Surely many are familiar with such a situation when, during the fitting, the shoes seem to fit perfectly on the foot, and on the very first day the socks begin 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? After all, otherwise, corns and swelling of the feet are formed. Can leather shoes be stretched? Judging by the reviews, to cope with this task will be easy at home. Specialty products are sold on the shelves of specialized stores. Popular methods are considered quite effective. About how to stretch leather shoes at home, you will learn from this article.
Where to begin?
Before you try to stretch leather shoes at home, you should make sure that it is really made of this material. This recommendation is due to the fact that in the manufacture of shoes, artificial substitutes are often used that are completely non-stretch. If the products are made of leather, then you have a chance to stretch it only one size. How to stretch leather shoes a size larger? There are several ways, more on which later.
Army method
If you don’t know how to stretch leather shoes one size larger, you can use this method, which, judging by numerous consumer reviews, is considered very effective and easiest. It is enough to walk in thick cotton or wool socks and shoes that you want to stretch, previously moistened in hot water. This should be done until the socks are completely dry. Moisture will affect the skin, stretch it. As a result, your purchase will never press again. Next, the shoes are removed and dried. For this purpose, they put a newspaper inside.
By freezing
This method can be recommended to those who are interested in how to stretch leather shoes wide? 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 inside the shoe one strong plastic bag into which water will then be poured. It is necessary that the entire space from the heel to the toe is full. To prevent water from escaping, the bags are tightly tied, and the shoes are left for some time (5-7 hours) in the freezer. The essence of this method is that solidification, water will stretch and expand the skin. At the end, the shoes are taken out of the freezer and the bags removed. It will be easier to do if the ice is melted. If you take out the bag immediately, 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, repeat the freeze again.
With a hairdryer
Stretch leather shoes at home can be hot. For it you will need a hairdryer or boiling water. If you opted for a hairdryer, then you need to do the following: put on thick socks and put on shoes. Then direct the warm currents from the included hairdryer to the place where you are shaking. Focus on glued seams. Too close to the shoe is not recommended. If you overdo it, the skin will be too dry and the effect will be reversed. After turning off the hair dryer, immediately remove the shoes is not worth it. You need to walk around in it for a while, until it finally cools down. Since the moisture balance in the skin is disturbed during heating, a special cream is applied to the surface at the end of the procedure to restore it. If you don’t have a professional tool at your fingertips, then Vaseline or a regular hand cream is suitable for this purpose.
If you don’t have a hairdryer at hand, you can heat it with steam. The product must first be held over it so that the skin softens, and then it is worn for several hours. It is important that the steam gets into the inside of your leather shoes or boots. Only in this way will heat treatment be effective.
Boiling water
Judging by 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 further discomfort, they must be removed before proceeding with the procedure. Next, shoes are placed over a container and poured boiling water inside. Water should be exposed for only a few seconds, after which it is poured. Then the moisture needs to be wet. You can shoe in a couple of minutes when the shoes have cooled. Experts advise you to put on thick socks on your feet. Under the influence of hot water, the skin softens. As a result, the shoe will be easier to take the shape of your foot. If your new thing is not made of genuine leather, but of artificial leather, then 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 impregnate 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 are rubbed with alcohol or vodka, it should be walked around. Most likely, after processing, your shoes will be heavily smoked with alcohol. The pungent odor is eliminated with a soap solution. Some just leave shoes after handling in the air. Since alcohol dries the skin strongly, you need to apply a special cream or petroleum jelly on the surface.
An alternative to an alcoholic solution is also a cologne or window cleaner. 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 resistance. It is best to treat the area on shoes that are not striking.
With oil
How else to stretch leather shoes? According to experts, you can cope with the help of castor or other vegetable oil, petroleum jelly or cream with high fat content. First, insoles are removed from the shoe. Next, you need to grate those places where it presses. Lubricate with cream or oil, preferably both externally and internally. After processing, the shoes need to be left for several hours, so that the product begins to affect the skin. The essence of this method is to give the oil the opportunity to first soften the skin, make it more supple, and then stretch the shape of the legs. Therefore, after processing with oil, shoes should be worn for a while. This method is considered quite effective, because it is used both for a new pair, and hardened from socks.
Using stretch marks
If you don’t know how to stretch leather shoes wide, get a special tool in the workshop in the form of foam or spray. Spray it in the place where you rub your foot. After the procedure, walk in shoes so that it stretches better from chemical attack. This method is not always effective. It is not recommended if you are the owner of colored shoes. The fact is that you can spoil the coating with the chemical composition. Therefore, before applying the stretch, pay attention to its composition, and also test the product in some inconspicuous area. Wear thick socks to enhance the effect.
The use of mechanical stretch pads
For those who do not know how to stretch leather shoes in length, it is recommended to use a special device in the form of pads. It can be wooden or plastic. Power expansion provides a special screw mechanism.
It is enough to insert a block into shoes. She will do the rest herself. Judging by the reviews, with the help of the pads, shoes can easily be stretched into two sizes. To do this, the device should be held inside a little longer. Like a spray, a shoe is considered a professional product that can be bought at a specialty store. Products are equipped with special pads of any shape. If you 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 pulled with grain. This ingredient fills the shoes. Then water is poured there 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. It is suitable for lined boots.
What else can be done?
Judging by numerous consumer reviews, leather shoes soften and stretch well after being treated with table vinegar (9%). Lubricates the inner surface in the place where he rubbed his leg. Further in this shoe and tight socks go 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 soap solution. If colored shoes are to be 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 you should use beer for stretching. In this case, the same processing technology applies as with vinegar. Beer odor is easily eliminated by ventilation. You can fill the shoes with neatly cut paper or newspapers. Then, 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 heaters. To prevent your shoes from burning out or deteriorating, keep them at a distance. It is better to dry shoes or boots in this way. Light shoes may become unusable.
Stretching using potato peelings is considered a fairly effective method. It is necessary 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. It is necessary to melt it, and then thoroughly rub it with the inside of the product. After the shoes are left for 10 hours. After this time, paraffin is removed.
What will experts advise?
So that in the future you do not have any problems with shoes, after the purchase do not wear a new thing for a whole day. It is advisable to wear shoes gradually. If there are places in which the shoes are rubbed, cover them with adhesive tape. If this recommendation is neglected, then soon you will get corns. It may be that only the back is problematic in shoes. It should be rubbed with soap or paraffin.
Finally
In most cases, leather narrow shoes are stretched and brought into proper shape of the house. You just need to choose one of the above methods. Nevertheless, 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 bring to mind even the most uncomfortable leather shoes.