What to do if your shoes are tight: effective ways to stretch

06/18/2018 Category: Shoe care Author: Ksenia Kalugina

It often happens that after buying a pair of shoes you like, you put them on and feel discomfort. In such situations, all that remains is disappointment, and your favorite shoes go on the shelf. But instead, you can try various effective methods of stretching and breaking in shoes, which will help get rid of the problem in the shortest possible time.

• 2 Effective ways
  2.1 Tools at hand

  2.1.1 Tools at hand - gallery

Can any shoes be stretched?

Sometimes stretching shoes is not so easy, especially if we are talking about artificial material. The easiest way to break in shoes or boots is made of suede. This material is highly stretchable. The situation is most difficult with leatherette, since it can be damaged in the process. This material is most often subject to deformation and rupture. It is easier to stretch natural leather. Although it may get damaged in the process, if you approach the procedure with the utmost care, this is unlikely to happen.

Leatherette shoes have the worst stretch

What materials can be carried and stretched without harming the shoes:

• nubuck;
• textile;
• skin;
• suede.

A special workshop will help you stretch shoes made of expensive material in a high-quality and professional manner. They use equipment that can slowly and without harm increase your favorite shoes or boots by one size.

What to remember

When using traditional methods of stretching leather shoes, be careful and strictly follow the recommendations to avoid aggressive effects on the material. Before stretching with special means, be sure to check whether the method is suitable for your type of shoe. Contact a shoemaker if you are unable to stretch your shoes using any of the methods. And if you accidentally put a stain on your favorite shoes, it can be easily fixed by professional cleaning - we use German environmentally friendly chemicals that carefully and effectively remove any stains.

Effective ways

To stretch your favorite pair, you can use the means at hand, as well as special compounds that are sold in online markets and stores. Which method will be most effective depends on the material. It is important to choose the right product so as not to spoil your shoes or cause cracks and other defects.

Available means

Effective and simple means:

• castor oil - Vaseline also copes well with the task. One remedy can be replaced by another. Shoes must be treated with the selected composition both outside and inside. Castor oil should be applied in a thin layer. Then put the shoes on your bare feet and walk for 15–20 minutes;
• alcohol - you need to soak a cotton pad or bandage with it and carefully treat your favorite pair inside and out. Then put on a thin sock and shoes. Walk around in them until they are completely dry;
• boiling water - your favorite pair of shoes or boots should be thoroughly doused with hot water. Boiling water should get inside. Then you need to drain the water, wait a couple of minutes until the shoes cool slightly, and put them on. Walk for 15–30 minutes;
• steam - you need to boil water in a saucepan and, taking the problematic shoe, hold it over the container. The steam should heat the entire surface evenly. After this, you need to put your shoes on and walk around in them for a quarter of an hour;
• laundry soap - will help stretch the problem area in the shoes. To do this, you need to grind the soap and pour boiling water over it. The result should be a paste. Apply the composition to the problem area (where it hurts the most) and leave for 4 hours. Then remove the paste with a damp cloth and put the shoes on the sock. Wear until dry. Can be repeated if necessary;
• ice - can only be used to stretch shoes made of high-quality material. In boots, shoes or short boots, you need to place plastic bags filled with water at room temperature. They need to be tied properly. It is important that the bags completely fill the space in the shoes. In the cold season, you can simply put your shoes on the balcony, and in the summer in the freezer. When the water begins to harden, it will expand and stretch the boots. After 4 hours, you can take out the shoes and carefully remove the bags;
• vinegar - you will need a 3% solution. They need to treat the inside of the shoes, boots or shoes and leave them overnight. Try on shoes in the morning. If you still feel discomfort, repeat the next evening;
• paraffin - for these purposes you can use a regular candle. She needs to rub the area where it hurts the most and leave it overnight. In the morning, remove paraffin with a rag or sponge. It is advisable to repeat the procedure three times in a row;
• newspapers - will help to slightly stretch the material. First you need to wet the tight pair. Then crumple the newspapers and stuff the shoes so that all the lumps fit snugly against each other. Check the result after 2 hours. If the shoes are still wet, the newspaper needs to be replaced. After the inner and outer surfaces have dried, the shoes or boots can be tried on. If the result is not satisfactory, it is recommended to repeat the procedure;
• tights - if your favorite pair doesn’t press so hard, then you can simply wear them for several days (an hour at a time), putting them on tights. This method is suitable for shoes. For faster results, you must first heat the inner surface of the product with hot air using a hairdryer;
• thick socks are the most common and easiest way. It is necessary to wear thick or just woolen socks. Then try on shoes. If the pressure is too strong, it is recommended to walk in the selected pair for no more than 10 minutes. Then give your legs a rest and repeat the procedure.

The most effective, safest and most versatile way to stretch shoes is to break them in with thick socks. The result the first time may be unsatisfactory, but after 2-3 procedures your favorite pair will sit comfortably on your leg.

The author of these lines uses a hair dryer to stretch his shoes. First, I lightly moisten the pair with warm water and put it on my feet. Then I turn on the most powerful mode and dry the shoes. After this, the shoes become much more comfortable, of course, if we are not talking about patent leather products. This method may cause the coating to peel off. By the way, the author of these lines was faced with an unfortunate situation. One pair, after such a procedure, began to peel off from the inner surface. As it turned out, the material was of poor quality, and moisture became a provoking factor. Use this method with caution.

Tools at hand - gallery

Castor oil helps stretch shoes

Vaseline can replace castor oil

Boiling water and steam allow you to stretch your shoes to half a size

It is important to pre-grind laundry soap

Ice should be used with caution

Vinegar 3% cannot be replaced with 9%

Paraffin can be purchased at a hardware store

Newspapers must be crumpled up thoroughly

Tights should be tight

Warm socks will help make your shoes looser

Special means

Effective professional products:

1. Shoe Stretch is a spray for breaking in shoes and boots. You need to spray the inside of the shoes and put a pair on thick socks. Walk like this for half an hour and the result is obvious. Caution should be exercised when using on shoes made of expensive materials. It is recommended to protect your eyes from contact with the spray during the procedure.
2. Salton is a spray for softening and stretching the material. Suitable for different types of products. You should spray your favorite pair every time before putting them on. After 3-4 times the material will lie on your leg. Avoid inhalation of aerosol vapors.
3. Kiwi is a composition for stretching all types of shoes. The aerosol should be sprayed only where shoes, boots or boots are too tight. Then wear for half an hour and repeat the procedure if necessary. The composition of the aerosol has an unpleasant and pungent odor, so during processing it is important not to inhale its vapors.

Professional products should be used only in accordance with the instructions. Otherwise, the material may be damaged.

A friend of the author of these lines purchased shoes that, as it turned out, were too small for her. It was impossible to understand this right away, since she ordered them through an online market. She thought she could stretch the shoes with a spray designed for that purpose. Material: leather substitute. As a result, nothing came of it. The spray couldn't do its job. I recommend not trying to stretch any shoes a size or more. Even professional compounds are unable to do this, and are intended solely for breaking in.

Special means - gallery

Shoe Stretch spray for stretching shoes

Salton lets you break in narrow shoes faster

Kiwi - an aerosol designed for stretching different types of shoes

Additional methods

Another method of stretching shoes is to use a terry towel, which needs to be wet and wrung out. Then wrap your shoes or boots in it and put it in a bag, leaving it for 6-8 hours. After this, put on the shoes and wear them until they dry. This method allows you to only slightly stretch your shoes or boots.

A terry towel will help make your shoes looser

You can also use regular deodorant. It should be sprayed in a place where it especially stings. Then put the shoes on your toes and walk like this for about 40 minutes. If the result is not satisfactory, then it is recommended to repeat everything several times.

Deodorant should be applied in a place where the leg is very tight.

After stretching your favorite pair, it is important to treat the material with a special care product.

If you wish, you can purchase a professional shoe stretcher in a specialized store, which is an artificial foot dummy made of wood, plastic or metal. This product has a regulator, thanks to which you can perform the manipulation carefully and gradually.

Shoe stretcher is made of metal, plastic or wood

Spray use

Many people often use sprays, as it is a more convenient means of stretching shoes. They are sold in specialized stores and are inexpensive. One popular option is Pregrada. Characterized by the following features:

• used for suede and genuine leather;
• suitable for artificial fabrics;
• makes materials more elastic and flexible compared to other products;
• acts on places in the area of ​​​​the socks, which allows you to get rid of the pressing sensation in the fingers;
• It is cheap and economical.

Many users o. It is characterized by universal properties that allow you to stretch different shoes:

• intended for uncomfortable shoe models;
• suitable for different types of materials;
• does not leave any streaks or other marks.

Features of breaking in different parts of shoes

To stretch the back, it is recommended to use castor oil or Vaseline, carefully lubricating the problem area. Then put on shoes or boots with thick socks and walk for half an hour. If we are talking about the bow, then the best way is to use newspaper. Sequencing:

1. The newspaper must be crumpled up thoroughly.
2. The narrow part of the shoes should be moistened with a sponge.
3. Push the resulting lumps of newspaper into the sock as tightly as possible.
4. Leave for 3-4 hours and then try on the shoes.

The same method is suitable for stretching the boot. Another method is to steam the boots. If the shoes cannot be fastened at the top, then you need to hold the pair over boiling water for 10 minutes, then let it cool slightly and put it on immediately.

The narrow shaft of the suede boots is easy to stretch

If shoes are made of nubuck or suede, then oil mixtures should never be used. Otherwise, unaesthetic greasy stains will remain on your favorite pair of shoes or boots.

Security measures

Improper use of shoe stretchers often leads to the most unpleasant consequences for the life and health of the user. Thus, when inhaling spray vapors, swelling and irritation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and eyes can occur. Do not apply foam and cream with bare hands; be sure to wear gloves. Correctly carry out the treatment outdoors or on the balcony.

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If you do not follow the rules for using the stretcher, you can not only not get the expected result, but also hopelessly ruin your shoes without any possibility of restoring them in the future. First of all, this applies to tapping with a hard object, such as a hammer. Of course, if we process army combat boots in a similar way, then perhaps only this method will be effective, but in the case of ordinary men's and women's shoes and boots, most likely the result of such stretching will be broken seams, dents on the surface and creases.

Prohibited methods also include stretching shoes until they tear; mechanical stretching should not be done by pushing hard objects into the shoes - such actions often result in deformation of the glued parts.

Features of stretching depending on the material - table

Foam Application

You can use foam to stretch your shoes. Such funds are spent less and are economical. Among the popular products are Silver:

• copes with bottlenecks in a short time;
• differs in efficiency;
• suitable for any materials;
• does not leave streaks on the surface.

Among the inexpensive means for stretching shoes are Twist Casual:

• restores the natural structure of shoes;
• has a gentle effect on the surface;
• helps reduce pressure in the toe area;
• the product becomes more elastic.

Tips and tricks

Some useful tricks and recommendations:

1. If old shoes begin to pinch, then most likely the material from which they are made is of poor quality. To stretch your favorite pair, you can use the freezing method or hold the shoes over steam and then wear them wearing thick tights.
2. To effectively break in shoes, it is recommended to wear socks of different thicknesses. First thin, then a little thicker and the densest there is. This way, your favorite pair will not be harmed, but will stretch slowly and safely for the material.
3. To prevent shoes from stinging, you need to store them correctly. Under no circumstances should you put a wet pair of shoes or boots into the box. Before doing this, you need to wait until the shoes are thoroughly dry.

Leather shoes are easy to wear

In order for your favorite pair to last as long as possible, you need to use professional care products. It is not recommended to get shoes or boots too wet when washing. The surface can only be wiped with a damp cloth.

Review Reviews

Reviews about boot and shoe stretchers left by users on a variety of thematic sites, in most cases indicate that this method of adjusting the width of shoes at home really helps. Among the best products are products from the brands “Salton”, “Silver” and “Dividik”. The rating of the most popular stretchers also includes sprays from Girba .

At the same time, users indicate that the compositions work best in the case of leather shoes, but they have practically no effect on sneakers and fabric products. Many owners of uncomfortable pairs believe that one treatment of the inner surface will be enough to achieve the desired effect. This opinion is wrong. To change the size of shoes, shoes and boots, you need to repeat the stretches at least three times.

For information on how to stretch shoes, see below.

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Sneakers are too small: how to stretch them in length - help from professionals

Most shoe shops offer a stretching service. It is done using special equipment. Shoes are stretched in width and length. The technology is very different from home technology.

Craftsmen use two types of machines - classic and for boot tops. Procedure:

• First, the inside is treated with a spray that softens the skin.
• Then select the nozzle.
• Separate levers adjust it to stretch in length and width.
• If necessary, install additional small attachments under the fingers, bone or other areas.
• Set the temperature (from 40 to 60 degrees).

Leave until the skin stretches. The exact time depends on the characteristics of the material.