After buying shoes, many are faced with the problem that it is small. Often this is due to the fact that the shoes are new and need to be broken in. But this process can be painful and accompanied by very painful calluses. You can take your new acquisition back to the store or use the services of specialists with a special machine. And you can stretch shoes at home. Consider in detail the ways of self-stretching.
Stretching with special tools
Now it's easy to find shoe stretchers in the form of balloons, which are considered the most professional solution for stretching a particular shoe. Before using them, you should carefully read the instructions for use. It is necessary to ensure free access of fresh air to the room, cover the floor in the place where shoes are processed and wear rubber gloves. First, the shoes are wiped with a damp cloth inside and out, and then the bottle is shaken and an aerosol or foam is applied to the areas of the shoe that need stretching.
The material from which the narrow pair is made will be important. If it is suede or patent leather, you can not apply shoe stretching spray on its surface. Only allowed to useinside the shoe.
After that, you need to put on the shoes and stay in them for about 15 minutes. If after the end of the allotted time the shoes continue to press, the procedure should be repeated.
Liquid soap stretch
The next shoe stretcher is liquid soap. It is used diluted in warm water in a ratio of 1 part soap to 4 parts water. For uniform application, it is convenient to use a spray gun. For some time, the shoes will need to be well saturated, so it is worth applying soap both from the inside and from the outside. Then you need to walk around in your naughty shoes, put on a woolen sock, for 2-3 hours.
Cologne Stretch
Cologne can also stretch shoes. The best option would be "Triple Cologne", but in its absence, you can get by with the simplest and cheapest toilet water. The procedure for stretching shoes in this way is as follows: you need to soak two rags well in cologne and put them in shoes in places that are tight. After the shoes are wrapped in a bag for 10 hours. To avoid an unpleasant smell, it is better to carry out such a stretch at night, leaving your shoes on the balcony. In the morning, you should put on shoes and walk around for several hours until the leg “sits” comfortably. It is also possible to replace cologne with vinegar if the latter cannot be obtained at all.
Shoe stretching with alcohol
Here you will need several stages of breaking in. It is necessary to moisten the problem areas with plenty of alcohol and walk for a while. After the shoes are wetted again, put onfor a few hours and stretching continues. You can repeat the procedure until the wearing of shoes ceases to cause discomfort. This method is used especially for rubber shoes, which by their nature are very hard to stretch.
Stretching with balloons
Balloons are a simple, painless and reliable way to stretch your shoes at home. This method is as follows: the balls are filled with water and placed in shoes, which in turn are placed in the freezer. There, the water in the balls freezes and expands, thus stretching the shoes. But synthetics do not have plasticity and will simply break. Therefore, this method is unacceptable for synthetic material.
Stretching with vegetable oil
A very effective ancient way to not only stretch the material and increase the size of the shoe, but also significantly soften the skin. Shoes are lubricated from all sides, and the oil is absorbed even by the oldest boots or any shoes that have not been worn for a long time. But keep in mind that the oil will darken the skin and will have an unpleasant odor.
Blow-dry stretching
This is probably the easiest way to stretch your pair of shoes: put on shoes are heated with a hair dryer, causing them to stretch over the leg. Repeat heating as many times as needed.
Boiling water stretch
You can consider this method brutal, as it is suitable only for picky shoes. Its essence is in pouringsteep boiling water for half a minute, after which the water is poured out and the unbroken pair is immediately put on two woolen socks. Considering that most modern shoes can be washed at a temperature of no more than 30 degrees, not every pair can withstand such a test.
Paraffin Stretch
This simple shoe stretching method involves rubbing a paraffin candle onto problem parts of the shoe. Having processed it in this way, you need to wait about 10 hours and remove the remaining paraffin.
Heel Stretch
Kerosene, alcohol, soap or wax are best suited for stretching this particular part of the shoe (you can use an ordinary paraffin candle). You just need to process the heel and wear as usual. Almost immediately, it will stop rubbing, and a little later the discomfort will disappear altogether.
How to try on shoes
It is known that in the afternoon the legs begin to swell. So, it is after dinner that it is better to go shopping for shoes. And no matter how the couple looks, it should be discarded if discomfort is felt during the fitting. Do not pay attention to the seller, who assures that the new purchase is easy to break in. The foot should immediately comfortably "settle" in the shoe. Especially if the one is made of synthetic material. And further breaking in does not apply to mandatory activities after buying shoes, but is only a way to solve a problem that can be avoided with proper fitting. Not for nothing there is a saying: “Do you want to forget about all the problems? Buy shoes for sizesmaller!". And it's true.
Stretching device
In addition to professional aerosols and a variety of folk ways, shoes can be enlarged with the help of mechanical devices. Typically, such stretching of shoes is performed by a specialist who sets the required size. Here it is possible to increase not only the width, but also the length of the product without the risk of damaging the shoes with proper use of the stretch. This method is the only way to achieve an increase in shoes up to two sizes without losing their appearance. Moreover, in the mechanical stretch for shoes, there is even an adjustment of the personal position of protruding bones or the thumb using anatomical inserts. True, this option is only in expensive models. Mechanical stretching features also include instep adjustment.
The above methods of stretching shoes at home are really effective. But do not confuse ways to make it easier to break in shoes with independent attempts to increase them in size. Otherwise, you can get a significant deformation of the recently purchased shoes, which have become like slippers.
