How to stretch your shoes out. Using the freezer. Stretching shoes made of genuine leather or suede

« How to stretch leather shoes?"- a very topical question for the owners of a new pair of shoes or boots. Today it is difficult to find a person who at least once has not encountered a situation of shoe discomfort.

It also happens that in the store the shoes fit perfectly on the leg, but with a long walk, the leg becomes very cramped in a new thing. This circumstance causes the formation of calluses and swelling of the feet. Walking in tight shoes throughout the working day becomes an unbearable torment for your feet.

Today, many people prefer to buy shoes from an online store. Online shopping is, of course, much cheaper than at a shoe store, but it does have its drawbacks. For obvious reasons, it is not possible to try on shoes in an online store in advance, so you have to rely on your own intuition and choose the appropriate shoe size in accordance with international standards or based on feedback from other buyers. In any case, the buyer is at great risk. When it turns out that the chosen pair of shoes turns out to be 1 size small, many do not want to spend time and effort returning the purchase back, but try to stretch narrow leather shoes at home. To stretch a new thing in length or width, it is not necessary to seek help from a shoe maker. You can cope with this problem on your own, the main thing is to know how. Let's try to understand this in more detail.

Before plunging headlong into work, you need to make sure that the shoes to be worn are made of leather. The fact is that shoes made of artificial leather substitutes cannot be stretched, but leather shoes are quite possible. Leather shoes can be stretched only 1 size, and boots that are too narrow can be slightly spread in width.

To prevent such situations from arising, it is better at the stage of buying a new pair of shoes to select a model that is comfortable and appropriate for the foot in the store. Even if you really like the shoes, but the store does not have the right size, it is better to refuse such a new thing, so as not to complicate your life in the future. It is better to turn your gaze to another model, which is more comfortable on the leg. No one can 100% guarantee that you will be able to stretch tight leather shoes without unpleasant consequences. Since such models are not cheap, the risk of spoiling the product is quite high, and it will be a pity for the wasted money.

Despite the fact that the skin is quite easy to stretch, it is quite difficult to increase it by at least 1 size... Very often, leather shoes have to be stretched wide. This situation is familiar to someone who has just recently purchased a new pair of shoes.

In this case, both special industrial means and folk remedies, proven over the years, can come to the rescue.

You can find out how you can stretch your winter or autumn leather shoes yourself in the next section.

Stretching narrow leather shoes

To stretch tight leather shoes at home, don't go overboard. The fact is that over time, narrow shoes or boots will stretch naturally in any case. If you influence this process with the help of special means, then you can end up with not narrow, but, on the contrary, wide shoes, which is also not very convenient.

If the shoe does not press very much, then you can stretch it without the help of folk or special means. To do this, put new shoes with wet socks on their feet and walk in them around the room for a while (if this does not bring severe discomfort). Even this manipulation will allow too rough and new skin to spread a little. It will take 1-2 days to walk around the house in shoes and wet socks. If this method does not help, it does not matter, you can stretch leather shoes in other ways.

A fairly effective method of dealing with tight shoes can be peeling from potatoes. The inside of the leather product is stuffed very tightly with the potato peel and left overnight.

More details about how and how you can stretch narrow leather shoes using special or folk remedies can be found in the following sections.

Special means

To quickly stretch leather shoes at home, you can use special products.

Here are some of them.

  1. Stretching for shoes. It is sold in every shoe shop. The product is produced, as a rule, in the form of a spray or foam. Spray it in the place where the shoe rubs the foot. Then you need to walk in the product for a while, so that under the chemical influence of the components, the shoes soften and can stretch. However, it is worth considering the fact that such a tool will not be useful for every shoe, but rather the opposite. The chemical composition of the "stretcher" can slightly damage the skin tone, and for light-colored shoes, using this tool is quite risky. Before buying a spray, you must carefully read its composition. Before using, it is worth testing the product on an inconspicuous area of ​​the skin. To enhance the effect, you can wear thick socks on your legs.
  2. Special stretch block. If leather shoes need to be stretched in length, then this stretch will do just fine. For this purpose, the block must be inserted inside the shoe, and then it will do all the work for you. How long you need to leave the stretch in the product is up to you. It all depends on the size to which you need to increase the leather shoes.

These funds are more economical compared to the services of a shoe maker. If you do not want to resort to this kind of action, you can use folk methods of increasing tight shoes.

Folk ways

Folk methods are no less effective than industrial ones. The main thing is not to overdo it and act without fanaticism, so as not to harm the leather pair of shoes.

For this we need:

Product name

Mode of application

Rubbing alcohol or vinegar

You need to dip the washcloth in one of the products and carefully treat the inside of the shoes with it. After that, you should put on tight socks on your feet, and shoes on top. In this form, it is worth walking around the room for about 1 hour. Vinegar can leave a specific and persistent odor in the shoes, which will help to get rid of a soap solution, which is used to treat the product from the inside.

Quite a simple and quick way to stretch leather shoes. For this, boiling water is poured into the leather product and poured out almost immediately. Then you need to put on shoes and walk in shoes or boots until they become dry. Exposure to very hot water will stretch the skin and the problem of tight shoes will disappear.

Leather shoes can be held over the steam. After that, you need to put on the product and walk around in it for some time. You need to act very carefully. The steam must get inside the shoes or boots, in which case it will work and will not harm the shoes.

Thick socks are put on the feet, and leather shoes are put on top. After that, you need to turn on the hair dryer to dry your hair in hot air mode. It should be directed in the direction where the shoes are pressing.

Castor oil

For this method, the product is treated from the outside with castor oil using a cotton pad. Then you need to put on shoes and walk in shoes for a while.

Water bags

You need to take plastic bags and fill them a quarter with water. Pouches with plastic zippers or freezer bags with helium filling are best suited for this purpose. Make sure the bag is tightly closed so that water does not leak out. After that, the leather shoes are sent to the freezer of the refrigerator and left for 5-6 hours to freeze the water in the bag. After this time, the shoes must be removed from the freezer, but the bags should not be removed immediately, let the ice thaw a little. This action will not spoil the structure of the skin.

You can rub the product on the inside with candle wax and leave it there for 6-8 hours. Then the residual paraffin must be removed.

Paper or newspapers

Quite an easy and effective way, familiar to many. To do this, you need to fill the shoes tightly inside with wet paper or newspapers and leave to dry at room temperature. It is not worth stuffing the product too abundantly, so as not to deform the shoes. It is worth taking out the newspapers when they are completely dry.

For this method, any cereal that can grow in size after moisture ingress is suitable. The product is poured inside the shoe, poured with water and left to swell overnight. In the morning, you need to take out the swollen cereal. Under its influence, leather shoes should stretch.

With the help of these tricks, you can quickly tidy up tight leather shoes and stretch them to the required size. If none of the listed methods suit you for any reason, or you simply do not want to risk it, it is better to entrust this procedure to professionals. Shoe professionals can easily deal with the problem of uncomfortable shoes.

These methods are suitable not only for summer and autumn leather shoes, they will also help to stretch winter boots or boots.

For lovers of leather shoes, it will be useful to find out some useful tips for caring for this product. They are not that difficult and quite doable. By following them, you can keep your leather shoes in perfect condition for a long time.

  • you should not treat too thin skin with alcohol-containing liquids, as well as agents with aggressive components, so as not to harm a fragile product;
  • if you are going to use an industrial remedy and cannot be 100% sure of a positive result, it is better to first try the composition from the inside, and only then take full advantage of it;
  • leather shoes cannot be stretched by more than 1 size, therefore, if the product is very small, you should not try all the listed means so as not to harm the capricious material;
  • as a result of long-term wear, the shoes will stretch in any case and without additional effort, but it is unlikely that someone will endure for so long and will wear tight shoes, waiting for this moment;
  • narrow new shoes can be carried at home in their free time from work and additional affairs, and when it is stretched under the influence of the foot and socks, you can safely go out in it;
  • do not rush too much and try to somehow speed up the process of wearing out a leather product, since rushing can only harm the structure of the leather;
  • try to buy shoes not for "tomorrow", but a little earlier (1-2 seasons earlier), so that you can carry the product either on your own or with the help of special means;
  • if you doubt your abilities, you can always turn to the master, he will competently easily cope with the problem of tight shoes;
  • it is best to initially choose shoes by size in a shoe store, this will save time and money to eliminate the negative consequences that narrow shoes will cause;
  • if the product is purchased in another country, then it is always necessary to take into account the discrepancy between world standards and designations of different countries, in Europe they are one, and in Asia and America - others;
  • it is best to try on and buy shoes in the afternoon, since by the evening the foot can swell due to prolonged walking, and it will not be so easy to get into such shoes later;
  • do not rush to immediately throw away the check from a new pair of shoes, perhaps it can be useful for exchanging for a more suitable model;
  • you should not save on shoes and purchase too cheap shoes, as there is a risk that they will not last as long as better quality genuine leather products;
  • if you are tempted to buy your favorite model on sale, even if not in size, it is better not to do this.

Thus, guided by all the advice from specialists, you can immediately make the right choice even in the shoe department and thereby save yourself from the procedure for posting leather products in the future. Let the shoes bring you only pleasant sensations while walking!

2016-03-19

Probably every woman has a pair of shoes that are comfortable only to sit in. When you try them on in a store, it seems that there is no more convenient and more beautiful model. But when you come home, you understand that you have never been so wrong ...
If you have purchased just such a shoe, rubbing, pressing and causing discomfort, use our advice. prepared for you wonderful life hacks with which you can easily stretch your shoes. After that you will be able to run in your favorite shoes as if on clouds.

How to quickly carry shoes- wet the inner surface

shoes with rubbing alcohol. Put on your shoes and walk in them for 2 hours. Even if you bought a shoe that is the right size, we recommend that you follow this procedure to soften tough areas.

With a hair dryer and warm socks, you can soften your shoes quickly and effectively. Well, of course, in the photo with woolen socks - too much, it is better to wear cotton or terry socks, then put on shoes and on top, for 15 minutes, blow hot air from a hair dryer.


Lubricate leather or leatherette shoes that you haven't put on for a long time with castor oil. After processing, clean it and remove excess oil.


Rub the inner part of the shoe with paraffin wax (with an ordinary candle), leave it overnight. Remove excess paraffin in the morning. This method will help you forget about calluses once and for all!


The grandfather's method. Pack each shoe with damp paper (newspapers) and leave to dry completely. You cannot dry such shoes near hot spots; they must dry in a room with room temperature.


But in my opinion, the best way to stretch your shoes. Works 100%. You need to pour water into packages (1/4 part), put the packages into shoes or boots (boots) and put such shoes in the freezer until the water freezes completely.

Natural leather and suede are distinguished by their natural elasticity and strength, so it is very easy to stretch new shoes made from these materials. 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 pour boiling water inside the shoe without unnecessary fear and pour it out immediately. After that, you need to wait until the shoes have cooled down a little, and put them on with a thin toe on your feet. You can take off the 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-based products. It can be cologne, vodka, cognac, or alcohol diluted with water in a 2: 1 ratio. The inside of the shoe should be wiped with the compound, then put on the shoes on a warm sock and stay in them for several hours. After this procedure, the skin will become softer and more elastic.


4. Spray the inner surface of the shoe with a suede or genuine leather stretching spray purchased from 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, with a strong impact, microcracks may appear on it. Using the following methods, you can stretch new faux leather shoes without exerting much effort:


1. Treat the inside of the shoe abundantly with Vaseline and leave in this state for 2-3 hours. After a cloth napkin, you need to carefully remove the remnants of the ointment, put on thin-toed shoes and stay in them for about half an hour.


2. Use newsprint. Newspaper sheets should be moistened and tucked tightly into the boots or shoes, making sure that the shoes are not deformed. After the paper dries naturally, you need to carefully remove it.


3. You can stretch new shoes in the instep using wheat, barley or oats. To do this, grain is poured into a boot or boot, then it is poured with water and left to swell for 8-10 hours (you can overnight). The leatherette stretches as the grain grows in size. When 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 wearing boots or nubuck shoes, 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 fatty compounds, since they, being absorbed into the material, can leave stains on the outer surface. Therefore, if the shoes are too tight, you can stretch them only in one of several ways:


1. Try to carry boots or shoes without using any means. To do this, you should 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 to apply it to the inner surface of the shoe, put it on a warm sock and walk like that 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 carry shoes if they are tight

To stretch new lacquered shoes, you need to use proven tools and methods, otherwise the surface of shoes or boots may lose shine and become covered with small cracks. If it is not possible to take the shoes to the workshop, then you can carry them to, 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, excluding the ingress of liquid or cream on the varnished surface.


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


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


4. Use regular cream or petroleum jelly. The inner surface of the shoe should be treated with a fatty mixture, paying special attention to the toe and heel. After that, put on shoes or boots with warm socks and walk around the room.


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 purchasing the desired footwear, the question arose "how to stretch new shoes", then you can resort to the methods described above, taking into account the characteristics of the material.