Yesterday morning while getting ready for work, I noticed a new pair of shoes I have had for months but had not yet worn lurking in the back of my closet. Being the shoe collector I am, it is not unusual for me to have shoes sit several months between wearings, but never before have I neglected one of my new friends for so long. Determined to remedy this situation, I pulled out my lovely and new, never-been worn sandals and chose the perfect ensemble for my shoes first day out.

Everything was great, for a while that is, until I noticed an odd sort of squeaking sound from my left shoe. I hoped it was because they were new and that the sound would dissipate. As the day went on, the squeaking became more frequent and pronounced until my beautiful new sandals were virtually barking at me with every step. By the end of the day, I knew that if I could not stop these lovely new sandals from squeaking, it would be their last trip from the closet. Determined to save my new friends from a life of darkness in a solitary cubby hole, I searched for remedies to stop the squeaking. Here are the most helpful suggestions I found.

1. Of course if your shoes are wet you will have squeaking issues. But dont even try to venture out in them if they are even a little damp. Make sure they are completely dry. You can even put them in the dryer on tumble dry, or just stick to the old fashioned air dry system.

2. Try rubbing shoe conditioner into the entire shoe, paying closest attention to areas where parts of the shoe rub together naturally, like the holes for the laces and the upper part of the tongue.

3. Saddle soap can also help on the tongue of the shoe. Make sure you dont just lightly dab but really rub it into the tongue.

4. If you dont want to go out and buy anything, there are things that you have around the house that can help as well. Cornstarch and baby powder work really well too. Make sure you get it everywhere in your shoe. Its always a good idea to take out the insole even to make sure you dont miss a spot. Let them sit for a good 12-24 hours before you wear them.

5. Check to see if the heel is loose. If so, re-glue with an adhesive product and clamp until dry.

6. If all else fails, spray lightly with silicone spray. It acts much like WD-40 and will not harm the leather.

If none of the above options work and you love the shoes, try talking to your local shoe repair shop to see if they have any suggestions.