If the heel is pressing in the shoe. How to soften leather on shoes that chafe. Why do shoes rub my feet

08.03.2020

Everyone has faced such a problem: in a store, shoes fit perfectly on their feet, and when you put them on after a purchase, they start to rub the heel.

This is a feature of any shoes: the fabric is rigid, it has not yet taken the shape of the foot to become comfortable when worn.

A new pair is worn for several days, after taking care of the heels. Band-aids are applied to them, or a soft lining is made to avoid chafing.

If the shoes continue to rub even after several days of continuous use, it is worth using tricky tricks that shoemakers, who are masters of their craft, tell us.

5 tips from shoe experts on how to keep your shoes from chafing:

№	Advice	Note
1	Before leaving the house, blot the backdrop with alcohol from the inside	Protect your heel from the effects of alcohol, if there is already corn, it will react to alcohol. If there is no callus, protect the heel anyway, rubbing with alcohol-treated shoes will cause irritation
2	Use a professional shoe stretcher. It is sold in shoe stores	The agent gently acts on the fabric, allowing it to quickly take the desired shape
3	The old method with water: bags full of water are placed in shoes. One night in the freezer - and your shoes will be looser	The water expands, freezing. The effect is not powerful enough to ruin a thing, but it is enough to stretch it.
4	If your shoes are not tight, rub the backs with wax	This will facilitate natural wear and help maintain the integrity of the skin.
5	To soften the stiff fabric of the shoe, tap the back wall with a hammer, which causes discomfort.	Pre-protect the shoe walls with material

How to treat foot calluses from shoes?

If the shoes are very uncomfortable, and you have to walk a lot, you should leave them stretching at home using the third method from the table.

Replace them temporarily with other, more comfortable shoes. Heel wounds will cause discomfort for several days. For the healing process to go faster, tight shoes must be removed.

Important! Calluses formed on the leg from tight shoes should not be pierced. Many people try to puncture and squeeze out fluid to reduce the bladder.

Such a procedure will bring pain, cause infection. There will be inflammation at the puncture site. Insulate the corn with a germicidal plaster and leave it alone.

The healing process will begin as soon as you eliminate the cause - take off your tight shoes.

A quick way to eliminate dry corn:

The procedure is performed before bedtime.
Grate raw potatoes.
Apply to corn.
Re-bandage and put on a sock to prevent the potatoes from getting on the bed, or moving them out of the problem area.
Remove the bandages in the morning, rinse your leg with warm water.

The starch helps to draw out the liquid that has accumulated inside the bubble. Fresh corn is not recommended to be treated in this way.

Wait a few days. Calluses should not be treated this way if there is inflammation, or an open wound.

Important! When the callus is open, or the skin on the leg is knocked off, treatment is carried out differently.

There are special tools that will help disinfect the wound and prevent inflammation.

We treat a burst callus, broken skin on the leg:

Eliminate the reason for the appearance of the wound: shoes cannot be worn until the moment of complete healing.
Send the cause of your troubles to stretch in the freezer with bags of water, or take it to the workshop.
We wash the whole foot under warm water.
The wound we process with hydrogen peroxide.
When dries up, you can process the edges with brilliant green. Remember that the greenery will be visible on the skin for a long time, if you have to defile in open shoes, do not use it.
Ointment Levomekol is applied to a sterile bandage, applied to the wound. You need to bandage and leave the ointment overnight.
Levomekol disinfects, promotes early healing. It can be used for open puncture wounds.
It draws out inflammation and pus. The antibiotic in its composition is guaranteed to cure even a neglected wound.
In the morning the wound is opened for further healing in the air.
Going out outside, cover it with a bactericidal plaster from dust.

Can I return my shoes if they chafe?

Returning to the store a pair of shoes that are uncomfortable when walking is a common procedure. There is a law that protects consumer rights.

According to this law, the buyer has the right to return the shoes if certain conditions are met:

Refunds are made within 14 days from the date of purchase.
The item will be accepted back if the purchaser provides the receipts and the box in proper condition.
Shoes must be in a salable condition.

If the shoes are damaged during the wearing process, the seller will refuse to return them. Failure to comply with any of the above points may become a reason for refusal.

Important! If a refund is denied to you, write a claim to the name of the store. You can send a copy of the manufacturer, or go to court.

The store administration is obliged to provide you with a complaint book at your first request. In it, you can express all your dissatisfaction if the employees were incorrect with you.

If you have met all the conditions for a return, you must be given a choice:

Full refund.
Replacement of goods.
The choice of another pair of your choice, with the possibility of additional payment if its value exceeds the amount on the check. If the cost is less, the difference must be refunded.

Stores often offer a discount on a product if a customer requests a refund or replacement. The store compensates for the moral inconvenience of the client.

Buy shoes in stores where the seller will provide you with all the information about the manufacturer, the material of manufacture and the possibility of a return.

When you make a purchase on the market, you will not receive a check to help you make a return. Without a sales receipt with a prescribed date and cost of purchase, there are not many chances to return the product.

If the seller does not have a cash register at the place of purchase, always ask to write the receipt by hand.

Useful video

Chemical method of stretching shoes

Buy a special shoe softener from the store. It is usually produced as a spray. Spray problem areas and wear shoes. Before use, check how the substance reacts with the leather of the shoes; it happens that the shoes change color. You can replace the store-bought liquid with rubbing alcohol or cologne.

Using hot air and boiling water

Warm up problem areas of your shoes with a hairdryer, put on your shoes and walk around. Repeat the procedure several times until you get the desired result. Make sure that the hot air does not melt the glue, and in general it is better not to heat the glued seams. You can use hot water instead of a hair dryer. To do this, cover the problem area with a cloth and slowly pour boiling water over it. The skin can withstand up to 300 degrees, so hot water won't do anything to it. After the procedure, you should walk in heated shoes.

Softening the skin with improvised means

Castor or flaxseed oil are the most budget-friendly options for reducing skin stiffness. Apply the oil to a cloth and wipe the area to be restored, repeat the procedure 1-2 times. Leave the shoes to soak for two days, after which the shoes can be worn. Please note that after castor oil, the smell of castor oil will remain in the shoes, and the size of the shoes may increase - castor oil softens even thick skin. Also, after using an oil-based product, the shoes darken, use other products for light-colored shoes. To soften the backdrop, use a paraffin candle - rub the substance on the back of your shoes. If leather bakes after a walk, lubricate the inside of the boots with a 3% vinegar solution.

For fair skin, you can make your own cream. Mix equal parts baby cream and colorless shoe cream containing beeswax. Apply the substance to the shoes and leave until completely absorbed. You can use fatty cow's milk instead of baby cream.

Using the pads

The stores sell special pads for stretching shoes that follow the shape of the leg. A special screw design acts on the inside of the shoe and expands it to the desired result. The kit includes attachments that allow you to correct only certain areas of the boot. Newspapers can be stuffed into shoes instead of last, but care must be taken to ensure that the shoes do not deform elsewhere.

If you have problems with an expensive item, for example, the shoes have become very tough, do not experiment, contact a specialist. Many dry cleaners take on the repair of hardened shoes.

The discomfort when wearing a new pair of shoes is observed for the reason that the material from which it is made is not yet worn out or too hard. In this case, both shoes made of genuine leather and artificial materials can be rubbed. Shoes wear out over time, but there are several methods you can use to speed up this process. Ready-made heel softeners can be purchased at any shoe store. But there are also proven folk methods: vinegar, alcohol, glycerin, vegetable oil and others.

Genuine leather shoes

Genuine leather shoes wear out on their own, but this process can take a long time. In order to avoid the appearance of corns, it is worth using the following methods:

1. Using a hammer or pliers. It is worth resorting to this method if the shoes are not made of thin, light or decorated leather. Also, this method will not work if you need to soften the heel of boots or boots. As an extra precaution, place a piece of cloth between the product and the pliers. Hammer it is necessary to knock on the backdrops from the top and from the back outside. This procedure should be carried out with extreme care so as not to damage the leather product.
2. Applying vinegar. Another popular way to soften backdrops is to soak hard areas of leather with vinegar. After that, they should be well crushed.
3. Lubrication with glycerin. Prepare your shoes before applying this product. First you need to put a hot, wet towel inside the shoe and leave it for 15 minutes. During this time, the pores of the skin will expand. After that, you will need to grease the product with glycerin and leave it overnight.

Attention! Any product must be used carefully, first check it on an inconspicuous area so as not to ruin expensive shoes.

There is another way to soften a hard leather backing. It is necessary to properly moisten the towel with water and wrap it around the box with the purchased pair of shoes. The container creates a humid microclimate which helps to soften the skin. It is recommended to carry out the procedure for about 8 hours and repeat it if necessary.

If it rubs the heel of a shoe, you can purchase specialized stretchers, which are made in the form of an aerosol or foam. They contain chemicals that effectively soften natural skin. The aerosol should be applied to the inside of the shoe and put on. The procedure will have to be repeated several times, and for a faster result, you need to warm up the shoes with a hair dryer and put the shoes on thick socks after applying the aerosol.

The most popular means for stretching leather shoes are Salamander "Shoe Stretch", "Dividik" and "Salton" aerosols.

Artificial material shoes

This means not only a leather substitute, but also textile, natural and synthetic materials, which are most often used for the manufacture of sneakers. To soften your shoes, you can use the following remedies:

1. Vegetable oil. It is necessary to process the backdrops inside with a cotton pad soaked in oil and leave the product to soak in for 5-7 hours. It is advisable to use linseed or castor oil and soak a cotton pad well in it, removing excess funds on shoes with a napkin.
2. Medical alcohol. To soften the heel on shoes made from unnatural materials, instead of vinegar, you should use alcohol, since it does not contain acids that corrode synthetics. In this case, it is recommended to dilute it with water. Before using this product, make sure that there is no sealing cardboard insert in the backdrops. When wet, the cardboard is deformed, and the shoes not only soften, but also lose their shape. Alcohol is replaced not only with vodka and cologne, but also with beer.
3. Paraffin and soap. You need to grease the back of your shoes with a small piece of soap or a candle. The friction will decrease and the shoes will stop chafing your feet.

Shoe spacers

The easiest and most effective way is to use special shoe spreaders to help stretch the skin. If the heel has a rough seam, making the shoes softer at home is much more difficult. You will have to contact a shoemaker who will move the seam to the side or apply a patch to it.

Shoes, which are made from natural and artificial leather, have firmly entered the life of modern people. It is rather difficult to imagine a person who does not wear it. It allows you to overcome any surfaces and terrain without getting your feet wet and at the same time experiencing incredible comfort. However, not everything is so rosy.

Sometimes shoes, especially new ones, can bring terrible inconvenience, discomfort and even pain to their owner. This may be due to the fact that some of its elements are too rigid. Moreover, this quality can be inherent in both new, not yet worn out boots, and good old boots that have been worn for a year.

Finding that the comfortable shoes that I tried on in the store suddenly turned out to be completely devoid of comfort at home, or if you feel the inconvenience of wearing old boots, you should not be upset. You need to start fixing this problem immediately.

Shoe softeners

In almost every store you can find a lot of special products that have the goal of eliminating the discomfort of new boots or shoes. When answering the question of how to soften leather shoes, you need to consider the most common methods:

Pork lard is another great way that is completely safe and environmentally friendly. You need to take lard, which should not be salty, and rub it into the problem area. Note! Salom can be rubbed over the entire surface of the shoe, which allows you not to waste time polishing it, moreover, it will be an excellent protection against moisture.
Wax. Its application will not be difficult. You need to melt the candle and apply the resulting substance to the solid element of the shoe. The main thing in this business is to wait until the wax cools down so as not to damage the skin.
Glycerin can be a great solution to the problem. It is completely non-aggressive, but it can help soften uncomfortable and tough skin. You just need to apply it to the area of the boot or shoe that causes discomfort and leave it for a while. After that, you need to remove excess glycerin and polish the product.
Hardened soaps are best for solving the problem of urgently softening your skin. To do this, you need to rub the element that causes inconvenience with soap and immediately put the shoes on your foot.
Cold is a great way to soften natural leather. To implement this method, you need to put bags of water inside the shoe and place it in the freezer. So it should stand all night, in the morning you need to take your shoes out of the cold and after defrosting, take out bags of water.
Cloth and newspaper sheets. If they are placed in the shoes, having previously been properly crumpled, they, standing there overnight, can provide softening of the boots or shoes.

How to soften the heel so that your shoes don't chafe

It so happens that shoes that fit perfectly on the foot and fit in size have a rather hard back that can cause great inconvenience to the owner when walking.

In this case, you should not wait for the shoes to soften, you need to start acting on your own. Before softening the heel on your shoes, you need to familiarize yourself with the following methods:

The simplest method involves tapping the heel with a hammer, and you need to process not only the heel, but also all its sides. It is important to remember to be careful not to inadvertently damage your skin. If it is light in color or too thin, you need to put a piece of dense material between the shoes and the hammer;
to soften the heel both inside and out, it makes sense to use a pair of pliers. True, this method is only suitable for shoes with low heels, unfortunately, this method will not work with boots;
processing of backdrops with vinegar is quite popular, which has good softening qualities;
you can buy special products that are sold in shoe stores, they are the most effective, however, not too cheap.

How to soften artificial leather shoes at home

The vast majority of mid-price shoes are made from artificial leather, which includes various substitutes, as well as synthetic materials.

As a rule, the methods of softening such products are not too different from those applicable to natural leather.

You can treat imitation leather shoes with vegetable oil and leave overnight. This method is great for softening backdrops.
Alcohol will be a good helper in solving this problem. It must be diluted with water, then rubbed into the shoes and kneaded with your hands. Important to remember! If the shoes contain cardboard inserts, they should not be wetted with any liquids in order to prevent absolute deformation of the product.
You can use the impact on the shoes with a hammer or pliers, but it is important not to overdo it and not to change the appearance of the product.
Pencils against calluses, which can be purchased in stores, have shown themselves well in softening shoes. They rub the heels, after which the effect of softening the shoes is achieved.

How to soften new shoes

When choosing a method that will help soften recently acquired skin, you should pay close attention to the necessary precautions to prevent damage to the product:

there are special methods for each material: what is good for artificial leather may not work for natural, and vice versa;
you should always study the recommendations for shoe care, which can be found on the packaging or warranty card;
before treating a large area of the skin, you need to try the substance on a separate element of it in order to prevent damage to the product.

In order to make the skin soft, an alcohol solution is most often used, which can be successfully replaced by cologne or vodka. It is important not to forget about diluting them with water. The essence of this method is to apply an alcohol solution to the area that causes the greatest discomfort, after which you need to put shoes on your feet (on a tight sock) and walk in it for about two hours.

However, the ideal method is to treat new shoes with vegetable oils (preferably castor oil) or petroleum jelly. These substances will not deteriorate the appearance of the product, as well as give them an unpleasant or pungent odor. Moreover, the method is great for shoes made from different materials.

How to soften genuine leather shoes

The ideal method for softening shoes that are made of real leather is to contact a specialized workshop, in which the craftsmen have all the necessary skills and means to eliminate such a problem. In addition, you can buy stretching sprays from the store on your own, with which you can spray the rubbing backdrop, and the discomfort will be eliminated.

However, these methods cannot be classified as economical, therefore people often use folk remedies, among which there are quite effective ones and, which is important in the question of how to soften leather shoes that do not affect the appearance of the product.

Castor oil is a great choice. It just needs to be applied to the area that rubs the leg, and after two hours, repeat the procedure, and the problem will be eliminated.
Linseed oil works well for stubborn seams that can cause discomfort when walking.
Kerosene is used no less often, but its smell has many opponents. It is important to have a place where you can ventilate the shoes after applying such a substance to them.

It should be noted that the problem of rubbing shoes, which have overly rigid elements, can be completely eliminated by using a variety of methods. However, in the case where the cause of discomfort is an uncomfortable shoe, nothing can be done. That is why it is so important not only to try on shoes before buying, but also to walk around the store in them for some time. This approach to the selection of leather products will save you from subsequent problems with stretching them along the leg.

Leather shoes, in comparison with leatherette products, have a large number of positive characteristics, the key of which is quality. Nevertheless, over time, certain areas of such products begin to cause some discomfort - backdrops, insoles or other moments become hard or rough.

Accordingly, the owner of such shoes has the question of how to soften the skin, preferably at home? There are many methods for softening rough skin.

In most cases, the shoes will not fit exactly on the leg, so they will have to be worn out or wait until the leg adjusts to this model. However, high-quality and reliable leather shoes can start to cause discomfort, being far from new.

As a rule, the inconvenience is associated with pressure in a certain area - this is the heel, toe, midsection, foot, and so on. To get rid of such a defect, you should use a variety of methods.

Special moments

The best solution would be to go to a shoe shop. A specialist will be able to eliminate such moments in a few hours.

Unfortunately, this opportunity is not always available. If it is still not there, then it is necessary to use various professional methods.

A fairly reliable way to soften shoes is to use kerosene. To do this, the shoes should be treated with boiling water, after which they are wiped with kerosene and dried thoroughly.

The simplest method for softening shoes is to use petroleum jelly. This substance is very beneficial for natural leather, so it can be left on after use. Vaseline is thoroughly rubbed into the shoes and left for a couple of hours. After that, it is cleaned with a special cream and polish.

Some people use a vinegar solution to soften their shoes. The essence is diluted to a concentration of no more than 10-12% and the leather product is rubbed. After such an operation, it is left for a few minutes, washed and polished.

It should be noted that such methods can be used only for natural leather. Shoes made from artificial materials may lose their attractive appearance or even deteriorate.

In principle, masters who repair and maintain shoes advise, after using any product, to put on thick and tight socks under leather shoes and walk like that for the next couple of hours.

This will allow the shoe to conform to the shape of the foot and lock it in place. As a result, this product will no longer rub in any area. It should be noted that leather shoes need constant care and protection - in this case, they will serve for a long time.