What Is Heel Slippage & How To Prevent It

Today we will be reviewing what heel slipping is, what causes it, and how to prevent it. At the end, I will be sharing my personal experience with heel slipping and how I personally prevent this annoying problem.

We will discuss heel slipping specifically in relation to hiking boots, but anyone can apply this advice today to prevent heel slipping in any type of shoe. The excellent news is that, no matter how severely your heel slips, there are solutions without buying a new shoe or boot. 

What Is Heel Slipping

Heel slippage is very simple. Walking causes the heel to lift out of the shoe. When you walk or run, your heel lifts out of the shoe. This means that your heel is no longer in contact with the insole of the shoe. This can be quite cumbersome. This can potentially result in injuries, particularly during hiking. As previously stated, we want to make sure our foot is comfy and secure while walking, or else it can lead to blister formation, reduced foot strike, discomfort, and injuries.

What Causes Heel Slippage?

The main cause of heel slipping is a hiking shoe or boot that does not fit properly. The primary cause of improperly fitting hiking boots is their excessive width. If your heel does not conform to the inside of the boot, the insole may not receive an even distribution of weight. Therefore, your heel will lift up in the boot.

Another possibility is a stiff hiking boot, which prevents the insole or outsole from flexing properly, causing them to remain straight while your foot plantar flexes, creating space between the insole and your heel.

How To Prevent Heel Slippage

Get a proper-fitting Shoe

There are straightforward and prevalent methods to ensure a proper fit in a shoe. When trying on hiking shoes or boots in the store, I always ask myself, "Is my heel in full contact with the insole?" Having a heel in constant contact with the insole gives you some idea that this shoe will not cause the heel to slip.

Unfortunately, some people, like me, have two different shoe sizes. Therefore, my slightly smaller right foot occasionally experiences heel slippage due to improper fitting in a hiking boot that is approximately half a size larger than its intended use.

Get new inserts or insoles

Good insoles, such as the OrthoLite, are attractive and lightweight. In addition, they have a comfortable gel-foam surface that helps conform to your heel and foot. The added insole area takes up more volume in your shoe, reducing heel slippage. This can also enhance the comfort of your hike. You may need to experiment with inserts to find the right fit because everyone's foot and shoe volume are different.

The Best Way to Prevent Heel Slipping

In my expert opinion, the most effective way to address heel slippage is to modify my lacing techniques. Using a surgeon's heel knot at the top of your foot will help create downward pressure on the top of your foot, therefore keeping your heel stable against the insole and reducing heel slipping. I prefer this method because it eliminates the need to purchase new boots or expensive inserts and allows for immediate correction.

How To Tie A Surgeons Knot For Heel Slippage

Get your heel in a comfortable position

Start with your hiking boots unlaced.

Make sure the boot fits comfortably, and push your heel back into the heel cup. Really feel it securely against the heel cup. 

Start lacing

As usual, lace your boots, crossing the laces and threading

them through the eyelets.

Stop at the second-to-last eyelet (just below the boot top)

Perform a surgeon's knot

Cross your laces over each other, coming out of the second-to-last eyelets like a standard knot.

Tie an overhand knot twice: Tie your first overhand knot as you normally would. Now tie a second overhand knot; this is your surgeon's knot.

Pull tight: Tighten the laces enough to keep your heel from slipping, but not so tight that they constrict your food. I like to wiggle my heel around to see how much it moves, and then alter the tightness of my knot.

Finish the lacing

Thread through the top eyelets: After tying the surgeon's knot, continue to thread the laces through the boot's upper eyelets.

Tie off the laces: Finish by tying a standard bow. If your heel is still slipping at this stage, you can tie another surgeon's knot at the top for additional security.

For those struggling with visualization, please see our personally created YouTube video on how to properly lace your hiking boots to prevent your heel from slipping below. 

See Our Youtube Video On How To Properly Tie A Surgeons Knot To Prevent Heel Slipping

My Experience With Preventing Heel Slippage

As previously mentioned, the size of my right foot is approximately half that of my left. Therefore, I experience heel slipping a lot in the new hiking boots that I purchase. For example, the Solomon Quest 4 requires me to perform two surgeon's knots on my right boot. Unlike the Hoka Kaha 2, I don't need to use any specialized techniques because I don't experience any slippage, despite having two different sizes of feet. The significance of this lies in the fact that hiking boots vary in terms of their insoles and the volume they require for your foot to fit comfortably.

Keep in mind that you can basically use special lacing techniques, such as a surgeon's knot, to conform your foot to any hiking boot and reduce heel slippage. To prevent heel slipping, you do not have to go out and buy expensive inserts or brand new hiking boots.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does heel slippage mean shoe is too big?

It can! this is the main reason for heel slipping. Other causes include: Thin socks, thin Insoles, or stiff outsoles/insoles.

How to tie hiking boots to prevent heel slippage

This is the same way for any shoe, a surgeons knot! however hiking boots require 2 surgeons knots at times because they have more volume.

How to make heels non-slip?

There is no specific way to make them non-slip other than prevention. We recommend lacing techniques for prevention.

Should Boots Slip In The Heel?

Any shoe or boot can slip in the heel. Hiking boots in general tend to cause more heel slipping due to the amount of volume and material. A little heel slipping is okay, but you should work to prevent most heel slippage.

Why Trust Us?

I personally use special lacing techniques to prevent heel slipping in my boots for over 10 years, I bring my experience here to for you to get the answers you need as quick as possible, and enjoy your outdoor adventures in the easiest way. Mountaineer Journey is a 100% independent publisher with years of testing and reviewing outdoor equipment