How to stretch a shoe? Learn proven home remedies

How to stretch shoes with a dryer?

Are you in a hurry and only that particular pair of shoes suits your style and you just have to put them on? Nothing is lost! The only thing you need is... a hair dryer!

Using a hair dryer is one of the most popular methods that brings brilliant results. It works best with leather and suede shoes.

Set the temperature to medium and heat the shoes in places where you feel discomfort after putting them on. It will be even more effective if you put them on your feet wearing thick, woolen socks. Then the shoes will become more flexible and will perfectly adapt to the structure of your feet, and you will feel as if they were tailor-made.

Attention! The key to success is the right distance. You certainly don't want your shoes to be damaged by heat. The safest way is to hold the dryer about 20 cm from the shoe. Don't forget to keep it moving. This way you will avoid burning the material.

Also remember not to keep your shoes warm for too long. After every minute of operation, it is worth waiting until they cool down. Otherwise, the glue may be damaged and the leather shoes may lose their color. After using this method, it is advisable to nourish the shoes with a special care preparation. High temperature can dry the skin.

How to stretch shoes in the freezer?

A slightly less popular, but equally effective solution is to place too tight shoes in the freezer. This method will work for high heels, sneakers, sports shoes and footwear made of materials other than leather. You will need a string bag and water.

Simply fill the bag 1/3 full with water and make sure it is tightly closed. Then place it in a shoe that is too tight. If you feel the most discomfort around your toes, that's where the bag should be. Place the prepared shoes in the freezer and leave them there overnight. The water will turn into ice and therefore expand, stretching the toes of the shoes that are too tight.

After removing the shoes from the freezer, leave them - together with the bag filled with ice - at room temperature for about 15 - 30 minutes. After this time, you will be able to easily remove the string bag from the shoe.

How to break in new shoes?

If you have enough time, you can try breaking in your new shoes. Just wear them around the house for as many days until you feel comfortable in them. It is worth using a stretching spray. Just spray it on tight spots before putting on your shoes. We also recommend wearing a pair of thick socks, which will further enhance the effect.

If you are considering exchanging or returning your shoes, remember to only wear them on a carpet or other soft surface when stretching them in this way. This way, there will be no visible signs of use on the shoes, which could make it impossible to return or exchange them.

Attention! This method may cause blisters. Therefore, before taking action, let your feet rest after a hard day. Pay special attention to this on hot days when your feet naturally swell.

Newspapers, socks, alcohol, potatoes - unusual ways to deal with shoes that are too small

You can use old newspapers to stretch out tight shoes. Roll them into sloppy balls and stuff your shoes with them. Wait a few hours, preferably overnight, and enjoy a slightly larger shoe size. You can successfully replace newspapers with rolled socks.

If you want to break your shoes apart, you can also use alcohol. Dilute it in a 1:1 ratio with water and place the prepared solution in a spray bottle. Spray it on the inside of too tight shoes and put them on your feet. After 20 minutes, you will definitely feel that your shoes have become a little looser. 

An alternative way to stretch shoes is with a peeled potato. Wipe it dry with a paper towel and leave it in the shoe overnight. This way you will gain extra space in your fingers.

How to widen shoes with shoe trees?

If, after testing all the methods, you still have not achieved the desired results, it is worth investing in professional shoe trees made of wood or plastic. Additionally, you will need a special skin softening preparation that will help you expand it. Thanks to this, the material will loosen and the shoes will be able to stretch without much difficulty. 

All you need to do is place the shoe trees in a pair of shoes that are too tight and use the adjustment screws to adjust them to the shoes until you feel resistance. Repeat this process every 8 – 12 hours until you achieve the desired results.

The main disadvantage of this solution is the relatively long duration. The entire process may require from several to several days of patience. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts in this case. Stretching the shoe too quickly or too hard with a shoe tree may result in damage to the shoe.

We hope that the presented methods have helped you deal with the problem of too tight shoes.