How to stretch shoes at home. Break in tight shoes to fit. How to stretch shoes at home without ruining them? Patent leather shoes: how to break in shoes if they are too tight

Breaking in shoes that are a little tight or chafing is a real challenge. If you urgently need to stretch women's shoes for a wedding or party, increase the width or length of shoes for a child, or adjust men's shoes, then you do not need to immediately turn to specialists. Everything can be done at home using available tools or equipment.

Is it possible to return shoes if they are too small?

If the shoes pinch or rub your feet, they can be returned to the store within 14 days from the date of purchase. Article 25 of the “Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights” states that this can be done provided that:

  • payment receipt;
  • boxes;
  • presentation of the product (no scratches, creases, abrasions, no missing fittings).

Important: it is unlikely that you will be able to return to the seller the shoes you wore on the street. The exception is the return of goods under warranty within 30 days.

To avoid having to return shoes to the store, learn how to choose them correctly:

  • if you have problem feet (wide feet, bunions, varicose veins), then it is better to choose shoes from trusted manufacturers and immediately fit your feet, otherwise you will experience severe pain until the shoes wear out and take the shape of your foot;
  • It’s better to try on shoes in the evening - at this time your feet often swell, which means that the chance of buying shoes that don’t fit is small.

Is it possible to stretch women's, men's, and children's shoes at home?

Almost any. This is easier to do with shoes made of suede and nubuck due to the softness of these materials, but more difficult with shoes made of patent leather (there is a risk that the varnish coating will crack). If the shoes are made of artificial patent material, then it is almost impossible to stretch them.

It is quite difficult to wear shoes made of artificial leather, fabric, or velor, because these materials tend to retain their shape in any conditions. Nevertheless, there are ways to stretch them, but such shoes can only be increased slightly.

You can stretch shoes that are too small by no more than one size.

How to break small shoes down one size

With the help of special sprays, which are sold in shoe stores and hypermarkets, shoes made from natural materials can be stretched perfectly:

  • treat the inside of the shoes with a spray so that they do not get wet;
  • put them on immediately;
  • repeat the procedure if necessary.

The method is suitable for any shoes (leather, suede, nubuck), with the exception of items made of artificial and patent leather. A stretcher is an effective remedy if shoes need to be increased by a size.

Is it possible to wear shoes made of eco-leather or leatherette?

Eco-leather shoes are difficult to break in, since this material is synthetic and not natural. But there is an effective way to widen your shoes so that they fit your feet without squeezing:

  • lubricate the inner surfaces of the shoes with Vaseline;
  • wear them around the house on a warm sock for two to three days.

Video: how to stretch suede, leather, dermantine shoes

How to stretch natural leather, suede, nubuck

The easiest way to slightly expand tight men's, women's or children's shoes made from natural materials is to actually break the shoes in, that is, walk in them around the house for as long as possible. This method is effective, but very tiring for the feet, as calluses and swelling may appear. To quickly break in suede shoes that crush your toes or rub your heels, you can do the following:

  • wet cotton socks and wring them out thoroughly;
  • put on your shoes and walk around the house until your socks are dry.

The procedure is effective and is usually performed 1 or 2 times. Suede shoes can be held over steam. This will help increase the volume of the shoes and partially return them to their previous appearance if there are already abrasions and other defects.

How to break in new leather shoes using alcohol

Shoes made of nubuck and leather with heels or flat soles can be stretched with alcohol or vodka:

  • moisten the inside of the shoes with alcohol;
  • wear it with a thick sock;
  • walk around for a few hours.

The method is also suitable for suede products. Before using this method, you should make sure that the material is truly natural.

How to quickly expand tight shoes at home: freezer, boiling water, hair dryer

  1. Freezing: insert bags into shoes, then fill them with water and put in the freezer until the water freezes completely, then take out the shoes and wait 20 minutes. This method is suitable for shoes made of very durable and rough leather.
  2. Pour some boiling water inside the shoes and pour it out immediately. Wait until it cools down, put on your shoes and walk around for a while. This method is good in cases where you need to stretch your shoes quickly. It sounds, of course, scary, but the method is safe for leather shoes, since natural materials are resistant to high temperatures.
  3. Stretching method using a thick sock and a hair dryer: put on thick socks, then shoes and heat it all with a hair dryer. The shoes should warm up well. to be like. Due to heating, the shoes become softer and stretch faster.

Video: three ways to stretch narrow and hard shoes

Ways to break in faux leather shoes and women's patent leather pumps

It is almost impossible to wear shoes made of leatherette, but there are ways to slightly expand shoes made of dermantine. The most effective of them are the expansion methods described above using alcohol, freezing and rich cream (Vaseline) with pads. You also need to be careful when stretching patent leather shoes. If they rub your heel, you can knead it with your hands, rub it with hard soap, or very carefully beat it with a hammer.

How to make patent leather shoes comfortable using damp newspapers and potatoes

Patent leather pumps can be softened a little, thereby making them more comfortable for the feet. To do this, use potatoes: put the peeled tubers into shoes along with crumpled newspapers and leave them overnight until the tubers dry.

It is worth noting that the method is also suitable for shoes made from other natural materials. Wet newspapers can be used to stretch faux leather shoes. To do this, you need to stuff your shoes tightly with them and leave them until dry (4-5 hours). However, given the ability of leatherette to retain its shape, such shoes will not be able to stretch by more than 3–5 millimeters.

Fat cream and pads

To stretch shoes made of genuine patent leather, you can use greasy cream or Vaseline:

  • lubricate the inside of the shoes with Vaseline;
  • wait until the product is absorbed;
  • put on your shoes and walk around in them for 20–30 minutes.

After treatment, you need to insert shoe lasts into the shoes - while walking, the shoes are deformed, but when using lasts, there is less chance that the lacquered coating will burst.

How to make dance shoes and velor shoes bigger

Dance shoes are made of textile, so stretching them is problematic. You can try putting a wet insole in them and walking around. A good solution is to contact a shoe repair shop. It’s better to be as careful as possible when choosing such shoes and not to buy small shoes.

Velor shoes can be stretched using alcohol, but you cannot use water (stains and streaks will remain on the material).

The correct way to trample rock shoes

The peculiarity of climbing shoes is that they have a curved last, rubber soles and you need to buy them 2 or 3 sizes smaller. Therefore, the topic of carrying is relevant for all rock climbing enthusiasts.

It is better not to use alcohol and steam for this for a simple reason: the block gradually levels out if you walk on a flat surface. It is necessary to wear out climbing shoes only when climbing on artificial or natural relief surfaces. Accordingly, the correct way to wear it is to stretch the climbing shoes every day, using the shoes for their intended purpose: climbing short distances.

Reviews: how to painlessly and quickly stretch your shoes

I recently had my shoes stretched (I pressed the back on the heel) - they didn’t help, maybe they stretched a little, but they still pressed. So I suffered, the pain was hellish, because they didn’t rub it, but they pressed on the bone. Then at work, a colleague gave me spray foam for stretching, I watered and watered it, then I took it home, poured it on, put on two socks and walked around the apartment for half an hour. in the end they stretched out!))) however, now they even fall off sometimes - I overdid it)))))

Tatyana_S

http://www.woman.ru/fashion/medley3/thread/3852689/1/#m16315142

I bought several stretchers (Salamander, Salton, etc.) and liked the one the most - Silver. Black tube with a picture. Volume = 150 ml. Firstly: there is a lot of it. One tube is enough for me for 2 pairs (I always stretch the boot tops to full calves). Secondly: quite comfortable. For example: I bought Salton, not only was 90 ml very little of it - it was enough for 2 times, I also applied it to my boots, put it on - I could barely leave - my skin burned incredibly (through nylon stockings). after I took it off, there was terrible irritation. Thirdly: inexpensive - in my city (Krasnoyarsk) - about 80 rubles. Against Salton - Salamander - 110-180.PS. By the way, I stretched both leather and suede, and their substitutes.

happy wife again

http://www.woman.ru/fashion/medley3/thread/3852689/1/#m16325054

I recently bought a device for stretching shoes\a wooden block with two screws/stretched all my shoes and sandals, it stretches perfectly, even synthetic sandals, although they only had straps. I couldn’t put it on before - the instep is very high, now I want to buy another stretcher that can be put inside, otherwise this one can’t fit into boots. I first inserted the insert into the shoe, which is given when buying fins, and then the last, it’s more convenient.

Leonida

http://www.woman.ru/fashion/medley3/thread/3852689/1/#m17662811

I constantly buy shoes that are like norms in the store, and then they are small = ((usually you put on - you can endure, reach, but it’s impossible to put on the next day. Once I got it, washed the shoes, climbed into them and spent half a day at home, like in slippers. The next day - normal, they sit as they should. Now I'm again sitting in wet socks in new shoes. Only one warning - cheap shoes stretch calmly, but may not look quite perfect (as if these are not new shoes, but two or three weeks of wearing And the norm shoes (at least the same "Tervolina") and get wet worse and stretch worse. But retains its appearance. The above refers to the topic "stretch in width". socks. I stretched them, but this is a thankless task. It’s better to clearly look at the length.

Efficiency Risk for shoes Opinion Rendez-Vous

Nubuck - genuine leather, treated with abrasive sandpaper or brush on the front side. The treatment turns a smooth leather surface into a soft and velvety one with almost imperceptible pile and a barely noticeable leather pattern (unlike suede, on which the natural leather pattern is not visible). If you run your hand over nubuck, it will leave a trace of a darker or lighter shade. Nubuck, like genuine leather, breathes well, and shoes made from it can be stretched.

On the Internet you will find a lot of advice on the topic “how to wear nubuck shoes that are too tight at home.” Among the most popular:

  • water;
  • alcohol, vodka, cologne;
  • wet newspapers or paper;
  • ice pack;
  • hot steam;
  • thick socks;
  • cereal.

We do not recommend these common methods for quickly breaking in nubuck shoes. Water, alcohol, vodka or cologne can damage the surface of nubuck, change its color or leave streaks. Wet newspapers or paper, which are stuffed into shoes and left to dry completely, expand and put pressure on the shoes from the inside. Shoes or boots can indeed increase in volume, but due to uneven pressure, unevenness may appear on the surface of the nubuck, and the shoes will lose their shape.

A hot park - from an iron in steaming mode or a boiling kettle - burns nubuck. The delicate pile of the surface may become uneven in texture, change color or become shiny.

Ice exerts bursting pressure from the inside: water is poured into a bag, tied, placed inside the shoe and sent to the freezer. The water freezes, expands and puts pressure on the shoes from the inside. It is impossible to predict in what position the water will harden and how exactly the shoes will stretch. If uneven freezing occurs, the shape of the shoes will become irregular.

How to wear nubuck shoes at home. Advice from Rendez-Vous experts

Shoe repair experts share rules for breaking in nubuck shoes. Use only safe methods and products specifically designed for stretching shoes.

Method number 1. A safe and effective way to stretch nubuck shoes is Oke Saphir spray. Treat problem areas of shoes with it from the inside, put on shoes and wear until discomfort decreases. Repeat the procedure if necessary.

Method number 2. More effective than the first method. Treat the inside of the shoe with Oke Saphir Stretcher and place the shoes in one end of a large plastic bag. Place a damp cloth at the other end of the bag, close the bag and leave overnight.

Water should not drain from the fabric into the bag, and the fabric itself should not touch the shoes! The bag should not be colored on the inside, so that if it accidentally gets wet, it does not stain the shoes. In the morning, re-treat the lining with Oke, put on your shoes and start breaking them in.

If both methods do not work, you can stretch your shoes for free at the Rendez-Vous store. The master will treat the shoes with a special compound and put the pair on sliding lasts. These are not the lasts we are used to drying shoes on; they gradually heat the skin and expand the model, and the master adjusts the degree of stretch manually, changing the size of the last during the procedure.

You can stretch nubuck shoes in width (fullness), but it is impossible to increase the shoes by a size or more in length. Choose shoes that fit so you don't have to break them in. The risk of damaging the nubuck structure or the shape of the model is small, but it still exists. We recommend mechanical stretching of shoes only in extreme cases.

Genuine leather and suede are naturally elastic and durable, so stretching new shoes made from these materials is very easy. To do this, you can use the following methods:


1. You can increase it with boiling water. Genuine leather is resistant to high temperatures, so to stretch shoes or boots, you can safely pour boiling water inside the shoes and immediately pour it out. After this, you need to wait until the shoes cool down a little and put them on your feet with a thin sock. You can remove the shoes when they are completely dry.


2. Use water to stretch your shoes. To do this, you need to place a plastic bag inside the shoe and pour water into it, making sure that the liquid completely fills the voids. In this form, the shoes are left in the freezer for 8-10 hours. After the time has passed, the shoes are taken out of the freezer, left for a while so that the ice melts, and then the bags are taken out.


3. You can stretch new leather shoes using alcohol-containing products. It can be cologne, vodka, cognac or alcohol diluted with water in a ratio of 2:1. The inside of the shoes should be wiped with the mixture, then put on the shoes with a warm sock and stay in them for several hours. After this procedure, the skin will become softer and more elastic.


4. Treat the inner surface of the shoe with a stretching spray for suede or genuine leather, purchased at a shoe store, and after drying, walk around the room in it.

How to stretch faux leather shoes

Unlike natural material, artificial leather has little stretch, so if there is strong impact, microcracks may appear on it. You can stretch new faux leather shoes without exerting intense effort using the following methods:


1. Apply liberally to the inside of the shoe with Vaseline and leave it in this condition for 2-3 hours. Afterwards, you need to carefully remove the remaining ointment with a cloth, put on the shoes with thin socks and stay in them for about half an hour.


2. Use newsprint. Newspaper sheets should be moistened and placed tightly in a boot or shoe, making sure that the shoes do not become deformed. After the paper has dried naturally, it must be carefully removed.


3. You can stretch new shoes in the instep using wheat, barley or oats. To do this, pour grain into a boot or boot, then fill it with water and leave it to swell for 8-10 hours (overnight is possible). Faux leather stretches as the grains increase in size. When time has passed, you should pour out the grain and walk around the room in new shoes for an hour.

How to stretch new nubuck shoes

Before buying boots or shoes made of nubuck, you should make sure that the material is natural. To stretch shoes made of natural nubuck, it is not recommended to use alcohol solutions, petroleum jelly and other fatty compounds, as they, when absorbed into the material, can leave stains on the outer surface. Therefore, if the shoes are tight, you can stretch them only in one of several ways:


1. Try to break in boots or shoes without using any means. To do this, you should wear them at home in your free time and walk around the room.


2. Use the common “old newspapers” method, for which you stuff damp (but not completely wet) sheets of paper into shoes or boots and leave them to dry in this state. The paper, expanding as it dries, will gently stretch the nubuck.


3. Use a special product designed to stretch nubuck, for which you apply it to the inner surface of the shoe, put it on a warm sock and walk like that for 2 hours.


4. Take your shoes to a workshop where experienced shoemakers know how to stretch narrow nubuck shoes using wooden lasts.

Patent leather shoes: how to break in shoes if they are too tight

To stretch new shoes with a varnish coating, you need to use proven means and methods, otherwise the surface of the shoes or boots may lose their shine and become covered with small cracks. If it is not possible to take your shoes to a workshop, then you can take them to a workshop using the following tips:


1. Buy a special product for softening patent leather in the form of a spray, cream or lotion at a shoe store and apply the composition to the inside of the shoe, making sure that no liquid or cream gets on the varnish surface.


2. You can wear shoes using alcohol diluted with water in a 2:1 ratio. Warm socks should be soaked in a warm solution, wrung out and put on your feet. After this, put on your shoes and walk in them for 1.5 - 2 hours. Instead of an alcohol solution, you can use cognac or vodka without any impurities or dyes.


3. Use a hair dryer to dry your hair. To do this, you need to warm the shoes from the inside with a hot stream of air, immediately put them on with warm socks and walk around the room. The manipulation should be repeated periodically, while avoiding overheating with a hairdryer so that the varnish surface does not fade.


4. Use regular cream or Vaseline. The fat mixture should be applied to the inner surface of the shoe, paying special attention to the toe and heel. After this, put on shoes or boots with a warm sock and walk around the room in them.


In order not to spoil your feet with uncomfortable shoes and boots, it is better to buy high-quality and comfortable shoes that fit in size, made of soft and natural materials. If, after purchasing the desired shoes, the question arises “how to stretch new shoes,” then you can resort to the methods described above, taking into account the characteristics of the material.

It happens that when we buy shoes in a store, they fit our feet perfectly, but when we put them on for the first time for a walk, it turns out that they squeeze us, begin to rub, and as a result, terrible calluses form, pain in the feet appears, It becomes difficult to walk in it and it no longer seems as comfortable as before. What is the way out of this situation? Under these circumstances, you can try to return it back to the store or try to stretch it.

How to stretch new shoes?

Specialized workshops will help you stretch your new shoes. They will make sure your shoes fit your feet perfectly. But also, you can achieve this on your own at home, without spending extra money on it. Try to wear it more often and thereby break it in little by little. It is necessary to walk in shoes for several days for a couple of hours, and wait until the material stretches.

Just keep in mind that this method is only used in situations where the shoe size is not too small. And if it so happened that the new thing is very small and cramped for you, then you should not torment yourself with torment, the best way out would be if you use one of the methods given in this article. In addition, it should be borne in mind that only natural materials can be stretched: nubuck, suede, leather. Unfortunately, synthetic materials have virtually no stretch.

How to stretch shoes made of nubuck and leather?

For this you will need:

  • special spray for stretching;
  • any type of liquid containing alcohol.

It is necessary to moisten the inside of the shoes with the spray, put them on warm socks and wear them for a while.

For leather and suede, you can use the same methods as for nubuck. But there are a number of additional methods that can also help:

Freezing

It is necessary to place bags filled one-third with water inside the shoes and freeze them. Next, we leave these shoes overnight, in the morning we pull them out, and at intervals of 20-30 minutes, we take out the bags. If the expected result is not obtained, then repeat the procedure.

Thick socks with extra heating

It is necessary to put on new clothes after putting warm socks on your feet. Next, warm up the tight areas for 20-30 seconds using a hairdryer. Next, walk around in your shoes until they cool completely. The procedure can be repeated if the shoes still feel too tight.

Wet newspaper

You need to crumple the newspaper and moisten it with water. Next, insert it into the shoes so that the shoes do not lose their shape, and wait until the paper dries completely.

Groats

It is necessary to fill the shoes with cereals moistened with water. Leave the shoes overnight so that the cereal is completely swollen.

Potato peel

It is necessary to put it in shoes and leave until the morning.

How to stretch leatherette shoes?

Shoes made of artificial leather are very difficult to stretch. The most suitable method for such material is to use newspapers. Such procedures with artificial leather shoes can be carried out for about a month. But if this method turned out to be ineffective, then the services of specialists from the workshop will not help you, since you have already tried to stretch your shoes at home more than once.

How to stretch winter shoes?

Winter shoes belong to a separate category, as they additionally have an internal fur lining. Winter boots or boots can be stretched using the freezing method. In this situation, you first need to place the bag completely in the sock, and then pour water into it. If the boot is tight only in the foot area, then you can unlace and unfasten it, but if it is tight in the shin area, then you need to pour water here so as to completely fill the entire length of the boot. Next, after tying the bag, you need to put the boot either in the freezer or outside. After ice has formed instead of water, you can take out the shoes and, after a few hours, take out the bag. Due to the gradual expansion of the ice, you can gently stretch the shoes.

Now you have seen for yourself that any type of shoe can be stretched: leather, suede, nubuck or with fur. In addition, you have to stretch not only new shoes, but also old ones that you haven’t worn for a long time. The main thing to remember is one rule - you can stretch shoes only one size, since the materials from which they are made are not endowed with great properties. The only thing that can be achieved is to make it a little more free.

Not everyone knows how to stretch nubuck shoes correctly. The most common type of stretching of shoes, both from nubuck and from other natural materials, is to rub with vodka. This is done like this: rub the inside of the shoes with vodka and put them on, wearing a cotton sock. Of course, this is a slightly painful way, but it has been proven for decades. The fastest and cheapest is to rinse the boot with boiling water and put it on right away. From boiling water, the material softens, and the leg inside it "fixes" the desired size.

But if nubuck shoes are not new, but simply narrow, a question arises on the topic: how to stretch narrow shoes so as not to spoil the nubuck. Vinegar will come to the rescue. You need to rub the inner surface of the shoe with this product and put the shoe on for a few minutes and so on five to seven times. Then ventilate the pair and wear with pleasure. If there is no vinegar, and you urgently need to stretch your shoes, you need to put on a few thick socks and walk around the apartment. The material will not deteriorate, although it is a little painful, but effective!

Stretch foam for shoes will not create discomfort, but it will “teach” how to stretch patent leather and nubuck shoes. After all, varnish is a fancy coating, and nubuck is an expensive material, so in such a situation it is best to purchase foam. Distribute a small amount evenly inside the shoe and immediately insert your foot - this is the key to the lock. It is best to purchase foam from well-known brands - there is some guarantee that you will not spoil your new purchase, although it costs several hundred rubles.

The foam can also be used for textile shoes, because, like nubuck, it is difficult to stretch it, but there is a possibility that the product will leave unsightly stains, so you can learn how to stretch textile and nubuck shoes by reading the following information: you should insert polyethylene into the shoes bags, fill with water, tie tightly, put the shoes themselves in a clean bag and put in the freezer. After a few hours, the water will turn into ice, therefore, expansion will occur and the shoes will stretch.

But this “number” will not work with rubber shoes, because they are much more capricious than the already beloved nubuck, and how to stretch rubber shoes is a new problem. You can also use boiling water, but if the product is not made well, it can easily tear. Therefore, you should go to a shoemaker; shoemakers have special lasts that stretch shoes using steam. By the way, this procedure is not expensive, it is performed efficiently, and is suitable for both nubuck and rubber shoes. How can you stretch nubuck shoes? This question is asked by almost every person. To get the desired result, you need to treat your shoes with care and use only proven products to stretch them!