6 tips on how to stretch your shoes, easily, quickly and effectively

Prevention is the best protection

The most effective way to ensure perfectly fitting shoes is to be careful when buying them. If you order online, don't forget to measure your foot before making a final decision. Then compare the measured dimensions with the sizes indicated by the manufacturer.

Walk, walk, walk

Yes, the most common and well-known answer to how to stretch shoes is simply walking them apart. However, in order not to cause you more pain than good, we recommend that you do it gradually. Always wear new shoes in the evening for at least an hour and walk around the house in them. In the evening, the feet are slightly swollen after the whole day, so stretching will be more effective. Wearing thick socks can also help. These will protect your legs from bruises and at the same time strengthen the stretching effect. For even greater effectiveness, you can wet the socks. Before putting them on, however, wring them out so that water does not drip from them.

Newspapers

Another way to stretch new shoes is to use newspapers. Press them into the shoe and let them "act" for at least 12 hours. You can freely combine this method with others to get even better results.

Ice

Stretching using ice works on a similar principle. Pour water into strong, resealable plastic bags. Then put them in the shoes and place them in the freezer. Wait until the water freezes completely, which will increase its volume and expand the shoe. After taking them out of the freezer, put on your shoes and walk around a bit until they reach their normal temperature. We recommend using this procedure especially in the case of leather shoes. But be careful not to overfill the water bags. Too much volume could cause the skin to crack.

Hair dryer

The last home method to stretch your shoes is to use a hair dryer. You will need thick socks, shoes and a hair dryer. Put on your socks and shoes. Set the hair dryer to medium temperature and blow for 20 to 30 seconds on the places where your shoes are pressing. Keep your shoes on until they cool down. You can repeat this process if necessary.

See a specialist

Did you know that a cobbler can also help you with the stretching of new shoes? This is a relatively little-known, but not at-all expensive service that is offered by almost every good shoemaker. The principle consists of using special stretchers, thanks to which the cobbler can easily and safely stretch the shoe to fit your foot.