It is very difficult to choose patent leather shoes so that they immediately fit on your feet and do not rub. Basically, such products fit well right away, but when it’s time to put them on for work, all the delights of such shoes are felt.
Calluses appear on the feet. Some people rub their heels until they bleed. It is impossible to walk in such shoes for a long time. But you shouldn’t endure the inconvenience.
There are many folk and professional remedies that will help you quickly lengthen patent leather shoes.
Yes or no?
Is it possible to stretch patent leather shoes at home and by what means? Such questions are common and every shoe seller hears them.
This procedure can indeed be carried out. They use alcohol, boiling water, a hair dryer, creams, vodka and even goose fat for this.
You can also find special stretchers on the shelves of shoe stores, which should be selected according to the type of material.
Patent leather shoes, shoes and boots can be stretched without damaging the coating. You just need to adhere to the correct procedure and not invent anything new.
Use only proven methods that will certainly help solve the problem and will not damage the shoes outside or inside.
Wet sock
This method is the safest and no less effective. Unlike a hair dryer, moisture will not ruin patent leather shoes. You can safely use this method and break in your shoes.
How to break in patent leather shoes:
- Fill a basin with warm water.
- Dip your socks into it and squeeze out excess moisture. If they leak water, the boots will either stretch out too much or damage the insole.
- Put on socks and walk around in your shoes until they dry. But periodically check how much the boots have stretched. This is necessary so that they do not fly off your feet later.
The skin of the feet does not suffer when using this method.
Wet socks can be used even for fungal diseases, but not too often. Moisture creates ideal conditions for the accelerated proliferation of bacteria.
If you are afraid of this, ask someone from your family to walk around in the shoes.
Alcohol
Tight shoes can be stretched using any product that contains a high alcohol content. Medical alcohol, regular vodka or cologne will do.
How to stretch patent leather shoes:
- First, remove dirt and dust from your shoes. Go over it with a damp cloth.
- Then take alcohol, soak a cotton pad and any piece of paper in it that will not be scratched by the varnish surface.
- Treat the inner surface first, then the outer. When treating the outside of shoes, dilute alcohol with water in a ratio of 1:4. This way the process will go faster, but if you apply the product in pure form to the outer surface, the varnish surface will fade, swell or crack.
- Put on a thick sock, preferably wool, and wear it around the house for 2-3 hours. During this time, there will be a stretch of 1 size.
Taking off the sock, you will see that you managed to stretch patent leather shoes at home not only in width, but also in length.
If the skin of your feet is damaged, it is better to use warm water instead of an alcohol solution. Vodka and cologne can cause a strong burning sensation.
Also, this method is not suitable for those who suffer from mycosis. The disease may worsen. If there are no fungal pathologies, feel free to use an alcohol solution to expand and stretch the boots.
Hairdryer
If patent leather shoes are tight, you can stretch them with a hairdryer and cream.
If the procedure is carried out incorrectly, this method can cause more harm.
How to stretch patent leather shoes at home - algorithm of actions:
- Turn on the hairdryer. If it is possible to regulate the air supply, this is very good. Set it to the lowest speed possible.
- Direct the air flow inside the shoe. Bring the hairdryer closer to the inside to avoid getting it on the outside of the shoes. Prolonged heating will damage patent leather.
- Apply Vaseline, unscented cream or oil.
- Then immediately put on your socks and walk in your shoes until they cool down.
Wipe off the remaining cream with a cloth; you can make a soap solution if you used oil.
If the shoes have not stretched, but have already cooled down, do not rush to take them off. This means the skin is thick and you still need to wear shoes.
Useful tips
To avoid the discomfort that new shoes can cause, follow a few simple tips:
- You shouldn’t put on new shoes for the whole day at once, it’s better to break them in gradually. Wear them for 1-2 hours a day and be sure to take a spare pair with you;
- Before putting on new shoes, cover frequently chafed areas on your feet with a bactericidal plaster. This will help prevent the appearance of calluses;
- if you lubricate the back of your shoes with soap soaked in water or rub a wax candle, they will rub your feet less;
- To reduce the risk of blisters, new shoes can be rubbed with castor oil on the inside.
The appearance of calluses can be prevented by pre-sealing frequently rubbed areas with a bactericidal plaster.
If at home you notice that your new shoes are small, too tight, or cause other inconvenience, you should immediately return them to the store or exchange them for another pair.
You won't be able to break in your shoes if they:
- too short in length;
- small by 2 or more sizes;
- press in the area of the edge seam;
- made of some artificial materials (for example, leatherette).
Take into account the instep and fullness of your feet, do not choose shoes only by size. A professional salesperson will tell you which model is right for you
Steaming
Using boiled water is an extremely dangerous method. You can not only get a serious burn yourself, but also ruin your favorite shoes.
Due to incorrect manipulation and ignoring recommendations, shoes may become covered with cracks.
Therefore, when deciding to choose this method of enlarging shoes that are too tight, you should be extremely careful.
How to stretch patent leather shoes:
- Boiling water. Boil filtered water and pour the liquid inside the product for 2 minutes. Note the time, you can’t leave boiling water inside for too long, it will ruin your shoes. Pour out the water, put on warm socks and wear for 2-3 hours.
- Steam. Prepare oven mitts to avoid getting burned. Bare areas of the arms also need to be covered; wear a long-sleeved sweater. Place a saucepan of water on the stove and boil it. Hold shoes over hot steam for 2 minutes. Put on a sock and wear it in.
Both methods are effective, but dangerous. If you do them correctly, you will enjoy the results for a very long time.
Special means
You can purchase ready-made products that will help you gently stretch patent leather shoes. They are produced in the form of sprays, lotions, foams and creams. They soften the skin and make it more elastic.
When choosing a product, you need to pay attention to the fact that it is intended specifically for patent leather. The prepared composition should be applied inside the shoes.
After treating the boots with a softening agent, you can insert special shoe stretchers made of wood or plastic inside. Their size can be adjusted depending on how much you need to increase the size of your shoes.
It is not easy to stretch patent leather shoes. After all, patent leather is a very capricious material that requires a delicate approach. It is important to use proven products, otherwise your favorite shoes will be irrevocably damaged.
Goose fat or lard
This method came to us from grandmothers, who at one time used goose fat or lard to care for leather products or increase their size.
How to wear patent leather shoes:
- When you get home, new shoes need to be washed to remove dust.
- Then take some goose fat and coat the insides with it. It is also applied to the external surfaces of the product.
- Leave the fat to soak in. When it is completely dry, remove the residue with alcohol. Dilute the alcohol with water 1:1.
Goose fat will make the material more elastic and soft. This method is used for both artificial and natural leather, which is coated with varnish.
How to clean patent leather shoes?
To care for patent leather shoes, you can use only special sprays and creams.
When caring for your polish shoes, you should use only specialized products.
Universal solutions and sprays can damage the surface, as they may contain components that dissolve the varnish. And after them, greasy marks and stains may remain. The use of special water-based products will help avoid all these troubles. Also, owners of patent leather shoes need to know how to clean them.
- During wear, dust settles on patent leather shoes. It spoils the appearance of the shoes. Therefore, the lucky owners of patent leather shoes should carry a flannel napkin with them to wipe their shoes throughout the day.
- After coming home, you need to remove dust and dirt from your shoes, which gradually destroys the structure of the varnish. This should be done with a soft cloth or sponge. A cotton pad will also work for this.
After each walk, patent leather shoes must be cleaned of dust and dirt.
- If the dirt has dried, it needs to be soaked with water. Only after this wipe, without pressing on the surface, as sand, which may be in the dirt, will scratch the varnish.
- Then insert special lasts into the shoes, which will prevent the material from drying out. Instead of pads, you can use regular newspaper. You need to roll it into tight balls and stuff the shoe cavity with it.
- To maintain shine, wipe the surface with milk or a piece of onion.
- The skin will remain soft if you treat it with castor oil, glycerin, petroleum jelly or regular vegetable oil. After 15 minutes, the remaining product should be removed with a soft cloth.
- Such products can be dried at room temperature (from 18 to 22 degrees). Drying near heating devices is prohibited.
Drying patent leather shoes near radiators or heating devices is prohibited.
- Also, you should not clean the varnish with a brush - it will leave scratches or even cracks. Patent leather shoes and shoe polish are contraindicated. It will quickly make them fade and lose their appearance.
- After the wearing season is over, shoes need to be packed in nylon separately from each other. Then put it in a dark place where the shoes will not touch each other.
Warm towel
A warm towel, unlike boiling water or steam, is more effective and less traumatic both for the skin of the hands and for the patent leather items themselves.
To carry out the manipulation, you will need to prepare a hermetically sealed bag, hot water (not boiling water), and an ordinary terry towel (which is probably found in every home).
Algorithm of actions:
- Soak the cloth in water, squeeze out excess moisture, and wrap the shoes.
- Place the product in a sealed bag and close it. Remove all air from the bag. Condensation will not lead to anything good.
- Leave the products in this condition overnight. You can carry out the procedure in the morning, the result does not depend on this. The main thing is to leave the boots in the bag for at least 8–10 hours.
After the allotted time for the procedure has expired, remove the products from the bag, put them on your feet along with socks and walk around the house for a few more hours.
After such manipulation, any patent leather shoes will break in well.
Ice
As water freezes, it expands. This is no secret to anyone, remember your physics lessons. Thanks to this property, water began to be used to stretch any shoes, not just patent leather ones.
How to stretch patent leather shoes:
- If your shoes are tight, take a plastic bag and fill it with water.
- Tie the bag well so that the liquid does not leak out.
- Place it in the toe of your shoes and place them in the freezer for 24 hours.
- Then take it out, remove the ice packs and carry it safely.
The water freezes and begins to expand. Thanks to this, the material stretches.
Ice in the freezer may scratch the paintwork. This happens when the refrigerator is pushed, especially if there are small children in the house who do not understand that they cannot hit the doors.
Therefore, before placing your shoes in the freezer, wrap them in a soft cloth. This way you can avoid damage to the coating.
How to quickly break in patent leather shoes
For comfortable wearing, shoes can be held over boiling water with the inside down.
- Boiling water, which is recommended to be poured inside the shoes, will help you quickly wear polished shoes, then put them on a terry sock and walk until the shoes cool completely.
- A more gentle method would be to use steam. The shoes should be held over boiling water with the inside down.
- You can also try stretching your shoes with water and a terry towel. Soak the towel in hot water, wring it out well and wrap it around each shoe separately, then place it in a plastic bag and seal it tightly. You should leave your shoes in this condition until the morning. After drying, you can wear it again, but with comfort.
