How to make regular shoes "non slip"

trc46

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So my girlfriend has been in the service industry for quite awhile but recently made a change to a chain breakfast joint. At her old work non slip shoes weren't neccessary as there was only a few places in the whole restaurant that had raw concrete with grease on them. Her new place of work has tile in the back which is super slick, she has tried the local stores for shoes that are non slip but they are all super uncomfortable and are creating calluses after 2 weeks or more. She has a nice pair of Nike tennis shoes that are comfortable for her but wouldn't get much traction on the tile. My first thought since she already used the Nikes at her previous work was to make her Nikes non slip. My initial idea was to use flex seal to coat the tread on the bottom but I've seen mixed results on evenness of the coating. Any ideas??

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DSG2003Mach1

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so is her employer requiring non-slip or is she choosing to wear non-slip? If they're requiring it then modifying a shoe isn't likely to go over well
 

AustinSN

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Can you cut siping into them like a snow tire? I have no idea if it would help lol.

I was going to do that to my hiking boots because I thought they were worn out and causing me to slid on pretty much any snow/ice, but I realized they still have a ton left. I think I heat cycled them from camp fires so they are rock hard.
 

ZYBORG

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trc46

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I’m sorry did i just read you’re going to put flex seal on the bottom of some Nike shoes?
Well seeing as how they have a clear rubber coating, yeah? Some things I have read stated it can make boots non slip. I suppose I should clarify in that I'm only wanting to do the bottom of the soles and not the whole shoe.

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RedVenom48

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So my girlfriend has been in the service industry for quite awhile but recently made a change to a chain breakfast joint. At her old work non slip shoes weren't neccessary as there was only a few places in the whole restaurant that had raw concrete with grease on them. Her new place of work has tile in the back which is super slick, she has tried the local stores for shoes that are non slip but they are all super uncomfortable and are creating calluses after 2 weeks or more. She has a nice pair of Nike tennis shoes that are comfortable for her but wouldn't get much traction on the tile. My first thought since she already used the Nikes at her previous work was to make her Nikes non slip. My initial idea was to use flex seal to coat the tread on the bottom but I've seen mixed results on evenness of the coating. Any ideas??

Sent from my SM-G935V using the svtperformance.com mobile app
New Balance Women's Slip-Resistant Shoes - Shoes For Crews

Yes, they do work. For whatever reason, Penske Automoive Group LOVED slick industrial ceramic tile in their shops. OSHA hazard of there ever was one. Shoes For Crews and Suregrip were the only non slip brand of shoes that could grip the floor when there was water, oil or coolant on the tile. They literally kept me from slipping more times than I can count.

SFC bought out Suregrip. Suregrip started the idea of producing shoes from name brands and finishing the build with Suregrip soles. I had a pair of their Suregrip equipped DC's and literally wore them for 2 years nearly every day. Only reason I had to dump them was because I wore right through the insert past the top layer into the sole structure.

The New balance line is likely just as well made s the DC's were. They are New Balance shows finished off by SFC with their soles. Absolute lifesavers.
 

CV355

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It may last a short while, but I doubt it will remain stuck to the shoes since it isn't vulcanized to the rubber of the existing sole.

This. Most materials used for soles are thermosets, not thermoplastic elastomers. Nothing is going to want to bond properly enough to make it a long-lasting solution, and you can't rely on heat.

The problem with "slip resistant" is the "pick two" dilemma. Softer materials are tacky, softer materials also wear faster...
 

04MysticCobra

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New Balance Women's Slip-Resistant Shoes - Shoes For Crews

Yes, they do work. For whatever reason, Penske Automoive Group LOVED slick industrial ceramic tile in their shops. OSHA hazard of there ever was one. Shoes For Crews and Suregrip were the only non slip brand of shoes that could grip the floor when there was water, oil or coolant on the tile. They literally kept me from slipping more times than I can count.

SFC bought out Suregrip. Suregrip started the idea of producing shoes from name brands and finishing the build with Suregrip soles. I had a pair of their Suregrip equipped DC's and literally wore them for 2 years nearly every day. Only reason I had to dump them was because I wore right through the insert past the top layer into the sole structure.

The New balance line is likely just as well made s the DC's were. They are New Balance shows finished off by SFC with their soles. Absolute lifesavers.

Same link I was going to post up. I have a few NB shoes including the iconic 993's now replaced by the new 990v4 but have a slip resistant pair too that is great. Never wore NB shoes until recently. Now its pretty much all I wear.
 

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