How To Stop Shoes From Rubbing The Back Of Your Ankle

ankle - stop shoes from rubbing the back of your ankle

Shoes are an essential commodity that forms an integral part of our everyday life. Most of the physical activities that we do aren’t even possible without them. 

Considering the grind that we have to go through daily, the comfort of our shoes is of utmost priority. But, as not all shoes are made equal, rubbing shoes is a painful reality. It is more common with running shoes rubbing back of ankle as there is more friction which can cause all kinds of grief and pain.

So, we have brought you some nitty-gritty insights on how to stop shoes from rubbing the back of your ankle. Now let's get into the fixing part. 

HOW TO STOP SHOES FROM RUBBING THE BACK OF YOUR ANKLE?

There are various ways through which this can be achieved, which are discussed below.

1. Use Moleskin

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Moleskin is a cotton fabric that one can put inside the shoes to reduce friction. It is sticky on one side, which allows for a snug fit. So if your shoes hurt back of ankle, you can place the moleskin there to improve the comfort and lower the rubbing. They are also great for preventing shoes rubbing Achilles tendon.

2. Anti-Friction Sticks

Generally available at a drug store, these anti-friction sticks have balm in them and are skin-friendly. As the name suggests, the application of the balm reduces the friction, acting as a natural barrier. So, if you are worried about this question on how to prevent shoes from cutting ankle, then this is an easy-breezy solution.

ankle pain - stop shoes from rubbing the back of your ankle

3. Covering existing blisters using a band-aid

If somehow the damage is already done, then it is a good idea to use a band-aid to cover the affected area that will prevent shoes hurting back of heel. The applied band-aid also prevents the blister from developing further infections and adds an extra cushion to prevent further damage.

4. Stretch using heat

Heat can be the other way of achieving this, wear socks and put on your shoes. Using a dryer, heat the back of your shoes, which will make them tensile. Walk-in them for a while until they take the shape of your feet, which will prevent the back of shoe rubbing.

5. Wear double or thick socks

Shoe rubbing back of ankle is mainly caused by friction. The easiest way to prevent this can be to break the contact existing between your feet and the shoes. This can easily be achieved by wearing double or thick socks, so try this out.

6. Using Duct Tape

Duct tapes are simply adhesive tape that can be applied on the part of the feet which is rubbing while walking. Now, if the blisters are already formed, then duct tapes won’t be any good as they would still hurt. You can also be versatile with them by sticking them either on your socks, shoes or on your foot.

7. Using cotton wool

Cotton wool is great for shoes causing blisters on back of heel due to its tender nature, which is soft on heels. You can take a ball of wool and put it in the place of friction if the back of shoe hurts, which will eliminate the rubbing and provide for easy walking. This method is a boon for emergencies as wool is widely available.

8. Use heel grip or silicon heel cups

These lift your heels, bringing the part of the shoe’s collar lower on your feet, which allows it to move less. Hence, causing less friction. In simple terms, use heel grips or silicon heel cups provide for a tighter fit which eliminates the movement of the ankle and shoes.

9. Break-in new boots

The worst part of owning high-quality leather boots is the fact that they hurt quite a lot as new shoes rubbing heels more often and also the better the quality, the longer it takes to break them. Now to break them, you can soak them in water and stretch them out. You can also use a shoe stretcher to achieve it.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. Why Do My Shoes Rubbing Ankle Bones??

Whenever you buy a shoe with an improper or loose fit, what happens is that when you walk in them, your ankle moves rather than being in place, as is the case with shoes that fit properly.


Now, due to this movement of the ankle, the shoes and the ankle rub with each other causing friction which causes the skin of the ankle to develop blisters which, if aren’t cared for, can also develop an infection. So, to prevent this situation from happening, buying a shoe that fits well can help, and you can also use other methods of softening the shoes for a better fit.

2. How To Stop My Vans From Rubbing My Heels??

Though Vans are widely popular for their cool look, what they aren’t good at is the prevention of heel blisters, which are quite common with new pairs of shoes. The easiest way of preventing this would be to apply something that eliminates the rubbing of feet with the shoe.


This can be achieved by using band-aid, cotton wool, duct tapes, moleskins, etc. You can also wear a thick pair of socks or winter socks to eliminate the rubbing.

3. Are New Shoes Supposed To Be Tight?

New shoes, especially the ones that are made out of leather, are generally tight when they are new and hence need a short break-in period to fit properly. This happens mainly because of the kind of materials that the shoe companies use, and most of the time, they are reluctant to talk about it.


This means that you are more certain of hurting your feet with new shoes. To avoid this, you can use various methods discussed in this thread until the fit of the shoes improves and they get more comfortable.

4. Should I Take My Shoes To A Cobbler?

More often than not, going to a cobbler can simplify things for you. This is because cobblers are professionals and experienced in their domain and understand the problems of the shoes much better than you do.


This makes for a hassle-free experience if you decide on giving your shoes to a cobbler for fixing. Just make sure that you explain your problem clearly so that the cobbler can get an idea of what it is that you want.

NO MORE RUBBING OF SHOES

Many people today are passionate about their shoes and invest a lot in them, which makes them gravitate towards the latest trends. For the current generation, shoes have slowly become a style language for many, but even today, shoes do need a break-in period, and you have to be careful around them.

Else you can hurt your heels. In this thread, we have already discussed a lot of ways that you can use to steer away from heel blisters and burns, and we hope that they might have helped you in addressing your problem.

Out of the provided solutions, you can choose the ones that you can easily do, and if they work for you, you can spread the knowledge and help more people.

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