting them in your bag. It’s a simple and inexpensive way to prevent the soles of your shoes from dirtying up your clothes and other items.

13 Practical Shoe Hacks - hands tying on running shoes with house key on laces.

7. Tie Your Key To Your Running Shoes

Don’t know where to keep your house key or car key when you go out for a run? Secure it to your shoe by slipping the key over a shoelace, then tying your shoes as usual. (You can double-knot your laces for extra peace of mind!)

13 Practical Shoe Hacks - pair of high boots with pieces of pool noodle in them to keep them upright

8. Support Tall Boots With A Pool Noodle

It drove me crazy when my tallest pair of riding boots kept flopping over to one side in my closet. To solve the problem, I cut a pool noodles into shorter pieces and slid one into each one of my boots. Easy!

Pool noodles are widely available during the summertime, and you can even find them at the dollar store. It’s a cheap and easy way to keep your tall boots standing tall. :-)

13 Practical Shoe Hacks - fleece sheepskin shoe inserts

9. Keep Your Feet Warm

Some people have a hard time keeping their feet and toes warm, even when it’s not partiucularly cold outside! If that sounds like you, consider investing in a pair of ultra-cozy fleece sheepskin shoe inserts!

You can slip them into any pair of shoes, and they’re sure to keep your little piggies much cozier. (You could also put them in slippers whose insoles have worn out or gotten lost!)

13 Practical Shoe Hacks - running shoes with crumpled newspaper stuffed inside

10. Dry Out Wet Shoes Fast

There are few things more unpleasant that walking around in a pair of wet shoes. Just in case you find yourself in such a situation in the future, here’s a way to dry out a pair of wet shoes as quickly as possible!

Put your shoes somewhere warm to dry (like by a radiator, air vent, or out in the sun), then ball up a few sheets of newspaper and stuff them into each shoe. The newsprint will help absorb excess moisture inside the shoe, helping your shoes dry faster than they would otherwise.

13 Practical Shoe Hacks - hands using sandpaper on the sole of a shoe

11. Improve The Traction Of Slippery Soles

Some shoe soles offer so little grip that they can become something of a hazard! But there’s an easy way to give those slippery shoes more traction, and all you need is a piece of sandpaper.

Use a coarse-grit sandpaper to scuff up the soles of your shoes. The imperfections and abrasions left behind will immediately make the soles grip the ground more effectively to help keep you on your feet.

13 Practical Shoe Hacks - collage: woman's foot with two toes taped together; woman's feet with high heels on

12. Tape Your Toes In Pointed Heels

One of the problems with wearing high heels (particularly ones of the pointed-toe variety) is how they often smush your toes together in quite an uncomfortable way. But I recently learned about a strange (but effective!) fix that can help!

Using a long piece of medical tape or beauty tape, wrap it around both your second and middle toes to secure them together. This simple maneuver will free up some space in the front of your shoes and make your heels more comfortable to wear.

Shoe Hacks

13. Cap Your High Heels

Those of you who are coordinated enough to strut your stuff in stiletto heels (as someone who is isn’t, you have my deepest respect and admiration), you might have experience with common issues like lack of traction and the loud click they can make when you walk.

But you can solve both issues at once with a set of these heel caps. The caps provide more grip while also dampening the sound of the heel striking the ground. You can add heel caps to a new pair of heels to keep them in good shape, or you could add them to older, more worn heels as a quick repair!

What’s your best shoe hack?

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Jill Nystul Photo

Jill Nystul (aka Jillee)

Jill Nystul is an accomplished writer and author who founded the blog One Good Thing by Jillee in 2011. With over 30 years of experience in homemaking, she has become a trusted resource for contemporary homemakers by offering practical solutions to everyday household challenges.I share creative homemaking and lifestyle solutions that make your life easier and more enjoyable!

About Jillee

Jill Nystul

Jill’s 30 years of homemaking experience, make her the trusted source for practical household solutions.

About Jillee

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16 Comments

  1. My dad used to put my shoes outside at night because they smelled so bad! lol Now, as prevention, after I wear my tennies, I take the insoles out of the bottom of the shoes to let them and the isides of the shoes dry before I put the shoes away in my closet. It has helped enough to wear one pair for over a year without any odor.

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  2. I tried every tip for whitening the mesh on my white tennis shoes to no avail. I tried several white polishes, but they didn’t work well enough for those white tennies to look, well…white. Frustrated, I finally hit upon the idea of painting them with white acrylic paint (Dollar Tree for one dollar). I applied several light coats so the paint didn’t plug up the holes. I then sprayed them with Scotch Guard, two coats. They were as white as when I had first bought them and they have remained that way for months now!

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  3. Pingback: Eight Strategies To Buying Footwear Which Are Great For Your Own Feet – The Life of Johannesen 060
  4. Pingback: Just How To Pick The Best Shoe Measurements When Purchasing Online? – The Life of Anderson 728
  5. Pingback: How To Sterile White Footwear – The Journey of Rubin 888
  6. My husband and I travel a lot. I found that using the slim plastic protector bags that our Sunday paper arrives in is a great way to pack my shoes. For larger shoes, one bag per shoe makes it easy to slip a shoe in here and there where there is a little crevice in your suitcase. Sandals/flip flops or sneakers can be placed together in the bag toe to heel style.

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  7. Love the shower cap idea for traveling with shoes

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • For years, when I traveled, I put my shoes in the plastic bags I kept from my delivered newspaper. It recycles them and it’s free. Now that my paper is digital, I’m so glad I saved all those bags!

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  8. There are some fantastic hacks there, I wish I’d had them many moons ago. I don’t need much shoe storage! Much as I love shoes, I hate wearing new ones, I wear one pair till they are almost falling off my feet. I have very wide feet and I’ve almost always had problems finding ones which don’t give me blisters and sores, even with all the safeguards in place. I found a pair which are a synthetic cloth material and still look stylish, they were comfortable from the first minute I put them on, the only problem I had was that I wore them through on the toe of the right shoe within a year, the company had stopped making them and I was not a happy bunny. Then I found a pair on eBay but, of course, the same thing happened. I started searching for some way to cover the (tiny) hole and finally found my saviours…silicone toe guards for ballet dancers, they’re fantastic!! Now my shoes will last as long, if not longer, than leather ones.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  9. Heel caps.. what a great idea! Jillee thank you so much!

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.

Leave a Comment

16 Comments

  1. My dad used to put my shoes outside at night because they smelled so bad! lol Now, as prevention, after I wear my tennies, I take the insoles out of the bottom of the shoes to let them and the isides of the shoes dry before I put the shoes away in my closet. It has helped enough to wear one pair for over a year without any odor.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  2. I tried every tip for whitening the mesh on my white tennis shoes to no avail. I tried several white polishes, but they didn’t work well enough for those white tennies to look, well…white. Frustrated, I finally hit upon the idea of painting them with white acrylic paint (Dollar Tree for one dollar). I applied several light coats so the paint didn’t plug up the holes. I then sprayed them with Scotch Guard, two coats. They were as white as when I had first bought them and they have remained that way for months now!

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  3. Pingback: Eight Strategies To Buying Footwear Which Are Great For Your Own Feet – The Life of Johannesen 060
  4. Pingback: Just How To Pick The Best Shoe Measurements When Purchasing Online? – The Life of Anderson 728
  5. Pingback: How To Sterile White Footwear – The Journey of Rubin 888
  6. My husband and I travel a lot. I found that using the slim plastic protector bags that our Sunday paper arrives in is a great way to pack my shoes. For larger shoes, one bag per shoe makes it easy to slip a shoe in here and there where there is a little crevice in your suitcase. Sandals/flip flops or sneakers can be placed together in the bag toe to heel style.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  7. Love the shower cap idea for traveling with shoes

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • For years, when I traveled, I put my shoes in the plastic bags I kept from my delivered newspaper. It recycles them and it’s free. Now that my paper is digital, I’m so glad I saved all those bags!

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  8. There are some fantastic hacks there, I wish I’d had them many moons ago. I don’t need much shoe storage! Much as I love shoes, I hate wearing new ones, I wear one pair till they are almost falling off my feet. I have very wide feet and I’ve almost always had problems finding ones which don’t give me blisters and sores, even with all the safeguards in place. I found a pair which are a synthetic cloth material and still look stylish, they were comfortable from the first minute I put them on, the only problem I had was that I wore them through on the toe of the right shoe within a year, the company had stopped making them and I was not a happy bunny. Then I found a pair on eBay but, of course, the same thing happened. I started searching for some way to cover the (tiny) hole and finally found my saviours…silicone toe guards for ballet dancers, they’re fantastic!! Now my shoes will last as long, if not longer, than leather ones.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  9. Heel caps.. what a great idea! Jillee thank you so much!

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.