How to Get the Tongue of Your Shoe to Not Slide Back

Any pair of shoes that has a tongue, whether work boots or running shoes, can be uncomfortable when the tongue slides to the left or right. While it might not be noticeable at first, this can be a huge annoyance over time. Fortunately the fix is fairly simple, especially if the sliding is caused by something you're doing, rather than an inherent flaw in the shoe you're wearing.

Check your shoes' fit. If your shoes are too big, or if the shoes once fit but have stretched out over time, it could explain why the tongue is sliding. In this case you will either need to live with the sliding, or get a pair of shoes that fits better to help prevent the tongue slipping and sliding.

Put your shoe on and situate the tongue properly down the center of your foot. Tie it tight to try and keep the tongue in place. Now walk, and watch yourself in the mirror. If you walk with a rolling gait, the movement could be causing the tongue to slip and slide one way or the other. To fix that problem, change the way you walk and make it a straight-forward motion that doesn't push or pull the tongue down.

Stitch the tongue to the side of the shoe. If you have a needle capable of piercing the tongue and the shoe, sew the tongue along one side of your shoe, making sure that the tongue is below the eyelets so you can still lace your shoe. Sew the opposite side that the tongue is pulled to.

Sew loops onto the top of the tongue. If your shoe doesn't come with small loops on top of the tongue for lacesm then sew loops, one per pair of eyelets, and run the lace through the loop when lacing up your shoes. These small loops of thread can add stability and keep your shoe in one place.