# Squeaky Dress Shoes



## Monopoli (Sep 4, 2006)

All,

I recently purchased a couple pair of Ferragamo dress shoes for work. Over the past month I've noticed that one pair squeaks as I walk...it's especially annoying when walking down a quiet hallway. This is a problem I've had with other dress shoes too. What causes this? How can I prevent this?

Thanks!!

Sam


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## Brian13 (Aug 9, 2006)

i remember someone posting that usually this is due to a nail not hammered in all the way under the insole. if this is a leather soled shoe.


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## Monopoli (Sep 4, 2006)

*hmm...*

I actually wonder if it has to do with feet sweating....strange, but the leather insole seems to be very dry. Would excessive sweating cause this?


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## Brian13 (Aug 9, 2006)

no, has nothing to do with your sweating. all feet perspire and the leather insoles do a good job of transferring that accumulated moisture to outside the shoe


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Depending on your shoe's construction features, you might have a shank that has come loose and is rubbing against opposing surfaces. This can also be accompanied by a dull clicking noise. Should that be the case, take em back...it shouldn't happen.


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## MarkY (Mar 24, 2005)

I have a pair of Allen Edmonds where the left shoe does this. It pisses me off almost to the point that I rarely wear the shoes.


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## Andy (Aug 25, 2002)

Monopoli:

eagle2250 may be on the right track. I've had shoes with metal shanks that squeaked!

Metal shanks used to be very common, but with the changes in airport security many shoe makers are using cork or other non-metallic shanks.

Take your shoes to the best shoe repair shop in the area. Let them fix them!


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## cdavant (Aug 28, 2005)

My God, I have a squeaky AE--and it's also the left shoe. I helped things with a gel insole, but it still squeaks on hard floors. What model? Maybe we can do a class action.


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## jcusey (Apr 19, 2003)

In addition to a loose shank, the squeaking can also be caused by outsole not completely adhering to the layers that come above it (in the case of Ferragamo, probably the midsole or the insole). Regardless of the method of construction, the outsole will be glued to other layers of the shoe. If the glue does not adhere to part of the outsole, you will get squeaking.


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## S-FLA (Jan 5, 2015)

A few days after buying a new pair of AE's on-line, I decided to wear the shoes to work and noticed a loud squeaking noise coming from the toe-box area. Disappointed and running a little late, I wore a different pair to work instead. I researched some remedies to try once I got home from work, fearing I might have to send the shoes in for an exchange.

I already had some Leather Honey and Obenauf's Leather Oil on hand, so I rubbed both shoes down with the leather oil, including the tongue of the shoe. The next day after the shoes had dried, I tried them on and the squeaking was still there:mad2:. 

I then decided to pour some Leather Honey down into the cracks of the tongue of the shoes, at the base where the tongue is stitched to the shoe. I also applied Leather Honey on the inner portion of the shoes where the tongue rubs against the top of the laces and now....NO MORE SQUEAKING:biggrin:!!!

I purchased the Leather Honey and Obenauf's Leather Oil on-line, as both are hard to come by elsewhere. I've read posts on other sites with some people recommending WD-40, but I wouldn't put car products on shoes that I care about. Lastly, my AE's are black so I wasn't concerned about color changes, but be warned, lighter colored shoes may darken a bit when leather conditioners are applied.


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## momsdoc (Sep 19, 2013)

Glad to hear it worked out. But be forewarned for future purchases. You may void the "warranty", by applying the products you used, rendering them un-returnable should the squeaking continue.

For your future advice. It would be advisable to have have started a new thread rather than resurrect this Zombie thread. Fortunately some of the contributors are still active.


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## dks202 (Jun 20, 2008)

Three of my 5 pairs of Ellen Edmonds have a squeak problem. I always thought it was the leather, kinda like a new saddle. I've learned to line with it..


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## Nick V (May 8, 2007)

It's most often caused when 2 pieces of leather are rubbing together. It could be the leather base against the sole, the against the mid-sole -or- cork footbed. Sometimes in production the cement does not set properly that's the most likely case of causing a squeek. A loose or shifted shank rarely will cause a squeek. The shank loosten because the cement used to set the sole did not cure (set) properly.
In this case the tongue was rubbing against the inside lining where the laces are.
Leather on leather....
In most case you can feel the vibration or hear where the squeek is comming from. It could also be the linning leather rubbing against the upper leather. In that case your best bet is to return or exchange the shoes.


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