Can I Stop the Sound of Flip-Flops Before I Go Mad?!?

Stomp out the annoying sound of backless shoes flopping on women’s feet!

What can you use to stop the noise of your sandals flopping on your feet in the office? I heard that you could spray your shoe heel with hair spray. Is this true? (via email)

Mules, slides, flip-flops and other musically inclined shoes can look chic (well, to some), but all suffer that haranguing slapping sound that’s more annoying than a Slap Chop commercial itself, except you won’t be “slapping your troubles away.”

Cats have bells around their necks and some women can be heard from the less than symphonic percussion of their shoes smacking against their feet with every step. I agree, that sound is pretty darn annoying.

What to do? Well, there is really no easy and practical answer.

Yes, you can try a quick fix of hairspraying the bottom of your foot to get some traction. You can also use a strip of double-stick tape to create a sticky surface as well. These are more stylist tricks that work on runway, on a film set, or on stage. However, in real life you will end up with some sticky feet, which could be more annoying than the shoe slapping and clanging sound itself.

Back in the 1950′s, there were springulators– stilettos with a small piece of elastic in the arch of the shoe to keep it from slapping around as you walked. Every once in a while, you will see a shoe with a springulator-like elastic but it is rare.

If you want to change the look of your shoes and stop the slapping sound, we’ve told you about Muleos to convert your shoes.

A shoe with a suede innersole will cling a bit more to your foot than slipperly leather or vinyl insoles, so you may want to look out for that the next time you go backless shoe shopping.

This may not be the answer that you want to hear, but if you opt for backless slides or mules, you want to leave these shoes home for office days and only wear them when there is a ruckus about, like on the street or at a club. And, flip-flops don’t belong in the office– shout-out to proper footwear beyond the commute to a pedicure or the beach!

Why not simply try a pair of sling back sandals? They are noise-free and look so much more polished without needing any gimmick to wear?