Sometimes we like a pair of shoes but we don’t fit into it. They shine so bright with a style that you unwittingly allow a few tear of joy to escape from your eyes. These shoes are so beautiful that you want to buy them at any cost. Or there could be the other reason like when you first tried them on at the department store they were perfectly looking fine but when you buy that and tried at your home the don’t seem to fit. You realize that they are uncomfortably tight. You have buy a beautiful pair of shoes but you didn’t get a chance to wear them for a long, but when you pick out them to wear for a special occasion they seem to be tight. But there is no need to worry there are many ways to stretch shoes.
Methods to Stretch Shoes
1.) Wear your Shoes at Home
This is most simplest and easiest option if your shoes are tight and completely. Just simply put on them and wear them around the house, until they get adjusted to your feet. This might take a couple of days, but it is a natural way or you can use another method. You can give your shoes to the person who has a foot little bit bigger than you. When the person will wear your shoes, the shoes will little bit get stretch and will fill you comfortably later.
2.) Heat to Stretch Shoes
Put on the thickest socks you have and put your feet into the shoes. Heat the area of the shoes from where the shoes are tight by using a hairdryer and bend your feet back and forth as much as you can for about 20 to 30 seconds.
- This method is only applicable to leather shoes. Then stop applying the heat on the shoes until they have cooled. Try the shoes on with your normal socks or stockings.
- Repeat this process until the shoes have stretched enough. Once they will get stretch apply the leather shoe conditioner to restore the moisture that might have been reduced by the heat.
- Keep in mind that heat can weaken the glue binds so use it with caution on vintage shoes.
3.) Cold to Stretch Shoes
Fill a hole free resealable sandwich bag, plastic bag or a thick balloon about one-third to halfway with water and seal tightly, one bag for each of your shoes.
- Then place a bag filled with water inside each shoe and push into place so that it fills your entire shoes. Then place your shoes in the freezer and let them sit until the water freezes or leave it for overnight. This process on the way that when the water freezes it will stretch shoes, gently stretching the leather.
- then remove your shoes from the freezer and let them thaw for about 20 minutes before trying to remove the bags from the shoes. Then wear the show to see how the shoe fits if you feel needed then repeat the process again.
- But if you have expensive shoes so don’t use this method. It might be possible that your shoes can loose their shine and cause any other damage.
4.) Stuff your Shoes with Wet Newspaper
Wet a bundle of newspaper and stuff the into your shoes to stretch shoes. Stuff the newspaper as much as you can as the shoe will fit. But be careful not o distort the shoe shape when using this method, if the shoe appears distorted, remove the newspaper a re stuff until the shoe shaper looks right.
- Let the shoes get dry. Then remove the newspaper and try on the shoes there should be more give.
- Keep in mind that this method can also include freezing the shoes for added expansion. Wet socks can be the substitution for the newspaper.
5.) Fill the Shoes with Oats to Stretch Shoes
You can try this old cowboy trick for the leather boots. You can fill your boots with oats, or any grain that swells up when they get wet.
- For the enough amount of water and cover the grain. The grain will swell overnight.
- Then clean out the oatmeal. it will not be a good idea to make the breakfast with leftovers.
- Wear them for a few days as they dry and adjust to your feet.if they don’t feel comfortable you can repeat this process.
6.) Rubbing Alcohol Spray
You need to fill a spray bottle with 50 percent of water and 50 percent of rubbing alcohol. Spray the inside of each shoe and wear for about 20 minutes.
- Or you can simply rub alcohol on the parts of the shoe where you need to stretch shoes. Then quickly put the shoe on the boot for a while when they are wet, as the alcohol will dry quickly.
- Or you can do another method. You can take a pair of cotton socks, then soak them in the rubbing alcohol and squeeze out the excess liquid. Put on the socks and wear with the shoes until the alcohol dries out. Then repeat this process several times if necessary.
7.) Mashed Potato to Stretch Shoes
Peel a spud, a big russet is the better option, and push them into the shoes for overnight. Make sure that it is large enough to create a small bulge in the shoe.
- Potatoes are a very good option because they don’t smell bad, they actually help to trap the odor. You can easily wipe off the potato residue with a damp cloth.
8.) Use a shoe-stretcher on Leather Shoes
You can also take the help of the shoe stretcher as this is one of the best options to stretch shoes. A shoe stretcher is shaped the same as a foot and usually made up of the wood, such as maple or cedar. With the help of the screws and adjustments that help to stretch the shoe.
- You can buy it from the closet organizer section of your local hardware or organizational store, or you can check out the garage sales and thrift stores.
- A stretcher can help to stretch the width or length of the shoes, then your shoes will fit on either the left or right shoe.
- You have to know that a ‘dry stretching’ a shoe stretcher can take several days for it to have an effect, check the fir every now and then.
- Some shoe stretcher includes little buttons. You can insert into holes for localized stretching, for instance, to fit over an area with a bunion or corn.
- Or you can use a shoe stretching spray or oil in conjunction with the shoe stretcher. You will find the oil or spray at shoe stores, shoe repair shops, or from wherever you buy the shoe stretcher. The oil or spray will help to make the shoe material a little more supple, helping it to stretch evenly and speed up the process or stretching.
9.) Hire a Professional
You can take your shoes to a professional cobbler for stretching. They have machines that can gently apply pressure and heat to the shoes to stretch them just the right amount.
- The precision and ease of using this service can be both well worth the effort and cost, it can even save your time. or you were done need to experiment on your expensive or delicate shoes.
- Expect the service to take around 24 hours.
10.) Choose Stretchy Shoes
As a rule, a real leather is more conforming and has more give than synthetic such as plastic, PVC etc.
- If the shoes are synthetic, make sure to purchase it in the right size from the start as it is unlikely to have any give, the point of such materials is often that their molded shape has no given and endures.
- Be careful with fabric shoes as any stretching can weaken the fibers.
- Shoes with an elastic gore will be stretchier. An elastic gore is an elastic fabric panel inserted into a shoe.
- Different types of leather have different stretch-ability. Kangaroo leather is considered as to have more stretch than cow leather.
- There is a limit to how far shoes can reasonably stretch without any damage. If you just need to loosen things up a little around the toes, then you will have better success than if the whole things need to get a lot bigger.
- Some shoes should fit properly from the beginning, not matter what, such s walking shoes. If the shoe needs too much of stretching, either don’t purchase it, or purchase a pair a half which is one size up, or switch to better fitting style or brand.