Heel slippage when walking is one of the more frequently experienced issues with new shoes. There could be many potential causes; here is a list of some common culprits and solutions which may or may not exist for each case.
1. The shoes aren’t put on correctly. Solution: Push back the heel firmly and lace tight
Push back the heel firmly and tighten laces securely to achieve proper fitting of footwear. It is all too often the case that individuals do not push their heel all the way back when lacing up a pair of shoes before lacing, or pull their laces too loosely; this results in their foot not being secured in its heel area and they may slip.
2. Your shoe length is too long. Solution: Heel grips may help, or this last/model might not suit you.
When dealing with shoes that are too long and loose in the heel area, one effective strategy can be adding a heel grip or having a cobbler insert leather distances in back, which encourages foot to come forward slightly and have heel to ball (widest part) fit functioning again. If the shoe itself is too large overall an insole could provide relief; otherwise it would likely not be suitable.
3. The instep of your feet is too low for the last/model. Solution: Inserting a tongue pad/distance might work, or the last/model is not for you
If your last and model does not suit your lower instep properly, your shoe could cause problems keeping down your foot in this area, leading to heel slippage. Derbys and monk shoes might prove particularly challenging; tongue pads – either self-adhesive ones that you place under the tongue yourself, or ones made out of leather installed by cobblers – may help alleviate some discomfort by filling up space over your instep and tightening it securely enough; especially effective with loafers; thin insoles may also function if needed in other areas; if none of this works, this model/last might not be right for you.
4. Your heel stiffener is too hard and has the wrong shape for you. Solution: Reshaping may work with leather distance or heel grip pads; however, most likely this model/last is not right for you.
This problem often appears on cheaper shoes with internal heel stiffeners made of thermoplastic or celastic (plastic-impregnated fabric), which are hard and may not conform to your foot in the same way as leather board or real leather. If a particular heel doesn’t quite match up to your own shape, slippage may occur despite attempts by cobblers or heel grips to adapt slightly; but these methods may not always work effectively and it may simply not be suitable for your feet anyway. If this occurs to you it could simply not be recommended or suitable alternatively it might just not work at all if this shoe wasn’t recommended specifically.
5. My shoe is stiff when new. Solution: Break in your shoe so it softens and bends more easily.
New leather shoes with both leather and rubber soles, such as doubled up designs, can be relatively stiff when they first arrive. You need to bend several layers of stiff leather until it softens; during this process heel slippage may occur; once broken however there is less resistance when the shoe bends and the slippage goes away.