Rubber soles are durable, provide cushion for your feet, and help to insulate you feet from high or low temperatures. Unfortunately, rubber soles can also become slippery on wet, icy or polished surfaces, leading to dangerous slips and falls. To avoid injury, take a few minutes to prepare your shoes before you begin your day; your feet will thank you for using rubber soles and your body will thank you for avoiding bruises, scrapes and more serious injury.
Spray the rubber soles with several coats of hair spray, allowing each coat to dry before applying the next. Using hairspray is only a temporary solution; the hairspray will lose its effect after time.
Walk on concrete, asphalt or other hard, rough surfaces. The abrasive surface will scuff the sole, improving traction, but it may take some time before you begin to see results.
Rub the sole with an emery board or with a piece of fine grained sandpaper, just enough to scuff the surface of the sole. Avoid using coarse grained sandpaper; you want to scuff the sole, not tear it apart.
Purchase a sole guard from a local shoe store and follow the instructions on the package to install it to the bottom of your shoes. Sole guards are available for men's shoes, flats or high heels. Alternatively, take your shoes to a cobbler and have sole guards professionally installed.