If you bought a new pair of shoes, and at home you found that they are a little tight, then don’t be in a hurry to get upset. There are many ways to solve this problem. We will talk about how to quickly sell shoes made of different materials later.
Before stretching shoes, you need to find out what material they are made of, because each case has its own methods of solving the problem. In this article, we will consider natural and artificial leather, as well as suede.
Genuine leather
Leather shoes are easy to wear. Let’s consider several effective ways:
- Alcohol or vinegar
Take any alcohol-containing agent or table vinegar and treat the inside of the shoes. Both substances contribute to the stretching of the skin. Put on woolen socks, put on shoes and walk like this for 1-2 hours.
- Glycerin
Perfectly softens the skin. Apply glycerin to the outside of the shoes and let it absorb. After that, as in the previous method, use tight socks so that the shoes become looser. Shoe cream can be used instead of glycerin.
- Boiling water
Remove the insoles from the shoes to prevent their deformation. Pour boiling water into the shoes, wait a few seconds and drain the water. Until the skin cools, use woolen socks to stretch it. Walk like this for about an hour. If you are afraid to use boiling water, then hold the shoes over the hot steam.
- hair dryer
Wear thick socks. Direct a hot stream of air onto the shoes. Do not remove until the shoes have cooled. If necessary, repeat the procedure.
- Corn
Fill the shoes with grain and add a little water to make them swell. Leave the boots filled overnight to allow the soft leather to stretch a bit. In the morning, free them from the grain, put cellophane bags on the feet and put on shoes. Walk like this at home until the shoes are dry.
- Water
Wet a towel and wring it out well. Wrap your new pair of shoes in them and leave them overnight. If the skin is very thin, you can wrap a shoe box in a wet towel. The next day, wear the shoes with a sock while they are still wet. If you do not care about the quality of the leather, and it is quite rough and thick, then wear the shoes by wearing them over a wet sock.
- Freezer
Prepare bags from strong polyethylene. Fill them with water and place them in the new shoes. Seal the bags so that the water does not spill out of them, and put the shoes in the freezer overnight. The next day, take off your shoes and wait for the ice to melt a little. When you take out the bags, the shoes will be stretched.
- Special means
Various foams, liquids and sprays can be found in the shoe department. In the case of leather shoes, a liquid product is best. Wet the necessary areas and wear the shoes with socks for an hour. It is better not to use foam for varnished leather .
Suede leather
It has excellent stretch, so be careful not to overdo it. If you’re not in a rush to wear your new shoes, just wear them every day and walk a little at home. Gradually they will stretch and you will feel comfortable.
Or try the following methods:
- Beer
Treat the outer and inner sides of the shoes with beer and put them on tight socks. While the boots are wet, they stretch well. The remaining smell can be removed with baking soda. Pour some powder into a napkin or handkerchief and place it in your shoes overnight.
- Vodka
Wipe the shoes from the wrong side in problem areas. Put on your socks and take off your shoes. If you use alcohol, dilute it with water in a ratio of 2 to 1.
- Steam or hair dryer
Heat has the same effect on suede as it does on leather.
- Special stretcher
Buy a product in the form of foam for suede material. Treat the inside and put the boots on a woolen sock. You will get the desired result in about an hour. In addition, the shoe workshop will help you stretch your shoes using special pads. If you have such pads, use them yourself.
Artificial leather
There is an old proven method of using wet newspapers to stretch leatherette shoes . Soak them in warm water and wring them out well. Stuff your shoes with them and leave until the paper dries. This may take several days. Afterwards, take out the newspapers and evaluate the result.
Fatty and oily products soften leather shoes well, which helps to stretch them. In the case of shoes made of leatherette, use Vaseline or shoe cream. Treat the surface and put the shoes on a warm sock.
Fabric, patent leather
The method described above with wet newspaper is good for textile shoes.
Lacquered shoes cannot be treated externally with alcohol-containing compositions. Use alcohol, vinegar, or an oily cream when applying the product from the inside.
Advice on choosing shoes
- In the afternoon, the feet are a little swollen, so it is best to go shopping at the shoe store at this time.
- It is advisable to measure winter shoes on a warm sock.
- Shoes should not be heavy so that the feet feel comfortable and do not swell. Pay attention to the sole and stability.
- Evaluate not only the appearance of the shoes, but also their comfort.
- Do not hurry with the choice, at the slightest doubt about the size, postpone the purchase and look for another option.