Tip Tuesday: How to Stretch Out and Break In Shoes (page 3)

Tip Tuesday: How to Stretch Out and Break In Shoes

Posted by Alexandra C. | Tuesday May 15, 2012

In this week's Pose Off, I put on my fave shoes of late: my bright pink Doc Martens. Now, if you've ever had a pair of Docs, you know how difficult they are to break in. Of course, Docs aren't the only shoes that are tough to break in. Heels, wedges, sandals...groan. I am secretly convinced there is a very evil shoe designer out there who hates women's feet. I won't show you because it's pretty gross but I have the blisters and scars to prove it.

If only I had done my research before I used and abused my poor feet. As it turns out, there are a few very simple ways to stretch out and break in your shoes before wearing them.

What you'll need:

Tip # 1: Heat Method

Works on leather or imitation leather shoes. The traditional method involves using a blow dryer to work on your shoes, softening them. I also found this video which suggested putting your shoes in the oven. This is great because it takes very little time. It does however run the risk of becoming a fire hazard though so you'll need to keep close watch. For both methods, at the halfway point, put on a pair of socks and walk for a minute in your shoes, testing out how they feel. This method should take about 5-10 minutes.

Tip #2: Wet Method

Fill a ziploc bag with water, about halfway. Close the bag, getting rid of as much air as possible. Put the bag of water in your shoe and stick those shoes in the freezer. As the water turns to ice, it will expand which in turn will stretch out your shoes. The downside is, you'll need to wait for a few hours until water turns to ice.

Note: With both these methods, usually your shoes will increase about a half a size.

Tip #3: Good ol' Fashioned Breakin' in

This was the only trick that worked for my stiff leather Docs. I sat for about 10 minutes and crushed, smushed and creased the shoes with my hands. If your shoes hurt to walk in like mine, but you still need to work them in, try wearing them in an environment where you do little walking for a few hours. I wore mine at work at my desk or even around the house.

Do you have a tip for breaking in and stretching out a pair of stubborn shoes? Or maybe you're just smart and buy comfy shoes (unlike me), which comfy shoes are your go-to pair?

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34 Comments

	on May 15, 2012 Vlicious 3,821 said: @sirenstarlight - I haven't tried the moleskin AlexJC suggested, but I do recommend the Band Aid blister blocker band aids! You can use them after a blister has formed and they'll protect the skin, but if I know a particular pair of shoes are troublesome when I wear them, I just put one on before the night even starts and 8 out of 10 times, they work!! http://www.pharmacyonline.com.au/first-aid/band-aids-plasters/
	on May 15, 2012 sirenstarlight 7,239 said: Thanks Alex! I had never heard of Dr. Scholl's Moleskin before! Looks neat! Has anyone ever used it to prevent blisters?? I have a pair of Rockport Patent Leather flats that have only been worn once on account of blistering up my heels. I was thinking about just chucking them, but they weren't cheap so maybe moleskin is an option! It's a shame the water bottle won't work as i'm a size 8 :/
	on May 15, 2012 rubberlimo 816 said: Wonderful Idea's that I have never heard of before. I had the same pair of shoes for 4 years......I loved my platform shoes, melt the heal on my friends Harley, and have been lost without them ever since.
	on May 15, 2012 shanaz 5,961 said: I'm gonna try the wet method! Hope it works!
	on May 15, 2012 jlgoneboatin 2,553 said: Great tips Alex, thank you!
	on May 15, 2012 Patricia 6,845 said: Thanks AlexJC! I'll try the mole skins! But the latest blister is still scabby and gross (sorry for the mental image there) so it will have to be flip flops for a few more days. Thank God for the great weather! :)
	on May 15, 2012 DawnMackie 3,667 said: Great tips!! I usually just wear them and suffer the blisters, glad to see there's alternatives.
	on May 15, 2012 AlexJC 50 said: @sirenstarlight both methods will work on imitation leather but to be on the safe side, I would go with the wet method. @Patricia You aren't alone!!! My docs gave me the worst blisters when I first got them. To comfort your feet, try using that moleskin padding: http://www.drscholls.com/drscholls/products/MoleskinPlusPadding.jspa and let your blisters heal too or you will open them again. Of course, band aids will become your best friend too! Definitely try one of these methods to stretch them out. If you find that it only pinches in a certain area too, then you can always use the wet method with a smaller bag and place it in that area (i.e. around toes etc)
	on May 15, 2012 Vlicious 3,821 said: If you want to stretch them a bit length wise, you can also just place a water filled bottle in the shoe, cap facing the toes, and leave it in there a few days! This of course only works of smaller shoe sizes like 6 or 7! But it does work!
	on May 15, 2012 Patricia 6,845 said: The last THREE pairs of shoes I bought gave me bad blisters on my heels! How do you stop this!? Or know this is going to happen!? I only wear them for a couple of minutes in the store before I buy them. they feel great for these couple of minutes. But when I wear them for a day at work or shopping I get very sore blisters and end up limping around the mall! The latest shoes to give me bleeding blisters are a pair of Bobs (by Sketchers) wedges. Cute, but deadly.