How to stretch leather or suede shoes
Leather and suede are pliable, resilient materials, especially when exposed to heat.
- Place your shoes in a tub or sink and pour boiling water over the inside. It is enough just for a couple of seconds to fill the product’s insides and immediately pour out the hot water. Blot the moisture, wait for the shoes to cool slightly, and put them on your feet. Preferably over the socks so as not to burn yourself.
Read also: How to Keep Your Feet Healthier.
- If you are afraid of getting your shoes wet, do the same, first placing a bag inside each shoe so that the boiling water and the lining do not touch.
- Not only boiling water will be effective, but also ice. Fill two bags for a quarter with water, tie and lower one by one into the boot. Place the structure in the freezer and remove it when everything is completely frozen. After the ice has melted, remove it from your shoes. This procedure is suitable for a durable, undemanding pair: not every material will withstand the cold test.
- Dampen the inside of your shoe with rubbing alcohol or vodka, put on a pair, and wear for several hours. Doing so will help soften the material and make the shoes fit your foot. But remember: alcohol is quite corrosive, so first check the colorfastness on an inconspicuous area.
The same methods work for winter shoes with fur lining. Just do not wet the insides of boots or boots too much. Well, you will need to dry your shoes thoroughly.
How to stretch faux leather shoes
The leatherette does not stretch well and deteriorates easily: it cracks and loses its shape. However, it is too early to lose hope. There are ways to stretch and these shoes.
- Grease the inside of the shoes with a fat cream or petroleum jelly. Wait 2-3 hours for the moisturizing mask to be absorbed into the material, and then put on your shoes and walk in them for 20-40 minutes.
- You can try the familiar way with newspapers. They must be stuffed tightly into each shoe, and then leave the pair to dry at room temperature. When stuffing, do not be zealous so that the shoes do not deform. Also, do not try to speed up the drying process with a battery or hairdryer: excessive heat can ruin the material.
- A way for the wasteful or those who need to stretch the narrow tops of high boots. Insert a bag into the shoes, pour any small cereals into it, and fill it with water on top. The grain will swell and stretch the pressing shoes without your participation in 8-10 hours.
How to stretch patent leather shoes
Stretching varnished shoes is more difficult due to the risk of damaging the topcoat: it can crack and lose its shine. It is possible to enlarge the shoes painlessly if, under the varnish, there is a soft and thin leather (natural or artificial). Is your mate exactly like that? Then to business!
- Mix alcohol and water in a 2: 1 ratio, moisten your socks with the resulting solution. Now put them on and over the top – pressing shoes. Walking in shoes should be about an hour or two until the socks are completely dry.
- Apply Vaseline or cream to the shoe’s inside, paying special attention to the dense parts: the toe and heel. Then you need to insert pads into your shoes (if you have them) or, as usual, put shoes on tight socks.
How to stretch rubber shoes
If your waterproof friends are made of durable classic rubber – alas, no way. If it is made of polyvinyl chloride (aka PVC), which is now widespread, it’s as easy as shelling pears. To check the material, a needle or an awl and a lighter are enough.
Also read: Common Mistakes Women Make While Doing Manicure.
Heat the metal and touch the boots in an inconspicuous place, do not pierce them. If the boots start to melt, then it is PVC, and the shoes can be stretched.
You will need:
- several liters of boiling water,
- deep container with ice water,
- woolen or terry socks,
- your boots and your feet.
Pour boiling water into rubber shoes and wait 3-5 minutes: the material will become noticeably softer. Put on tight socks and move the basin of cold water closer. Pour the boiling water out of your boots, blot them quickly with a towel so as not to get your feet wet, and put them on your socks.
In the heated steam, walk well and walk for a few minutes. Leave the shoes in cold water for an hour, and then remember to dry them.
This method will enlarge the rubber boots and adjust them to the shape of your foot. True, stretched shoes should only be walked after a day or two when the boots are completely hardened.
Adapted and translated by Wiki Avenue Staff
Sources: Lifehacker
