Argentine asks:
I have a pair of slide-on sandals that I like to wear around the house. They're super comfortable but a little loose, and I sometimes trip on them which is annoying and a bit dangerous. I've read your recommendation for adding volume to shoes, but this doesn't seem to really apply to sandals. Are there any products that will help add some grip or volume to sandals that I can use?
Argentine,
Thanks for reading our previous post, and you're right — especially the volume-filling insoles portion of our previous recommendation don't really apply to open-heeled and/or open-toed footwear like sandals. That said, we do have a few suggestions that could help improve the fit of your sandals.
Let's start with grippy inserts that will work with sandals:
- The Apara Gel Soft Spots are small stick-on gel pads that will work in any type of footwear. To improve grip, you can add these on your sandal straps to help stop your foot from sliding or slipping during wear.
- If your sandals have a heel strap (slip-ons typically don't, but many sandals do), you can instead use the Apara Gel Heel Appeal inserts instead. Rather than small dots, these are longer gel pads designed to fit nicely on the heel strap of your sandals or inside the heel of your enclosed shoes.
- For specifically forefoot grip, you can use the Apara Gel Steppies to add some gel padding in the forefoot of your sandals. This will also help stop your foot from sliding around while also adding some cushioning/volume to the forefoot of your footwear.
- All three of these can be used together; you can use the Soft Spots, Gel Heel Appeal, and Gel Steppies together in your shoes to mix-and-match where you need grip or volume in your footwear.
Aside from these, we don't really have a great option for full foot volume/grip in sandals. The closest we typically recommend are the Soul Insole Shoe Bubble or the Apara Slingies Insoles. The Soul Shoe Bubbles are an excellent foot support addition that works well in all footwear — sandals included; they will add extra support under the arch of your foot, which you may or may not like, but it will help add additional volume and grip, as well. The Slingies, on the other hand, are a 3/4-length flat gel insert that will provide some additional volume, grip, and cushioning under the heel, midfoot, and ball-of-foot; these work nicely for some simple grip/cushioning without any support.
To sum it all up:
- Consider Apara's shoe inserts — Gel Spots, Gel Heel Grips, or Gel Ball-of-Foot Pads — for targeted cushioning, grip, and volume.
- Consider sandal-compatible insole inserts, the Apara Slingies or Soul Shoe Bubble especially, for additional foot support or full-foot cushioning and grip.
Questions? Comments?
Let us know! We're always happy to hear from you!