How to Stop Shoes Rubbing the Back of Your Heel | DPM

First, Work Out Which Kind of Rubbing You Have

Heel rubbing has three common causes, and each needs a different fix. Match what you notice to the table.

What you notice	Likely cause	Start with
Your heel lifts out of the shoe as you walk, worst on stairs or hills	Heel slip: the shoe is too long, too roomy or too high-volume for your heel	Heel-lock lacing, then a tongue pad or heel grip
Your heel feels held, but the top edge of a new or stiff shoe digs in at one spot	A stiff, high or hard collar	Protect the skin, cover it with a taller sock, break the shoe in gradually
A firm, tender lump at the back of the heel that rubs in almost every closed-back shoe, sometimes swollen or red	Haglund’s deformity (“pump bump”), often with an inflamed bursa	Soft-backed or backless shoes, heel pads or lifts, and an exam

Two quick checks. Rise slowly onto your toes: a couple of millimetres of heel movement is normal, especially in a stiff new shoe, but a shoe that visibly lifts away from your heel means real heel slip. Then find the sore spot: if it sits above the heel bone, on the Achilles tendon (what most people call the back of the ankle), see sneakers rubbing your Achilles.

Fixes You Can Do Today

A friction blister forms when repeated rubbing separates layers of skin and the gap fills with fluid; the harder the rubbing, the fewer steps it takes. So act at the first hot spot.

Protect the skin: moleskin, hydrocolloid patches or paper tape

• Moleskin is the classic pad for a spot that keeps rubbing. Over a blister, cut a hole in the middle so the pad rings it like a doughnut, then cover the area with a bandage.
• Hydrocolloid blister patches are moist dressings that protect a blister, help reduce pain and can speed healing, even once the blister’s roof has come off.
• Paper tape has trial evidence behind it: in a randomized trial of multistage ultramarathon runners, paper tape on blister-prone areas reduced blisters by 40%.

Put them on clean, dry skin before you set off, not after the sting starts.

Heel grips vs tongue pads

	Heel grip (collar pad, heel liner)	Tongue pad
What it does	Lines the back of the collar, cushions the edge that rubs and takes up a little room at the heel	Sticks under the tongue, fills extra volume and pushes your foot back into the heel cup
Best for	Heel blisters, mild slip, a collar edge that digs in	Heel slip in a shoe that is roomy overall, or a narrow, low-volume foot
Trade-off	Makes the heel cup itself smaller	Needs a laced shoe with a tongue

Pair either one with heel-lock lacing. Need heel cushions for shoes that dig into your heels? A fabric- or suede-covered heel liner softens a hard collar edge.

Anti-friction balm or petroleum jelly

A thin layer of anti-friction balm or petroleum jelly is a reasonable backup on a long walk or run, but not the main fix: good evidence that skin products prevent blisters is scarce.

Socks: a higher cuff and no cotton

• Height: a cuff above the shoe’s collar, so fabric rather than skin takes the rub. Skip no-show socks that slide down under your heel.
• Fibre: synthetic or merino wool, not cotton, which holds sweat against your skin; damp skin increases friction. In a double-blind study of distance runners, padded acrylic socks caused fewer and smaller blisters than identical cotton ones.
• Layers: a thin polyester sock under a thicker wool or polypropylene sock reduced blisters in Marine recruits, so two pairs are worth a try if one isn’t enough.
• Size: a sock that is too big wrinkles, and a wrinkle is a rubbing point.

More on fibres and specific pairs in our guide to the best socks for blisters.

Heel-Lock Lacing, Step by Step

Lacing is the free fix to try first. Heel-lock lacing, also called a runner’s loop, uses the extra eyelet at the top of most athletic shoes (the one set slightly back from the others) to cinch the collar around your ankle. Before you start, loosen the whole shoe and re-lace from the bottom, standing with your foot flat, in the sock you will wear.

1. Lace normally up to the second-to-last eyelet.
2. Instead of crossing over, feed each lace straight up into the top eyelet on the same side, from the outside in. You now have a small loop on each side.
3. Thread the left lace through the right-hand loop, and the right lace through the left-hand loop.
4. Pull both laces down and back, toward your heel rather than up. Snug, not strangling.
5. Tie your bow as usual.

This locks your heel into the heel cup without tightening the rest of the shoe. Walk a few steps and repeat the rise-onto-your-toes check. If your heel still lifts, the shoe is probably too big or too high-volume for your foot (see when it should go back). For wide-forefoot and narrow-foot patterns, see our shoe lacing techniques guide.

Breaking In or Softening a Stiff Heel Counter Safely

A firm heel counter is a good thing: squeeze the back of the shoe and it should resist. What usually needs time is the collar edge. To break a shoe in without blisters:

• Go short and build up. Wear new shoes for short periods until they feel comfortable, with the sore spot protected.
• Wear the socks you will use with the shoe.
• Skip the heat. Hair dryers, heat guns and radiators can crack leather and loosen the sole.
• Ask a shoe-repair shop whether a stiff leather collar can be stretched before you give up on an expensive pair.

Break-in has limits: no amount of wearing fixes a shoe that is too short or too narrow. If you have diabetes, see the extra precautions below.

When the Shoe Is the Wrong Size and Should Go Back

Lacing, pads and socks can make a nearly-right shoe right, but they cannot rescue one that is the wrong length, width or shape. Send it back if:

• your heel still lifts after heel-lock lacing;
• there is much more than a thumb’s width (about 1/2 inch, or 1.0 to 1.5 cm) beyond your longest toe when you stand, so your foot slides on every step;
• your foot spills past the edges of the insole when you take it out and stand on it;
• you have a slim, low-volume foot in a roomy, high-volume shoe, which slips at the heel however tight you lace;
• the collar still cuts into the same spot after a week of short, protected wears.

Buying online? Wear new shoes indoors for 30 to 60 minutes, including on stairs, which expose heel slip quickly. Keep the box and return a pair that fails before the return window closes. If you add an insole, take the factory insole out first: stacking them lifts your heel out of the heel counter.

Remember the one-way rule: you can pad out a shoe that is slightly too big, but nothing makes a too-small shoe bigger.

Boots Rubbing the Back of Your Heel

When the back of your foot rubs against a boot, the same three causes apply. Boot-specific fixes:

• Lace-up beats pull-on. A pull-on boot has to be loose enough to get your foot through, so it cannot be snug where it needs to be; if you need pull-ons for work, look for an adjustable strap or gusset.
• Lock the heel with heel-lock lacing; many hiking boots have a lace hook at the ankle for exactly this.
• Break boots in at home, about two hours at a time for a week, before a full shift or a long hike.
• Winter boots are often bought a half size up to leave room for a thick sock and a layer of warm air, which makes sense for a Michigan January. Wear the sock you sized them for, and heel-lock lace them if your heel lifts.
• Dry wet boots slowly (damp skin rubs more): pull the insoles, loosen the laces, stuff them with newspaper and leave them at room temperature, away from heaters.

New Leather Shoes Rubbing Your Heel

New leather dress shoes, loafers and pumps often rub because the collar is stiff and there may be no laces to hold your foot back. Rigid-backed shoes such as pumps and men’s dress shoes can also aggravate a pump bump.

• Wear them in short sessions at home first, with the spot protected.
• On lace-ups, use the top eyelet and tie a firm knot; leaving it empty is a common reason a heel slips.
• On slip-ons and pumps, add a heel grip, since there is no lacing to tighten.

Sneakers Rubbing Your Achilles

When a sneaker rubs higher up, on the Achilles tendon rather than the heel bone, the contact point is usually the top of the collar or the pull tab.

• Stop the foot riding up with heel-lock lacing, so the collar isn’t dragged against the tendon each time you push off.
• Protect the exact spot with moleskin or a hydrocolloid patch, and wear a sock tall enough to cover it.
• Choose the collar, not the logo. Collar height, padding and how far the back flares away from the tendon vary by model, Nike or any other brand. Walk and rise onto your toes in the shoe: you should not feel the edge on the tendon.

If the tendon itself is sore, stiff or thickened, think beyond friction. A higher heel-to-toe drop (10 to 12 mm) reduces strain on the tendon, the heel counter should be firm but must not press on the painful spot, and a sudden switch to a flat or zero-drop shoe is a classic trigger. See our guides to Achilles tendonitis and the best shoes for Achilles tendonitis.

Is It Haglund’s Deformity, Bursitis or Your Achilles?

If the same spot rubs in nearly every closed-back shoe, the problem may be under the skin rather than in the shoe.

• Haglund’s deformity (“pump bump”) is a bony enlargement on the back of the heel. When it rubs against shoes, the soft tissue near the Achilles tendon becomes irritated. Signs include a noticeable bump, pain where the Achilles attaches, and swelling and redness at the back of the heel. A high arch, a tight Achilles tendon and a tendency to walk on the outside of the heel make it more likely.
• Retrocalcaneal bursitis is inflammation of the bursa, the fluid-filled sac between the Achilles tendon and the heel bone. The rubbing of a Haglund’s bump often leads to it.
• Insertional Achilles tendinopathy is pain in the tendon where it attaches to the heel, and a stiff heel counter pressing on that spot aggravates it.

The three overlap, which is why an exam matters: a podiatrist will examine the heel and usually order X-rays to see the shape of the heel bone. Read more about Haglund’s deformity.

What helps. Backless or soft-backed shoes avoid the pressure, heel pads cushion the area, and heel lifts can reduce pressure on the heel, particularly in people with high arches. Ice, anti-inflammatory medicine, Achilles stretching, physical therapy and custom arch supports can also calm the inflamed bursa, but none of them shrinks the bone; surgery is considered when they do not give enough relief.

Specs and sizing: our sister site Podiatrist Tested keeps a side-by-side breakdown, with every figure labeled by source, in its shoes that do not press on the back of the heel.

Caring for a Heel Blister

1. Don’t pop it. The intact roof protects the raw skin underneath. Cover it loosely with a soft plaster, padded dressing or hydrocolloid patch, plus a doughnut-shaped pad if the shoe still presses there.
2. If it is large and very painful, it can be drained: sterilize a needle with rubbing alcohol, pierce one edge, let the fluid out and leave the roof in place. If you have diabetes, neuropathy or poor circulation, don’t drain it yourself; have it looked at.
3. If it has burst or the skin is rubbed raw, wash your hands, let any fluid drain and don’t peel off the loose skin. Wash the area with soap and water, apply petroleum jelly and cover it.
4. Rest it from the culprit. Don’t wear the shoes that caused the blister until it heals. Most blisters heal on their own within a week or two.

Signs of infection: the blister becomes hot, more painful or swollen, fills with green or yellow pus, or the skin around it turns red (harder to see on brown or black skin). Don’t ignore it: without treatment, an infected blister can lead to a skin or blood infection.

Our foot blister guide covers dressings and healing in more detail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do shoes rub the back of my heel?

Usually one of three things: the shoe is too long or roomy, so your heel slides; a stiff or high collar digs in at one spot; or a bony bump on the back of the heel (Haglund’s deformity) presses into the shoe. Sweat makes all three worse, because damp skin increases friction.

How can I stop my shoes from rubbing my heel?

Protect the skin with moleskin, a hydrocolloid patch or paper tape; stop slipping with heel-lock lacing and a tongue pad; cushion a collar edge that digs in with a heel grip; wear a wicking sock with a higher cuff; and break stiff shoes in with short wears.

What is Haglund’s deformity and can it cause heel rubbing?

Yes. It is a bony bump on the back of the heel that rubs against the backs of closed shoes, irritating the tissue near the Achilles tendon and often causing painful bursitis. The clue is rubbing at the same spot in almost every shoe, over a firm lump.

How do you stop shoes from rubbing the back of your heel?

Work in order: protect the skin, lock the heel with heel-lock lacing, fill spare room with a tongue pad or cushion the collar with a heel grip, then fix the sock and break the shoe in gradually. If it still rubs after a week, return the shoe, or have any bump at the back of your heel examined.

Why do my shoes keep rubbing my heel?

Look for a pattern: shoes bought too long, a slim heel in high-volume shoes, an empty top eyelet, an insole stacked on the factory one, cotton socks, or a bony bump that no shoe clears. Fixing the pattern works better than padding each new pair.

What is Haglund deformity?

Haglund deformity, also written Haglund’s deformity and nicknamed “pump bump,” is a bony enlargement at the back of the heel bone. It is diagnosed with an exam and X-rays. Conservative care calms the irritation but does not shrink the bone; surgery is considered when that care fails.

Why does only one shoe rub my heel?

Feet are rarely identical: a length difference of 3 to 6 mm is common. Fit the bigger foot and fine-tune the other with lacing, a tongue pad or a heel grip. A bump or swelling on only one heel is worth having checked.

How do I stop shoes rubbing the back of my ankle?

That is usually the top of the collar or the pull tab meeting the Achilles tendon. Heel-lock lacing, a patch on the spot, a taller sock and a collar that flares away from the tendon solve most cases; a sore or swollen tendon needs an exam.

How do I break in sneakers that rub my heel?

Wear them at home in short sessions, with the spot protected, in your usual socks and heel-lock laced from the first wear. If the collar still digs in after a week, or your heel lifts despite the lacing, exchange them.

Sources

1. Knapik JJ, Reynolds KL, Duplantis KL, Jones BH. Friction blisters: pathophysiology, prevention and treatment. Sports Med. 1995;20(3):136-147. PubMed
2. Lipman GS, Sharp LJ, Christensen M, et al. Paper tape prevents foot blisters: a randomized prevention trial assessing paper tape in endurance distances II (Pre-TAPED II). Clin J Sport Med. 2016;26(5):362-368. PubMed
3. American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Haglund’s Deformity. FootHealthFacts.org. FootHealthFacts
4. NHS. Blisters. nhs.uk
5. American Academy of Dermatology. How to prevent and treat blisters. aad.org
6. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Diabetes & Foot Problems. NIDDK