How to reduce shoe size at home: recommendations from experts.

A person should feel comfortable in shoes at work, while walking, meeting with friends or playing sports. Anytime and anywhere. Therefore, the choice must be approached with attention and scrupulousness. Choosing the wrong model or size can lead to physical discomfort and health problems.

Important: if the shoes are small, press and press, then within an hour the legs will begin to swell, the blood will circulate poorly, and this is a direct path to venous disease and thrombophlebitis.

There is no need to neglect the rules for choosing shoes and treat them lightly, which is especially true for the sports line, in particular sneakers. This is a comfortable thing that can be worn every day, not just for classes. The sports shoe market is saturated with sneakers of various brands, shapes, and styles. It is extremely important to choose the right option for yourself.

If the sneakers are too big or too small, you need to know how you can get out of this situation. In our article, read tips and tricks and answers to the question of what to do if your sneakers are too big. Step-by-step instructions will help you make your favorite shoes more comfortable and practical.

General recommendations

The buyer has the right to return or exchange shoes within 14 days after purchase, but only if the ballet shoes show no signs of wear or scratches. In addition, you are required to provide the manager with a guarantee card, passport and check. But it happens that you come across an unscrupulous seller and nothing can be done. Don’t worry – you won’t have to throw away your wide shoes, because downsizing your shoe size is quite possible.

This can be done both in the workshop and at home, but in order not to harm the sandals, follow the recommendations of specialists.

Keep in mind that shoes often stretch in width rather than in length.
Patent leather shoes can be made smaller, but they should only be treated from the inside.
Leather ballet shoes can easily shrink by a few millimeters, but you need to be careful with artificial materials, as they can crack and even tear.
Never put paper in your sock, as it causes severe discomfort while walking.

And remember that all the proposed methods will only help when the sandals are just a little too big (maximum one size).

Small Size Features

Shoes in sizes 35 and 36 can be found in assortment most often only in stores for children, and many models for adult women are supplied to the market in sizes 37 and above.
Sizes that are too small, even if they are produced by the manufacturer, are sold out in a short time, so it is not always possible to buy the desired model. There are also unforeseen situations that are associated with shopping in online stores. When buying shoes online, it is important not only to carefully study the photographs, but also carefully consider the table with all the sizes presented. In some cases, a woman’s idea of size 36 may not correspond with the seller’s opinion.

In this case, there is a risk of purchasing and receiving by mail the shoes you want in style and appearance, but with the wrong size. To ensure that such a situation does not happen, it is best to take into account not only the shoe size, but also check the total length of the sole.

Also, in order not to return the shoes back to the store, you can try to reduce their size yourself.

If you follow the laws of the country, you can return shoes that do not fit the consumer in size to the store within fourteen days from the date of purchase. In this case, the product must meet certain parameters:

shoes should never be worn outside;
products must have a marketable appearance (without characteristic abrasions or scratches);
make up a whole set (be in a box, with heels, insoles and other additional parts that were available upon purchase).

To carry out a correct return or exchange for another product, if there is plenty to choose from, the buyer must show the purchase receipt punched at the checkout or a copy of it, the warranty card for the product, as well as his passport.

What to do if the sneakers are too big?

Sneakers and sneakers are primarily shoes for running and training, so they must be comfortable. The main advantage of sports models is that they are of a closed type and can be made smaller in a trivial way, for example, with insoles. Choose a thick liner to reduce the size and tighten the lacing. In winter, fixing the problem is even easier - put on two pairs of socks at once and it’s done. You can also put cotton wool or foam rubber in sneakers, but due to the increased softness, the filler will have to be changed often.

Eight ways to break in sneakers

Use a special shoe spray or aerosol to stretch fabric and rubber shoes. In this case, compounds for leather or suede shoes are not suitable. The product is sprayed onto problematic internal areas of sneakers or sneakers or over the entire internal surface, then the products are put on and worn for 30-60 minutes. If necessary, repeat the procedure;
To make sneakers stop pressing, put a thick, thick woolen or terry sock on your foot, and put shoes on top. Wear a pair every day for one to two hours or more for a week;
Buy a special wooden last or spacer for stretching shoes from a shoe store or department. Choose models that stretch products both in length and width. For the procedure, treat the sneakers with a stretching aerosol from the inside in problem areas and lightly moisten with water. Then insert the pads or spacer inside and leave for a day;
If your heel rubs or pinches, use special stickers on the heels, which can also be bought in every shoe department or salon;
Soak thick socks in warm water and put them on your feet, put your shoes on top and walk until the socks and sneakers are completely dry;
Place the items in hot water and wait until they are soaked. Then put the shoes on a thick and dense woolen or terry sock, wear until the sneakers are completely dry;
Take newspapers or paper and fill it with hot water. Fill each shoe and press the paper filling firmly inside. Leave it overnight or for a day, and then remove the paper. Sneakers should go up a size;
To soften rubber soles, use ammonia. In this case, wipe narrow areas of the sneakers with ammonia using a cotton pad. Then the shoes are put on a thick and thick sock and worn in for two to three hours. The alcohol will soften the rubber and the products will become comfortable.

What to do if the boots are big?

If your boots are a little big, use this life hack from professional football players. Wet them from the inside with warm water and go for a workout. You should run in wet boots for 10 to 25 minutes, but take precautions and do not use this advice during the cold season. This method is suitable for any shoes: both leather and artificial.

Some people advise using boiling water, but it is better not to do this. It will not harm the appearance, but the glue will not withstand high temperatures. Therefore, hold the boots for 5-7 minutes under hot tap water with the part that you want to make smaller (most often this is the sock). This method not only changes the size, but also makes the fabric a little softer.

Freeze or hair dryer

To effectively stretch products made from natural and artificial materials, use freezing. To do this, fill the bags half or one third with water and tie tightly. Place a bag into each item and distribute over the heel and toe. Or you can place one bag each in the heel area and the toe area.

In addition, if these are high-top sneakers, you can also put a bag in the ankle area to stretch the instep. Place sneakers or sneakers with bags in the freezer and leave for 10-12 hours. Then remove the pair from the freezer and wait for the ice to thaw. After this, carefully remove the water bags. This extreme method using ice will greatly stretch your shoes.

The opposite method for stretching shoes is using a hot hair dryer. To do this, make a hole in a cardboard shoe box to fit the end of a hair dryer. Place the sneakers inside and close the lid tightly. Turn on the electric device at full power, insert it into the hole and heat the interior for 20-25 minutes.

Then carefully open the box and, using gloves or a cloth, to avoid getting burned, remove the shoes. Wear the heated pair over thick, thick wool or terry socks. Wear for 30-60 minutes.

In addition, you can first put on your shoes with a warm and thick sock and then warm up the problem areas with a hot hairdryer for twenty minutes, and then walk around until the products cool down. By the way, a hair dryer will also help dry your shoes safely and quickly.

How to make leather shoes smaller?

If your leather shoes have stretched over time, use a shoe stretcher. These substances help adjust the shape, forming abundant foam. To make your favorite leather pair smaller, spray the inside of your shoes, put them on, and walk around the house. After such manipulations, the material will narrow and adapt to the shape of your foot.

There is a second method that can make wide leather shoes a little smaller. Wet the shoes with water and place them to dry in a well-ventilated area. If necessary, repeat the procedure, but do not leave stretched leather products near heating devices or under the scorching sun, so as not to damage them irrevocably.

Advice! If you are trying to reduce the size of leather shoes at home using boiling or warm water, then after drying, be sure to lubricate the leather with a special cream so that it does not become cracked.

Folk remedies for stretching shoes

An effective folk way to stretch sports shoes, including fabric sneakers or leather sneakers, is to use potatoes. To do this, peel the potatoes, place one tuber in the nose of the product and leave overnight. Potato juice softens the material, making it elastic, flexible and pliable. As a result, the shoes will stretch;
Take table vinegar 3% and treat the inside of the products with a cotton pad. Vinegar will soften the material, which will make it easier and faster to break in shoes;
The insides of the soles, toes and rear areas can be treated with hot drying oil or castor oil. This will not only stretch the material, but also protect the products from moisture penetrating inside and getting your sneakers or sneakers wet;
Wipe the inside of the pair with medical alcohol, and then rub with laundry soap with a fat content of over 72%. Treat especially carefully the areas that cause the greatest discomfort during use;
The inside of the sneakers can be moistened with kerosene, then put on a warm and thick woolen or terry sock and worn for 30-60 minutes; The surface of the sneaker, outside and inside, can be sprayed with glass or window cleaner. Then also put on thick-toed shoes and walk like this for one to two hours;
Leather sneakers should be dried with a hot hairdryer for one to two minutes, then lubricated with vegetable oil, put on thick socks and walk for 30-40 minutes. The remaining oil should be blotted with a paper towel or napkins.

What to do if your sandals are too big?

Open-toe summer shoes are the most difficult to make smaller, but manufacturers of special inserts have found a solution - size-sizing inserts. The jelly-like mass from which they consist allows you to give them any shape. For larger sandals, stickers located on the sole under the foot are relevant, because they reduce the instep, making it smooth, and do not allow the foot to move forward. You can also contact a craftsman who will carefully cut out the straps on your sandals, shorten them and sew them in place.

Inserts for reducing shoe size

The simplest and safest method to help restore wide and stretched ballet shoes is silicone inserts. They don’t just make sandals and sneakers smaller, but they also have shock-absorbing properties and help you walk painlessly in high-heeled shoes. They are also used for problems such as psoriasis, flat feet, heel spurs, arthritis and dry skin.

They are also recommended after injuries in order to properly distribute the load and weight.

Full-size silicone insoles are suitable for sneakers, boots, ballet shoes and closed shoes that have become too big.
For sandals that have become wider and larger, choose toe liners. They protect the foot from rubbing with hard straps and are not visible at all even upon careful examination.
If your heels have stretched out and become a little too big, purchase toe pads with a convex texture.
Ballet flats can be improved by adding a heel pad.
For wide sneakers, use stickers that are attached to the heel and securely fix the foot.

The production of inserts to reduce the size does not stand still and now it is easy to find unusual insoles on sale, for example, antibacterial or with activated carbon. With their help, you will make shoes that have become too big smaller, reduce the load on your feet and forget about fatigue and swelling.

Some people choose sandals based solely on external characteristics, but when wearing them they encounter difficulties and discomfort. Remember that shoes should not only be fashionable, but also comfortable. Know that you can only reduce your shoe size by one size at home; if the difference is more noticeable, then it is better to return the pair or resell it.