To think there may be something wrong with the way I walk

[bananapeel]

I am a "slipper".

As a child and a teen (and a young adult)I have always had a problem with shoes. The bottom of the shoes always seem to be slippery and I spent a lot of time in my youth slipping over. I have many embarrassing memories of slipping when at university. I'd be walking and the soles would be slippy and I d go.

Sadly, this problem doesnt seem to have gone away. I want so badly to wear nice shoes but the only ones I seem to be ok in are trainers and walking boots. I want so badly to look nice and wear nice boots but when walking on concrete, the soles always slip for me. I walk outside a lot for work.

I lashed out and bought some nice ankle boots today and the girl in the store told me they'd be ok but yes, you guessed it, at the school run, the road and pavement were slippery.

Ive bought all sorts - cheap, expensive - its not just cheap shoes .

AIBU in thinking I have a problem with my gait? Does anyone else have this problem?

I think it is rather a problem with the soles on the shoes you are choosing. If they are hard, and rounded, like on many "nice" shoes, you have to work extra hard to walk carefully. It will be like walking on ice.

It confuses me as I see everyone else belting down the pavements at work in boots and nice shoes. Why dont they slip?

If the soles are flat, score them with a knife, this will give you more traction.

Have you tried rubbing the soles with sandpaper? That works apparently. I don't think there's anythng wrong with you except maybe walking too fast? I slip and fall a lot...always have. When I was a dancer, we used to rub the soles of high heels with raw cut potato before dancing in them...it really helped but would only work for you indoors. Might be good if you were wearing nice going out shoes in a club or restaurant?

Can I just add that I wasn't THAT kind of dancer....in case people wondered!

The ones I have on are rough soled...not smooth...but I could try to sandpaper

You can buy soles that you can stick on, which are ridged, and anti-slip.

You are slipping when you are wearing rough soled shoes? That sounds more like a balance problem to me.

Do you know what they are called squeakytoy? I will google and get some.

Sarah its an actual slide, if that makes any sense...not a topple.

Like your feet are going out from under you? Similar to if you are walking on ice? And this happens when you are wearing rough soled shoes?

try these..but any shoe heeling place will sell them, and probably places like Clarkes too

www.amazon.co.uk/Tight-Anti-slip-soles-heels-stiletto/dp/B004CYPW0I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327309634&sr=8-1

Yes thats it

Thanks squeakytoy

Doesnt happen with trainers (except cheap ones) and hiking boots by the way.

Banana I'm forever slipping. In my case the main issue is that its simply that I'm fairly clumsy, and I don't 'think' about walking I just mooch on without much care.

Though interestingly I have scholiosis, albeit mildly, so maybe it could be to do with the mechanics... the anti-slip soles are excellent. Unfortunately the instances of tripping rather than slipping have increased.

I find it hard to walk at all in very very flat shoes. (Barefoot okay)

My favourite evening shoes had a leather sole and I used to go flying if it was wet. I wore through them so took them to be rehealed and got the option of a rougher, non-slip sole. Might be worth popping to your local cobblers.

I think you should visit your GP then banana.

Aldi has a good point, what are you like walking in bare feet?

Definitely will get those antislip soles. Just checked and my soles in the boots I have on today are rubber.

Im fine in bare feet. :)

Do you wear glasses banana? Strangely enough I found when I wore contacts (briefly- I'm allergic to the bloody things!) I slipped and fell a lot less. I think it's because I can't see the ground very well when I wear glasses - the lenses cut off the picture so to speak. I used to fall down stairs quite a lot as I would miss a step. Bloody annoying, but I just can't wear contacts, no matter what I try they make my eyes sting :(

I think you probably do have a gait problem. I have been merrily googling away and not found anything definitive yet but it sounds as though you are not walking securely - perhaps you take too long a stride and don't transfer your weight forward quickly enough, allowing your front foot to slide away from you? Just an idea. There are people who can check your gait (probably mostly neurologists) - this might be worth looking into. It may also be to do with muscle tone in your legs that means you don't recover well from a slip. Have a look at this link anyway and see if there is anything useful in it for you.

Thanks everyone. :)

Its not like I take one step and slip by the way...I will be happily walking along and then take one wrong footing and ...sllliiiiiiiip

You may find that the GP doesn't take it terribly seriously - we had this when we took DS1 about his gait. GP looked at us as though we were mad.

Some time later we went to a podiatrist who has fitted him with orthpaedic insoles.

Try seeing a podiatrist - it may be a gait (way of walking) problem.