We show you how to stretch leather shoes

A must-have regardless of gender

Leather shoes are must-have regardless of gender. They can be worn with both a dress and a suit, regardless of the occasion. In each of us's wardrobe there is certainly at least one pair of great-looking leather shoes that are a bit too tight and therefore have almost never seen the light of day. Keep your head up, it's not too late to bring them back to life. Find out how to effectively stretch leather shoes at little cost and with minimal effort.

Natural material, natural methods

Fortunately, leather is a natural material that can be easily stretched using natural methods that are completely free.

The simplest of them is the traditional opening of shoes. All you need is a pair of tight leather shoes and some patience. Just put them on your feet and walk around the house in them for at least half an hour every day. If you do it in thick socks, you will certainly achieve the desired results faster. This solution will work especially well with shoes made of thin leather. Thicker material is much less flexible, which may make it more difficult to spread. 

If you are unable to put shoes on your feet due to fear of abrasions and blisters, use a shoe horn. It can be wooden or metal. Use its back to rub the places where your shoes are least comfortable. This will soften them, making them less tight.

You probably have old newspapers at home. Roll them into balls and put them in your shoe in the place where you feel the most pressure. Depending on whether your shoes are just a little tight or completely uncomfortable, leave the newspapers inside them for a few hours or overnight. You can achieve a similar effect by replacing newspapers with sock balls.

Heat is another remedy that can work wonders when you're dealing with tight leather shoes. Put a pair of thick socks made of wool on your feet. If you only have thin cotton socks, we recommend wearing several pairs. Then put on your shoes and sit comfortably. Maintaining a distance of about 20 cm, place a hair dryer at medium temperature on them and carefully warm the shoes by moving your feet. The time of this process should not exceed 2-3 minutes for each shoe. Don't take off your shoes until you feel it has cooled down.

A less popular, but equally effective way to stretch leather shoes is steam. Under its influence, the material gains elasticity and adapts to the shape of the foot. If you don't have a clothes steamer, no worries! Steam from a kettle will work just as well. Point your shoe directly at the steam area and wait about 30 seconds. You can successfully repeat this process until you succeed.

Remember that using methods based on high temperature, the leather may become more susceptible to cracks. To prevent this, we recommend using a special shoe care product.

Invest in the services of a professional or in professional equipment

Purchasing a stretching spray or shoe trees is not a particularly large expense, but it can bring great results, especially when you combine these two solutions. Spray your shoes with leather softener spray and place shoe trees inside them. Gradually adjust the screws until you feel a noticeable resistance. Repeat this action until successful and enjoy incomparable comfort.

You can also successfully use the stretching spray yourself. Put the sprayed shoes on your feet and try spreading it around the house until the preparation evaporates. Best of all, such a spray can be easily prepared at home. Just mix water and alcohol in equal proportions and spray it on the inside of your shoes. Be careful not to get them wet!  

If you are afraid that DIYing too tight leather shoes may be counterproductive and you don't want to risk damaging your new shoes, the purchase of which was quite expensive, simply use the services of a professional. Having your leather shoes stretched by a shoemaker usually doesn't cost much and will give you the confidence that it will be done effectively.

Let's do it!

Walking in new leather shoes does not have to be torture, although avoiding abrasions and cracks is not always possible. It often takes some time before you break in new shoes and are able to wear them every day. If you still want to show off your new purchase to the world, start with short outings. This way, your feet will slowly get used to the new footwear, and it will effectively begin to adapt to their shape.

Fortunately, there are proven home remedies that will help you stretch your favorite shoes by up to one size in the blink of an eye. Remember that the result depends not only on the method you choose, but also on the type of leather the shoes are made of. Let's do it!