Iron balusters are one of the easiest ways to modernize a staircase. They're slim, they're affordable, and they open up the sightline through the balustrade. But once you've installed them, there's one detail that separates a clean install from a sloppy one: the baluster shoe.
What is a baluster shoe? A baluster shoe is the small decorative collar that sits at the base of an iron baluster, where the baluster meets the tread. Its job is simple but important — it covers the hole drilled into the tread for the baluster, and it gives the install a finished, intentional look. Without a shoe, you're staring at a raw drilled hole around each baluster, with whatever epoxy or filler you used to set the baluster on display.
Why traditional shoes are frustrating. Traditional baluster shoes are essentially a hollow metal sleeve with a set screw. To install one, you slide the shoe up the baluster before you seat the baluster in the tread, then once everything is set, you slide the shoe back down and try to seat it flat against the tread.
In theory, simple. In practice, frustrating:
Shoes that won't slide. The fit between the shoe and the baluster is tight (it has to be — otherwise the shoe rattles), which means shoes that don't slide cleanly along the baluster get hung up.
Shoes that won't sit flat. If the baluster isn't perfectly plumb, the shoe sits crooked against the tread. There's no easy adjustment.
Set screws that strip. Tiny set screws driven against a powder-coated finish either strip the screw or chip the finish.
Cure-time conflicts. If you set the shoe before the epoxy at the base of the baluster cures, the shoe bonds to the tread in whatever position it lands. You can't move it later.
What SLIPNGRIP™ changes. SLIPNGRIP™ is Evermark's patented baluster shoe system, designed specifically to solve those problems.
It slides smoothly. The internal profile is machined to slide easily along the baluster without binding, so the shoe drops cleanly into position after the baluster is set.
It locks where you want it. A redesigned, easier-to-drive set screw lets you lock the shoe at the exact height and angle you want, against the tread. No epoxy under the shoe. No bonding to a finish.
It adjusts later. If a tread is ever refinished or a baluster needs to be removed, the SLIPNGRIP™ shoe loosens, slides up the baluster, and gets out of the way. Try that with a traditional cemented shoe.
It cuts install time roughly in half. The Home Depot's testing in the field found that installers using SLIPNGRIP™ shoes finished the shoe portion of a typical staircase in about half the time it took with traditional shoes. Multiply that across an entire job and the savings are real.
Finish options. SLIPNGRIP™ shoes are available in every finish we offer on our iron balusters — satin black, oil-rubbed bronze, brushed nickel, antique brass, and more — so you can match the shoe to the baluster you've already chosen.
Pair with TAPNTWIST™. Combine SLIPNGRIP™ shoes with TAPNTWIST™ balusters and you have an iron baluster install that's fast, clean, fully adjustable, and serviceable years down the road. It's the install method we recommend whenever someone is converting a wood balustrade to iron.
Available at The Home Depot — ask for SLIPNGRIP™ at the Pro desk or browse Evermark iron balusters online.
Have a project in mind? Visit The Stair Studio™ or get in touch.