Homemade Shoe Stretching Techniques

For many of us, the situation is familiar when, having become the happy owner of a new pair of shoes, after a while it is found that the leg does not feel the proper comfort.

It would seem that the fitting and defiling in the store on the rug near the mirror went perfectly and there were no complaints about the new shoes, and suddenly unpleasant surprises: calluses, chafes, pain in the foot.

All this happens because your new thing is not quite right for you and, unfortunately, it may become clear after a few hours spent "on your feet".

"Two rules for women: shoes - one size larger, bra - one size smaller."

Coco Chanel French fashion designer 1883 - 1971

Reasons for stretching shoes:

• swelling of the legs;
  
• fast fatigue and squeezing of the legs;
• the appearance of calluses on the heel;
• tight finger support in the toe;
• narrow block that rubs the foot.

What to do to stretch the shoe?

You can take the path of least resistance and seek help from a shoemaker that provides shoe stretching services. There, using their secret technology, you will quickly adjust the size to the desired parameters.

TOP 5 economical ways to increase the size at home:

1. Thoroughly wipe the underside of the shoe with alcohol, put it on, and walk around the room until the damp feeling disappears. But, if the shoes are of poor quality, an incident may occur - the sole is lagging behind or the material simply creeps.
2. Purchase a special spray or cream from the store and treat the places that are tight with it. After that, spend a few "pleasant" minutes in your shoes. Soon, you should have a feeling that the skin of the shoe becomes softer and much more comfortable to move. Wait until the product has completely evaporated and generously lubricate with shoe polish.
3. For some, ordinary newspapers help stretch their boots or shoes. They are torn to shreds and moistened with water, and then tamped very tightly into shoes. Then they dry it for a day near a battery or heating devices.
4. You can use a hair dryer. Direct a jet of hot air onto your skin, and when it feels warm to the touch, put on your shoes and walk around the apartment for a while exploring the sights.
5. The problem of tight shoes is also solved by the cold. Pour water into a plastic bag and place it inside the shoe. Put this composition in the freezer. The water will freeze and press on the inside, pushing the shoes apart.

Important! The above home stretching methods are not applicable to all shoe materials.

It should be understood that they must be divided into several types and use the appropriate methods.

How to stretch genuine leather and suede shoes

• Temperature method - leave the shoes on a flat surface and rinse the inside with hot water for a few seconds, and then immediately remove the water. Wait a few minutes and put on a pair in your socks. The main thing is to control the temperature so as not to get burned. If the leather of the shoe is very thin, then do the same, but at the same time put bags inside so that the boiling water does not damage the lining.
  
• An alternative way to boil water is ice. Fill the bags with water and dip them into the inside of the shoes, then put them in the freezer and remove them when the liquid is completely frozen. This option is suitable only for durable genuine leather for the Autumn-Winter season.
• Dampen the narrow surface of your shoes with vodka, put on this pair, and wear for thirty minutes two days. This will soften the material and stretch to fit your foot size. This option is only suitable for shoes with persistent paint.

How to stretch faux leather shoes

• Eco-leather is very sensitive with perishable material.
  
• Lubricate the inside of the shoes with Vaseline, and after two hours, put on your shoes and wear them for thirty minutes around the apartment.
• The paper way is to use newspapers. Fill the inside of the shoe tightly with damp paper, then let dry for 24 hours at room temperature. It is important not to overdo it to avoid damaging your shoes or leaving your shoes near the heater.
• The cowboy way is to use cereals. Pour small cereals into a bag and insert into the inside of the shoe, and then fill it with water to swell for 12 hours.
 

How to stretch your shoes patent leather shoes

• This is the most delicate and difficult task, since there is a high risk of deforming the shoes and forming cracks on the smooth surface.
  
• Make a mixture of water and alcohol. Moisten the socks of your shoes with this liquid. And then wear them around the apartment until they dry.
• Lubricate the socks and heel of shoes with Vaseline and greasy cream. Then install wooden blocks in them.

Stretching wide shoes at home

• Use special spacers for stretching or stretching the bundle zone of the shoe in width, which costs about 200 hryvnia. Only for this, treat the steam with a special agent. This device has a width range of 70 to 110 millimeters.
  
• Use of special foam.

Stretching shoes in length at home

• Use a special mechanical stretcher for leather shoes, which costs about 300 hryvnia. To do this, dilute liquid soap with hot water in a ratio of 1: 4, then lubricate the inner surface of the shoe and insert this device and gradually expand the parts of the mechanism.
  
• Special foam for softening and stretching shoes from all types of leather Salamander Professional Shoe Stretch worth 75 UAH.

How shoes can be stretched in workshops

In shoe shops, the process of stretching the shoe will take several days.

Result depending on the material: an increase of 2 sizes in length and width.

Shoe stretching advice

• Remember that homemade shoe stretching methods are only suitable for quality models, be extremely careful!
  
• Shoes can be stretched wide, but almost impossible to stretch long.
• If your fingers rest on a sock, then do not waste time on this pair and immediately return it to the store, if you did not eat it down the street, or sell it through a bulletin board.
• Therefore, we advise you to always buy high-quality shoes by size, and if in doubt, use the reserve service and try them on at different times, so that in the future the purchased pair will serve for a long time and please you and your feet.

You can choose shoes by size here: