My sneakers often wear out in the lining, especially at the heel, before the rest of the shoe. So, I mend the inside of the back of the heels with either clear First Aid tape - or white First aid tape (which matches my white sneakers).
This page contains the following solutions.
Save the heels of your family's new shoes from running down by doing this tip: turn shoe upside down with bottom of heel facing you.
To make your shoes last longer, put a thin piece of rubber on the bottom of the soles. You can have a shoe repair person do this.
