We’ve all done it. Bought a pair of shoes made out of a luxurious but easily damaged material like satin or leather. We probably paid too much for said shoes as well, but that’s another story. One of the first places to show wear on a pair of shoes is on the toe — think about how many times you drag your feet slightly and catch the toe. My solution is simple: toe taps!

I can’t take full credit for this tip since my mom was the one who introduced me to it. I bought a pair of green silk heels that I was worried about trashing, and she told me just what to do! Toe taps are actually what is on the bottom of tap shoes that make the tapping noise, but you won’t be tapping (don’t worry!). While those taps are made out of metal, you can also buy taps made out of thin plastic.

The taps are in a little half moon shape and should come with cobbler’s nails which are very thin and short. All you have to do is position the taps on bottom of the shoe toward the tip and then hammer in the little nails! Voila! You can also bring your shoes to a cobbler if you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself.

You should be able to buy taps at your local cobbler or shoe store. If not, check specialty dance shops!