Goodbye slipping straps: fashion hacks tried and tested
19.5.2023
Translation: Megan Cornish
Self-adhesive strap holders are designed to prevent slingback pumps from slipping off your heels. I put them to the test. With more or less lasting success.
Slingback pumps are one of the year’s biggest shoe trends. They’re heeled shoes with a closed toe and an open heel. There’s only a thin strap around the heel, which is supposed to provide a certain amount of support. Personally, I love these shoes – only one thing bothers me: if they don’t fit perfectly, the straps tend to slip down when I walk and the support disappears. Feeling like you have to bend down every 30 seconds or so to adjust the straps? Incredibly annoying. Let’s see if this hack solves the problem.
What do you need?
The problem’s so widespread that there are already special products for it. Self-adhesive strap holders, like this one from Pedag, should ensure secure hold on the heel in no time.
How does it work?
The elongated patches stick on the inside of the straps. The suede surface should prevent them from slipping off your heels. Finally, proper support. That’s the claim anyway.
Did it work?
I didn’t expect anything – and was pleasantly surprised. Due to the additional millimetre of thickness, the straps sit slightly tighter and therefore more securely on the foot. The stickers’ suede-like surface feels nice on the skin and give the straps more grip on the heel. But anyone who expects to be able to jump around carefree without their straps slipping is getting ahead of themselves. They may be more comfortable, but the problem’s not completely solved. If the straps on your slingbacks aren’t tight enough, sooner or later they’ll slip off your heels despite the additional support.
My verdict
I still give this hack four stars out of five. If your straps take longer to lose their grip, that’s a noticeable improvement. Admittedly, the grips don’t completely prevent slipping, but they stop you having to adjust your shoes nearly as much. They’re also inexpensive, easily available and can be applied in seconds. And once they’re stuck on, you don’t have to replace them again very quickly.
Brilliant trick or unnecessary junk? In the series «Testing Fashion Hacks», I regularly try out hacks from the world of fashion.
Header image: Gucci via Spotlight
Has endless love for shoulder pads, Stratocasters and sashimi, but a limited tolerance for bad impressions of her Eastern Swiss dialect.
Fashion
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