Nutrition and diets 

Do nubuck shoes stretch? How to break in nubuck shoes. How to stretch leatherette shoes

Everyone had situations when the shoes turned out to be a size smaller, and the joy of buying them was replaced by a desire to return them back to the store. Any woman can not resist a pair of trendy shoes, even if they are not her size. It also happens that during the fitting there are no problems, but the shoes may be narrow after a short wear. The reason for this lies in the fact that the legs tend to swell from exertion. However, is it really necessary to immediately throw away shoes that turned out to be small? Do not rush to give up the shoes you like, as you still have the opportunity to correct the situation. This can be done independently and without unnecessary waste if you know how to stretch shoes at home.

There are many folk tips on how to stretch shoes at home. But you must choose a method that is suitable for the material from which your shoes or boots are made. In particular, you need to be as careful as possible when adjusting suede shoes or boots made of nubuck, since they cannot be affected with water or any solutions so that there are no streaks and stains.

Leather and suede shoes

Leather and suede are natural materials, shoes made of which are much easier to stretch, even if the shoes are a whole size too small for you. If you want to quickly correct leather or suede shoes, use the following recipes:

  • If your shoes are made from genuine leather, they can withstand high temperatures and can be stretched with boiling water. Pour some boiling water into your boots or shoes, then immediately pour it out. When they are cool, put them on your feet and walk around until the shoes are dry. This method is only suitable for genuine leather, but in no case for leatherette, as it can crack from hot water and lose its shape.
  • The second recipe is to put a tight plastic bag or a water balloon in the boot. After that, send the boot to the freezer overnight. The fact is that during the transformation into ice, the water in the boot will expand, and the volume of the shoe will increase.

  • You can quickly adjust the shoes for yourself with the help of alcohol. Instead, you can also use an old proven cologne or vodka. Treat the shoes inside and out, put on thick socks and walk around in them for a couple of hours at home. Heels should be treated especially well. In this case, they will become soft and will not rub your feet.
  • To correct the size of suede shoes, you can simply use thick socks or tights. Put them on and wear them at home for a couple of days. So you can stretch your shoes in a fairly short time.

  • You can stretch suede shoes by buying a special tool in a shoe store. Please note that the stretching spray must be suitable for suede shoes. Follow the instructions on the package when using the product. Most often, you need to lubricate or sprinkle your shoes with it and wait until it dries.

How to stretch shoes made from leather substitutes?

  • To wear in leatherette shoes, it is enough to lubricate the shoe from the inside with petroleum jelly, and after 2-2.5 hours have passed, remove its residue with a dry cloth and walk a little in the shoes.
  • Take old newspapers, wet them, and stuff them as big and tight as you can into your boot. Be careful not to change the shape of your shoes while putting newspapers inside. Pull out of them should be already when they are completely dry (and they should dry on their own, without the help of a heater or hair dryer).
  • If your shoes are made of artificial leather, then you can break them in in the instep. For example, put grains in a boot and fill it with water overnight. During this time, the grain will swell and the boot will stretch. In the morning, pour the wet grain back and walk for about an hour in your boots or boots.

Breaking in patent leather shoes

Lacquer shoes are much more difficult to carry than ordinary leather ones. You can only adjust the width of the shoe, and only if the layer directly under the patent leather is soft and thin. Be careful when stretching patent leather shoes, otherwise you risk damaging them, and they may lose their luster or, worse, crack.

  • Mix alcohol with a small amount of water in a 2:1 ratio. Wet a tight sock in this solution. Then put on your socks, and then the shoes themselves and walk around in them until the shoes and socks are dry (about a couple of hours).
  • The use of oily cream and pads guarantees effective stretching of patent leather shoes. Apply a fat cream (you can also take Vaseline) inside the shoes and insert a block into them. A tight sock can replace the block. Especially carefully apply the cream to such tight areas as heels and socks. If necessary, you can repeat the adjustment in this way. The degree of wear in the case of this recipe will depend on how thick and soft the skin is.

How to stretch tight nubuck shoes?

Before you start breaking in nubuck boots, check if they are artificial or natural. When breaking in this type of footwear, in no case use a greasy cream or alcohol solutions, otherwise dirt and stains may remain on it. You can easily stretch these boots if you wear them at home every day. The qualities of nubuck promote wear without the use of various stretchers. But in the event that you still need them, use the following recipes:

  • Shop for foam that stretches the nubuck. Just put it on the shoes inside, put on thick socks and walk around the house for a few hours.
  • If this also does not help, contact a professional shoemaker. A shoe repairman widens shoes with a special wooden last. In this way, you will stretch the boots or shoes in length, and not just in width.

Do rubber boots stretch?

If rubber boots turned out to be narrow for you, then it is unlikely that you will be able to stretch them. Only if the material for their manufacture turned out to be polyvinyl chloride. You can verify whether this is true or not by touching something hot to the shoe. The material has melted - you can stretch it. How to do it? Use this recipe:

  • To soften the PVC, pour very hot water into the boots (boiling water is best). Wait a couple of minutes for the material to soften. During this time, put on a few thick socks and fill the container with cold water. At that moment, when the water in the boots has cooled slightly, drain it and immediately put on the boots. Next, you need to climb into a container of cold water in boots so that the PVC becomes solid again.

Using the recommendations above, you can slightly adjust tight shoes, and wear them with pleasure without rubbing corns on your feet. However, if you don't succeed, don't be discouraged. Remember, it's best to shop smart and take your time so that your new shoes will fit you. Otherwise, you risk harming your health.

Hello Yulia Valentinovna.

To begin with, it’s worth saying that you should not try to stretch the shoes by a whole size, this is very difficult to do, you can only slightly increase it. In addition, if the shoes are not small, but uncomfortable, then as a result of stretching, you can get the same uncomfortable shoes, but larger. In addition, shoes can only be stretched from natural materials, such as genuine leather, suede, nubuck, but synthetic materials are practically not amenable to stretching.

There are several types of nubuck. Natural nubuck, which is genuine leather, subjected to a special treatment. Nubuck oil is a natural nubuck treated with special materials.

Artificial nubuck, made of synthetic materials, only in appearance resembles natural nubuck.

Naturally, you need to know exactly what material your nubuck shoes are made of, since you are unlikely to be able to stretch artificial nubuck.

As with regular natural leather shoes, special stretchers can be used to stretch nubuck shoes. Stretching fluids are now commercially available that are suitable for all types of leather, including suede and nubuck shoes. Usually these products can be used on any genuine leather shoes, except for patent leather, for which not all products are suitable for stretching. Most manufacturers of shoe care products, such as brands such as COLLONIL, Oke, Salamander, have in their range products designed to stretch shoes made from any type of genuine leather. These products are colorless, so the manufacturers of such products claim that as a result of use, these products do not leave stains, streaks and contours. However, when working with suede and nubuck shoes, it is still advised when using shoe stretchers to apply them to the inner surface of the shoe. After applying the shoe stretcher, you need to put the shoes on the last, or walk in them for a while, which is even better, since the shoes will take the shape of your foot.
http://forum.dubna.ru/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=32796

From folk remedies, it is most often advised to use alcohol, or an alcohol-containing liquid, such as vodka, to stretch nubuck shoes. To do this, you need to moisten the shoes with alcohol from the inside, then put the shoes on your foot with a thick toe and walk around in the shoes for several hours.


Additionally

It is not uncommon for a new pair of shoes in the store to feel comfortable and comfy, but when worn, it begins to squeeze and rub. Also, new boots or shoes can shrink and shrink if they get too wet. In this case, stretching is required.

This can be done in different ways. The most effective and safest will be contacting a shoe shop. In this case, the craftsmen will stretch the shoes using a special stretcher block, which is selected according to the type and material of the product.

However, in shoe stores, shoes are mainly stretched only in the instep and shaft, i.e. in width. Pulling a pair in length is very difficult. In addition, in this case, you can spoil and deform products.

Masters do not recommend stretching shoes made of all materials other than genuine leather. But many try to distribute and make products a size larger on their own. In this article, we will look at how to stretch shoes at home quickly and safely.

Before stretching leather shoes to size or products made from other materials using folk remedies, try using special professional tools. This is a stretching spray or aerosol that is sold in shoe stores, salons or departments. The agent is selected for the type of material, sprayed inside or outside the product according to the instructions. Then .

If professional remedies did not help or you do not want to use this spray, you can try folk methods. The technique is also selected according to the type of material from which the products are made. Let's look at how to stretch the tops of boots and boots. Learn what to do to stretch sneakers and shoes.

Stretching leather shoes with freezing and boiling water

Genuine leather shoes are much easier to stretch than other materials. Natural leather under the aggressive influence of various external factors is stretched both in length and in width. To adjust your shoe size slightly, dampen a thick wool sock and wear it with your shoes. Wear a pair for two to three hours a day. However, this is not a very fast way, as it will take seven to ten days.

To stretch leather boots at home, boiling water is often used. Pour hot water into boots or boots and pour immediately. When the products have cooled slightly, put on a pair of thick, thick woolen or knitted socks and walk around until it is completely dry. If you are afraid to pour boiling water inside the shoes, you can hold the pair over boiling water and then spread it.

Freezing is an extreme but effective method. Fill two plastic bags half or 1/4 full with water, tie tightly, and place inside each shoe. The shoes are then placed in the freezer overnight. When water freezes, it expands and increases in volume. As a result, this puts a lot of pressure on the skin and stretches the material.

You can put one bag in the area that is tight, or put one bag in both the heel and the toe. And if you need to stretch the top of the boot, another bag is placed in this place and the boot is fastened with a zipper. After the procedure, remove the shoes from the freezer, wait until the water has melted a little, and remove the bags. Dry shoes, sneakers or boots thoroughly in natural conditions.

Vaseline and alcohol for stretching leather shoes

Another way to stretch is castor oil and petroleum jelly. By the way, such products are quite safe for natural skin. As a result of this processing, the shoes are stretched by one or two sizes. It acquires a beautiful shine and aesthetic appearance. In addition, Vaseline will help mask cracks and scratches.

Mix vaseline and castor oil in half, generously smear the inside and place a block of plastic or wood. You can buy such a last at a shoe or hardware store. Leave the product for a day, then remove the stretcher and the remnants of the product, remove with a cotton pad.

Alcohol, vodka, cologne, or even ordinary window and glass cleaner will soften the skin. To do this, mix the selected component halfway with water and lubricate each product inside and out. Treat the heel most carefully. To prevent alcohol from drying out natural or artificial leather, treat the material with warm Vaseline. How to polish leather shoes to a shine, read.

Five Ways to Stretch Faux Leather Shoes

  1. Soak woolen, knitted or terry socks in water, wring out well and put on your feet. Put on your shoes and walk like this until your socks are completely dry. Repeat the procedure daily for a week;
  2. On the inside, grease the artificial leather shoes with petroleum jelly or liquid cream. When the cream is absorbed, after two to three hours put the pair on a cotton sock. After that, shoes need to be broken in within half an hour;
  3. Wet paper or newspaper and stuff leatherette shoes tightly, but be careful not to overdo it so as not to deform the pair. Let the products dry naturally away from the battery and heater. Do not use a hair dryer or electrical appliances to dry! When the paper is dry, pull it out, the products should stretch slightly;
  4. Take cereals or grains that swell when interacting with water. To do this, place bags in the product and pour grain into it so that it occupies the entire internal space. Then pour water into the boots and leave overnight. When the cereal or grain swells, the artificial leather will be stretched;
  5. To stretch boots or boots made of leatherette in the top or on the instep, treat the thoroughly dried products inside with hot paraffin or laundry soap. Then you should break the shoes into a thick and tight sock for two days. As a result, the artificial material expands and the seams stop rubbing. After processing, carefully remove the remnants of paraffin or laundry soap with a knife, and grease the surface with petroleum jelly, or vegetable oil.

How to stretch suede and nubuck shoes

Suede is elastic and pliable, so if necessary, the material can be stretched. To do this, use the common method of wearing products on a wet thick sock. Do not use alcohol, vodka or cologne for this material, otherwise it will crack!

In addition, oil stains and stains will remain on suede. Aggressive methods using boiling water and frost are also not suitable, as they deform the material and irrevocably spoil the appearance of the products.

In addition to the classic break-in, you can use the method with crumpled newspapers or paper. Stuff tight shoes tightly with paper materials. While the newspapers will straighten out, the shoes or boots will stretch. Do not wet the newspaper with water or alcohol!

How to stretch patent and athletic shoes

  • To stretch patent leather shoes at home, you can use a solution of alcohol and water in the proportion of two parts alcohol to one part water. Dip socks in the prepared composition, put them on your feet and put on shoes. Walk like this until your socks are dry. Instead of alcohol, you can take vodka, cologne or vinegar;
  • can be wrapped in a warm, damp terry towel and left in this state overnight. Then the products are put on and worn out until they are completely dry;
  • Lacquered new shoes with leather trim inside can be treated with lard or goose lard. To do this, lubricate the inside of the shoe with the product and leave to dry completely. The remaining fat is removed with alcohol. As a result, patent leather becomes elastic, soft, pliable and stretches, stops squeaking;
  • Warm up patent shoes with a hair dryer and grease the inside with petroleum jelly or a fat cream. Then put on a tight and thick terry or knitted sock. Walk for one or two hours and again lubricate the inside with petroleum jelly or cream. Leave the products overnight;
  • For patent leather shoes, you can also use methods with freezing or boiling water. After processing the product, it is important to dry it thoroughly and lubricate it with a special cream, polish or balm;
  • To stretch sports shoes, such as natural fabric or leather sneakers or sneakers, take a potato and peel it. Put the tuber in the sock of the product and leave for several hours. Potato juice will make the material elastic, as a result, summer, demi-season or winter sneakers will stretch.

Features of stretching shoes

Warm products with fur inside do not wet the inside too much. By the way, in order to spread and stretch winter boots or boots, sometimes it is enough just to remove the insole. Do not stretch the shoes with hammering! Any procedures can be carried out only with clean and dried products.

Rubber boots made of PVC can be stretched by filling each product completely with boiling water. After five minutes, when the rubber has softened, pour out the water and wipe dry. Put your boots on a thick terry or woolen sock, walk for a few minutes and put in a bath or basin of cold water. Leave for an hour and then dry.

Shoes made of genuine, patent or artificial leather can be worn by a person with a large foot size. But this method is not suitable for suede products, otherwise overstretching will occur, and the suede pair will become large.

Vinegar is considered a universal stretching method that is suitable for different materials. Mix the product with water and thoroughly saturate the inside of the products. Then break in boots or shoes for a tight and thick sock for one to two hours. The unpleasant smell of vinegar can be removed with a soap solution. However, this method must be used carefully for suede shoes, as suede does not like moisture.

After working on any materials, dry the shoes thoroughly in natural conditions and treat with shoe cream, polish or spray. In addition, you can apply folk remedies. For example, Vaseline is suitable for natural leather, vegetable oil for artificial leather, and glycerin for rubber boots.

To speed up the drying process, fill the steam with crumpled paper or newspaper. When wet, change the paper to a new one. Detailed rules on how to quickly and safely dry shoes can be found at the link.

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 that, you need to wait until the shoes cool down a bit, and put them on with a thin toe on your feet. You can take off your shoes when they are completely dry.


2. Use water to stretch the shoes. To do this, 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 elapsed, the shoes are taken out of the freezer, left for a while to melt the ice, and then the bags are taken out.


3. You can stretch new leather shoes with 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 composition, then put on the shoes with a warm toe and stay in them for several hours. After this procedure, the skin will become softer and more elastic.


4. Treat the inside of the shoes with a stretcher 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 stretches weakly, therefore, microcracks may appear on it with a strong impact. Stretching new shoes made of artificial leather, without applying intense effort, can be done by the following methods:


1. Liberally treat the inside of the shoe with petroleum jelly and leave it in this state for 2-3 hours. After a cloth napkin, you need to carefully remove the remnants of the ointment, put on shoes with a thin toe and stay in them for about half an hour.


2. Use newsprint. Newspaper sheets should be moistened and tightly laid in a boot or shoe, while making sure that the shoes do not deform. After the paper dries naturally, it must be carefully removed.


3. You can stretch new shoes in the instep with wheat, barley or oats. To do this, grain is poured into a boot or boot, then it is filled with water and left to swell for 8-10 hours (it can be overnight). The leatherette stretches as the grains increase in size. When the time has passed, the grain should be poured out and walked around the room in new shoes for an hour.

How to stretch new nubuck shoes

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


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


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


3. Use a special tool designed to stretch nubuck, for which apply it to the inner surface of the shoe, put it on a warm sock and walk in this form for 2 hours.


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

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

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


1. Buy in a shoe store a special agent for softening patent leather in the form of a spray, cream or lotion and apply the composition to the inside of the shoe, while preventing the liquid or cream from getting on the varnish surface.


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


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


4. Use regular cream or petroleum jelly. The oily mixture should be treated on the inside of the shoe, paying special attention to the toe and heel. After that, put on shoes or boots with warm socks 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 in size, made of soft and natural materials. If, nevertheless, after acquiring the desired shoes, the question “how to stretch new shoes” arose, then you can resort to the methods described above, taking into account the characteristics of the material.

Efficiency Shoe risk 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 pattern of the skin is not visible). If you run your hand over the nubuck, it will leave a trace of a darker or lighter shade. Nubuck, like genuine leather, breathes well, and shoes from it can be stretched.

On the Internet you will find a lot of advice on the topic "how to break in 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;
  • groats.

We do not recommend using these common ways to quickly break in nubuck shoes. Water, alcohol, vodka or cologne can damage the surface of the nubuck, discolor it or leave streaks. Wet newspapers or paper stuffed into shoes and left to dry completely expand and press on the shoes from the inside. Shoes or boots can indeed increase in volume, but due to uneven pressure on the surface of the nubuck, bumps may appear, the shoes will lose their shape.

Hot park - from an iron in steaming mode or a boiling kettle - the nubuck is burned. The delicate pile of the surface may become heterogeneous in texture, change color or become glossy.

Ice exerts bursting pressure from the inside: water is poured into a bag, tied, put inside the shoe and sent to the freezer. Water freezes, expands and presses on the shoes from the inside. It is impossible to predict in what position the water will harden and exactly how the shoes will stretch. With uneven freezing, the shape of the shoe will become incorrect.

How to break in nubuck shoes at home. Tips from Rendez-Vous Masters

Shoe repairmen share the rules on how to break 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 to spray Oke Saphir. Treat problem areas of shoes with it from the inside, put on shoes and wear until discomfort decreases. Repeat if necessary.

Method number 2. More efficient 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 fail, you can stretch your shoes for free at Rendez-Vous. The master will process the shoes with a special composition and put a pair on sliding blocks. These are not the lasts on which we are used to drying shoes, they gradually heat up the skin and expand the model, and the master adjusts the degree of stretching manually, changing the size of the last during the procedure.

It is possible to stretch nubuck shoes in width (in fullness), but it is impossible to increase 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 structure of the nubuck or the shape of the model is small, but it is still there. We recommend using mechanical stretching only as a last resort.