Surely many people are familiar with such a situation when, during the fitting, the shoes seem to fit perfectly on the leg, and on the very first day of wearing the socks, it begins to rub heavily. This is due to the fact that leather shoes are tight. How to stretch it so that it does not cause discomfort? Indeed, otherwise calluses and swelling of the feet are formed. Can leather shoes be stretched? Judging by the reviews, it will not be difficult to cope with this task at home. On the shelves of specialized stores sold special tools. Folk methods are considered quite effective. How to stretch leather shoes at home, you will learn from this article.
Where to start?
Before you try to stretch leather shoes at home, you should make sure that they are really made of this material. This recommendation is due to the fact that artificial substitutes are often used in the production of shoes, which do not stretch at all. If the product is made of leather, then you havea chance to stretch it only one size. How to stretch leather shoes a size larger? There are several ways, more about which - below.
Army method
If you don't know how to stretch leather shoes one size up, you can use this method, which, according to numerous consumer reviews, is considered to be very effective and the easiest. It is enough to walk around in thick cotton or woolen socks pre-soaked in hot water and shoes that you want to stretch. You need to do this until the socks are completely dry. Moisture will act on the skin, stretch it. As a result, your acquisition will never press again. The shoes are then removed and dried. For this purpose, a newspaper is placed inside.
By freezing
This method can be recommended to those who are interested in how to stretch leather shoes in width? To do this, you do not need to wear it for a long time, feeling discomfort. There is a more gentle way. It consists in the following. It is necessary to place one strong plastic bag inside the shoe, into which water will then be poured. It is necessary that the space from the heel to the toe is completely filled. To prevent water from flowing out, the bags are tightly tied, and the shoes are left for a while (5-7 hours) in the freezer. The essence of this method is that when frozen, the water will stretch and expand the skin. At the end, the shoes are taken out of the freezer and the bags are removed. Make it easierif the ice is melted. If you take out the bag right away, then most likely you will scratch or tear your shoes. It may be that after the first procedure you will not achieve the expected effect: the shoes will not be stretched enough. In this case, freeze again.
Using a hair dryer
You can stretch leather shoes at home in a hot way. For it you will need a hair dryer or boiling water. If you opted for a hair dryer, then you need to do the following: put on thick socks and put on shoes. Then direct the warm streams from the included hair dryer to the place where you are pressed. Focus on taped seams. It is not recommended to bring the device too close to the shoes. If you overdo it, the skin will turn out to be too dry and the effect will be the opposite. After turning off the hair dryer, you should not immediately take off your shoes. You need to walk around in it for a while, until it finally cools down. Since during warming up the moisture balance in the skin is disturbed, a special cream is applied to the surface at the end of the procedure to restore it. If you didn’t have a professional product at hand, then Vaseline or a regular hand cream is suitable for this purpose.
If you don't have a hair dryer on hand, you can do the heat treatment with steam. The product must first be held over it so that the skin softens, and then worn for several hours. It is important that the steam gets into the inside of your leather boots or boots. Only in this way will the heat treatment be effective.
Boiling water
Judging by the numerous reviews, at home you can stretch leather shoes with boiling water. So that the insoles do not deform, do not lose their appearance and do not cause discomfort in the future, they must be removed before proceeding with the procedure. Then the shoes are placed over a container and boiling water is poured inside. The water should act for only a few seconds, after which it is poured out. Then the moisture must be blotted. You can put on shoes after a couple of minutes, when the shoes have cooled down. Experts advise to wear thick socks on your feet first. Under the influence of hot water, the skin softens. As a result, it will be easier for the shoe to take the shape of your foot. If your new thing is not made of genuine leather, but of artificial, then you should not pour boiling water on it and direct heat flows. Otherwise, the product will become unusable due to high temperature and moisture.
Alcohol
To stretch leather shoes at home, you need to soak the inner surface with vodka. An alcohol solution is also suitable. It is made from water and alcohol in a ratio of 1:1. It is much more convenient to work with a spray gun. After the shoes have been wiped with an alcohol solution or vodka, they should be walked in. Most likely, after processing, your shoes will smell strongly of alcohol. Eliminates strong odors with soapy water. Some simply leave the shoes on after being air-conditioned. Since alcohol dries the skin very much, a special cream or petroleum jelly should be applied to the surface.
An alternative to an alcohol solution will also be cologne or a means forwindow washing. According to experts, if you have colored shoes, you will have to use alcohol-containing liquids very carefully. Before applying alcohol to the skin, the paint should be tested for durability. It is best to treat the area on the shoe that is not conspicuous.
With oil
How else can you stretch leather shoes? According to experts, you can cope with castor or other vegetable oil, petroleum jelly or a cream with a high fat content. First, the insoles are removed from the shoes. Next, you need to rub those places where it presses. It is desirable to lubricate with cream or oil both outside and inside. After treatment, shoes should be left for several hours so that the product begins to act on the skin. The essence of this method is to give the oil the opportunity to first soften the skin, make it more pliable, and then stretch it to fit the shape of the leg. Therefore, after oil treatment, shoes should be worn for some time. This method is considered quite effective, since it is used both for a new pair and for those that have become rough from wear.
Use stretching
If you do not know how to stretch leather shoes wide, purchase a special product in the form of foam or spray from the workshop. You need to spray it in the place where you rub your leg. After the procedure, walk around in shoes so that they stretch better from chemical exposure. This method is not always effective. It is not recommended if you are the owner of colored shoes. The fact is that the chemical composition can ruin the coating. Therefore, beforeapply a stretch, pay attention to its composition, and also test the product on some inconspicuous area. To enhance the effect, wear thick socks.
Using a mechanical stretching shoe
For those who do not know how to stretch leather shoes in length, we can recommend using a special device in the form of a block. It can be wooden or plastic. Power expansion is provided by a special screw mechanism.
The shoe is easy enough to insert into the shoes. She will do the rest herself. Judging by the reviews, with the help of a last, shoes can be easily stretched into two sizes. To do this, the device should be held inside a little longer. Like the spray, the block is considered a professional tool that can be bought at a specialized store. Products are completed with special overlays of any shape. If we compare these two methods with the services of a master, then they are more economical.
About the cowboy way
Earlier in the Wild West, leather boots were stretched using grain. Shoes are filled with this ingredient. Then water is poured into it and left in this form for several hours. The grain should absorb water, swell and stretch the skin. At the end, the filler is removed, and the shoes are thoroughly wiped and worn. This method, judging by the reviews, is effective today. Suitable for lined boots.
What else can be done?
Judging by the numerousconsumer reviews, leather shoes are softened and stretched well after being treated with table vinegar (9%). The inner surface is lubricated in the place where it rubs the leg. Further, in these shoes and thick socks, they walk for one hour. After this procedure, leather products have a rather unpleasant and pungent odor. It is eliminated by airing shoes in the fresh air or using a soapy solution. If colored shoes are processed, you need to be as careful as possible.
When dealing with vinegar, you need to test the surface, namely, apply the product to an inconspicuous area. If your shoes are made of very thin leather or suede, then it is better for you to use beer to stretch. In this case, the same processing technology is applicable as with vinegar. Beer smell is easily eliminated by ventilation. You can fill shoes with neatly cut paper or newspapers. Further, water is poured inward so that the material swells and densely fills the entire internal space.
At the end of the product is dried. For this purpose, some home craftsmen use heating appliances. To prevent your shoes from burning or spoiling, place them at a distance. It is better to dry shoes or boots in this way. Light shoes can become unusable.
Sufficiently effective method is stretching with potato peels. You need to place the peel of this vegetable inside the shoe and leave it overnight. An effective tool in the fight against tight shoes will be wax from a candle. You need to melt it, and then carefully rub the inside with it.products. After the shoes are left for 10 hours. After this time, the paraffin is removed.
What do experts advise?
To ensure that you do not have any problems with shoes in the future, do not wear a new thing for a whole day after purchase. It is advisable to break in shoes gradually. If there are places where the shoes rub, cover them with adhesive tape. If this recommendation is neglected, then soon you will form corns. It may be that only the back is problematic in shoes. It should be rubbed with soap or paraffin.
In closing
In most cases, leather tight shoes are stretched and brought into proper shape at home. You just need to choose one of the above methods. However, it is possible that the desired result will not be achieved. In this case, you will have to use the services of a professional. A shoe specialist will easily polish even the most uncomfortable leather shoes.
