How to stretch shoes at home: chemical stretchers and folk remedies, reviews

Having tried on and bought the model of sandals or shoes she liked in the store in the morning, in the evening the fashionista discovers that the shoes that fit perfectly on her feet a few hours ago have become too small in the evening. This happens because by night the legs swell and slightly increase in size. Therefore, experts advise buying it in the evenings to avoid the problem of leather straps rubbing and cutting into the skin, and calluses forming on the fingers and heels. And if you put on fashionable shoes right away, you won’t be able to return them to the store. But there are ways to increase the size of the model a little.

Risks of stretching shoes

At home, shoes and boots can be stretched, but no more than 1/2 size, in extreme cases by 1 size. If you try to increase a shoe model by several sizes, they can burst at the seams, the soles can come off, and poorly made leather can become even rougher after steaming. Expensive leather products are taken to workshops, where they are adjusted to the desired size by putting them on lasts. There are universal stretchers suitable for all types of shoes, except boots with fur. Among them are:

"Stroke Comfort";
"Olvist 2095ES";
"Salamander Shoe Stretch";
"Damavik Shoe Stretch Spray";
"Silver"
"Salton Professional Complex Comfort";
"Pregrada".

Attention!

Such chemical stretchers are suitable for adjusting leather, nubuck, and suede products to fit a person’s foot without excessive stretching. They come in the form of foams, sprays and aerosols. The cost ranges from 100 to 300 rubles. Use according to the instructions on the package.

How to break in new suede shoes

If your nubuck or suede shoes turn out to be tight, it’s time to look into the freezer compartment of the refrigerator in search of free space. This method is already described in detail in the subtitle with four universal tips.

But there is another method specifically for suede, because this material requires a delicate approach.

Ordinary beer has these qualities. The technology is very simple: you should thoroughly wet the inside of the shoes with beer, put them on thick socks, wear them for a couple of hours, and then thoroughly ventilate them in the open air.

Experience shows that the size often becomes larger than you planned , so be careful.

Home Remedies

Among the home remedies for increasing shoe size are:

Castor oil. The inside of shoes or boots is soaked in oil. The product is put on your feet and you walk around without taking it off for a long time. The oil softens hard spots that rub your toes and heels, and the shoes take on the contours of your feet. But a different kind of problem arises - cleaning the inner surface from greasy stains.
Vodka or diluted alcohol. The inside of the shoes is moistened with diluted alcohol or vodka, put on simple socks and do not take them off until the shoes are completely dry.
Cologne. Alcohol or vodka can be replaced with cologne, but the smell, which will accompany you everywhere for a long time, makes this method not very popular.
Wool socks. Woolen socks are soaked in warm water, wrung out, put on your feet, pull on a tight garment and wait for the socks to dry completely.
Paraffin. They rub the inside of their shoes with paraffin and, with their socks on, walk around the apartment.

How to break in tight leatherette shoes

The task of stretching narrow faux leather shoes can be almost impossible, but we know effective ways.

Try these recipes:

Soak thick socks in any cologne and, putting them on your feet, walk in tight shoes for about 20 minutes. The procedure is repeated daily at least 10 times until a suitable result is obtained. The pungent smell of cologne can be eliminated with a soap solution and airing.
The wet newspaper is shredded very finely, filled with water until it swells, and the entire volume of tight shoes is filled with this mass. Dry the shoes for two days under natural drying conditions, away from any heating devices.

Stretching leather shoes

This type of material is most amenable to slight stretching. It is natural and can withstand both cold and heat. At home, shoes are stretched using:

Hot steam or hair dryer. When exposed to high temperatures, natural leather tends to soften and expand. A pair of shoes is held over a pot of boiling water. Then put it on your feet and walk until the surface is completely dry. To prevent the leather from drying out in the future, it is covered with shoe polish on top.
Cold. Each shoe contains 2 bags, inserted one inside the other. Pour water into the inner bag and make sure that the bags are completely straightened inside the shoe. The inner bag is tied, the outer one is left open. A pair of shoes is placed in the freezer overnight. When water freezes, it expands and increases the size of the product. After this procedure, shoes are lubricated with cream.
Alcohol. The inner surface is moistened with strong alcohol, put on the feet and wait for complete drying. Sometimes shoes are put on feet with socks soaked in vodka.
Special store spray. The inner surface of dress shoes is sprayed with spray, cotton socks are put on and stretched over the leg for 30 minutes.
Cowboy way. This method was used by American cowboys to slightly increase the volume of leather boots. Grain was poured into leather boots and water was poured. Wet grain swells and stretches the skin. Boots or boots are left in this state overnight. Then the contents are shaken out, and the shoes are worn around the house for 30-60 minutes. During this time, the boots will take the shape of your feet and dry.
Boiling water. Pour boiling water inside the shoes, wait a few seconds, and drain. Wipe dry with a towel. Put on your feet with thick socks and walk until the skin cools completely.
Liquid soap. Make a soap solution in a ratio of 1 to 4 from warm water and liquid soap and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray on the outer and inner sides, wait for absorption into the skin. Then put shoes or boots on wooden blocks or on feet with warm socks and wear them without taking them off for about 1 hour.
3% vinegar. Toes of shoes are moistened on the outside with 3% vinegar.

Attention!

When trying to stretch your shoes, you should keep in mind that they will increase by a maximum of 2-3 mm. Further stretching will result in damage to the product.

Leatherette stretching

Since it is an artificial material, it is not resistant to cold. You can stretch leatherette shoes using:

Stuffing shoes soaked in hot water with paper or cloth into socks. When stuffing, pay attention to giving the shoes shape.
If artificial leather rubs heavily on the heels, its heels are covered with paraffin or rubbed with laundry soap.
Pour any cereal into a plastic bag, add water, and allow time for swelling. During the night, the cereal, gradually absorbing moisture and swelling, stretches the material and helps to increase the shoe size a little.
Lubricate the inner surface of the shoe with Vaseline, let it soak for 3 hours, put on your shoes and walk around the house for 30-60 minutes.

Stretching of patent leather, suede and textile shoes

Cold and heat should not be used to expand a product made of such material. The outer coating of these types is easily damaged, so make patent leather shoes ½ size larger using:

Wearing shoes in wet socks that have been soaked in hot water.
Stuffing damp cloth or paper balls into the socks of shoes.
Suede shoes are broken in by wearing them with plain socks, or the inner surface of the shoes is sprayed with a special foam for suede shoes, cotton socks are put on and do not take off for 30 minutes.
You can slightly increase the size of your suede boots by stuffing your sock with potato peels overnight. In the morning the cleaning is removed. It is possible to repeat the procedure several times.
Textile shoes cannot be stretched. All attempts to perform various manipulations lead to damage to the product.

Boot stretching

For stretching leather boots, the same methods apply as for leather shoes. Boots with fur are another matter. They can only be lubricated on the outside with castor oil, shoe cream, and leather softeners. For a little stretch, putting on your boots with a few pairs of wet socks is a good way to do it. 2 pairs of thin socks or one pair of woolen ones are moistened with hot water, wrung out, put on boots and walk around the apartment for several hours. Thus, it is impossible to wear shoes in one go. Attempts are repeated several times. After the procedures, shoes are stuffed with dry newspapers and dried away from radiators.

Stretching narrow backs, socks, tops, insteps

The narrow toe is slightly widened using:

inserting ice packs;
smearing the toe area with cream and Vaseline, after which they put on shoes and walk around the apartment;
inserting wet newspaper wads.

The narrow, hard back is softened a little by tapping it with a hammer, and also:

the toe is stuffed with dry newspapers, and ice packs are placed in the heel;
dry newspapers are placed in the sock, and the heel is tightly stuffed with wet ones;
smear the heels of the shoes with Vaseline, castor oil and walk for several hours until the heels soften and increase slightly in width;
rub the hard and narrow heel from the inside with a solid deodorant, pick up a simple sock and wear the boots until the heels stop rubbing.

The narrow boot is slightly widened using a cunning method. The boot and boot are completely stuffed with damp newspapers, then put on with several pairs of warm tights. If the boots are without fur, stretchers are used instead of newspapers. To increase the rise, newspapers are stuffed into the sock, a plastic bag is inserted, cereal is poured in and water is added for swelling. You can also place a bag of water in the boot and freeze it.

How to properly break in patent leather shoes

For patent leather shoes, it is better to use the classic method. What do we call classics? That's right - vodka . If you are going to use alcohol, it is better to dilute it with water. Percentage: 2/3 water and 1/3 alcohol.

We soak our socks in vodka, put them on almost without wrung out, and put on our tight patent leather shoes. We walk around the house like this until our socks become dry. This may take two to three hours. The alcohol solution is safe for the varnish coating and if everything is done carefully, its appearance will be preserved.

Rubber shoe stretching

Real rubber cannot be expanded. It can be stretched, but it will return to its original shape or tear. Currently, products called rubber are made of polyvinyl chloride, and they can be slightly increased in size. You can check what material the boot is made of using a hot needle. The needle is heated on gas and the boot is pierced in an inconspicuous place. If the material melts, then it is PVC.

How to stretch faux leather shoes

It is more difficult to increase the size of shoes made of leatherette. Such material may burst or come apart when exposed to boiling water or freezing. Use gentler methods.

Hair dryer and paraffin

Don't know how to stretch leatherette shoes? Try the heating and softening option:

Warm up the inside of your shoes with a hairdryer.
Lubricate problem areas (toe, heel, side) with paraffin (a regular candle will do).
Wait for the paraffin to harden, put on three pairs of thin socks or one pair of thick socks and put on your shoes.
Wear your shoes for 2–3 hours.

After stretching, scrape off the remaining paraffin and wipe the inside of the shoes with Vaseline.

Alcohol, cologne

Another way to increase the size of shoes is to use alcohol-containing liquids:

Soak a cotton pad or piece of cloth in alcohol (vodka, cologne).
Saturate the inside of the shoes with it.
Wear shoes with thick socks.
Wear your shoes at home until you feel them stretch out.

Paper

Leatherette stretches easily when using wet paper:

Wet sheets of newspaper or thick paper with water.
Squeeze out excess moisture and fill the shoes with paper. Do not overfill, otherwise the shoes will become deformed.
Leave the shoes at room temperature. The drying process may take 2-3 days.

Do not try to speed up the process by using hair dryers and heating devices. Excessive heat will damage the material.

Choosing the right shoes, tips

To ensure that the shoes are on time after purchase, make you happy, and last a long time, you should pay attention to some points:

You shouldn’t buy shoes in the morning; by evening your feet will swell and your shoes will rub your toes and heels.
You should not hope that narrow shoes will stretch over time; it is better to choose a model that is suitable for your fullness.
The purchased shoe model needs to be worn a little at home. If discomfort or a serious defect is detected, it is returned to the store or exchanged for a suitable size and style.
Between shoes one size larger, which are too big, and a model one size smaller, which is too tight, people often mistakenly choose the second option. It is better to abandon the idea and look for another model.
We must remember that shoes do not stretch in length, but only in width.
If your new shoes rub your toe, you need to cover the rubbed area with an anti-callus plaster. This will slightly enlarge the shoe at the application site;

Powder powders

Before pouring or soaking your shoes with homemade solutions, try dry methods first. Use soda, citric acid or activated carbon, which you just need to sprinkle on the surface overnight. And in the morning, remove lumps and remaining powder with a vacuum cleaner or any unnecessary brush. By the way, even peroxide is sold in tablets - check it out!

Photo: novostiifakty.mediasole.ru

Solutions and impregnations

To clean the internal surface and remove odors, weak solutions of peroxide, vinegar or ammonia are suitable. You can rub the inner surface with vodka or use strong green tea - a natural antiseptic. Apply solutions to a smooth surface with a well-wrung out sponge, and in other cases use a spray bottle.

Photo: moscow-oblast.sm-news.ru

How to remove unpleasant odor

There are a large number of ways to get rid of the stench. A person just needs to choose the way in which he will get rid of the problem that has arisen. If your shoes stink, but you don’t want to spend a lot of money, you can use folk recipes that allow you to remove the stench in a short period of time.

If you don’t want to work on preparing an anti-odor product, you can visit the store and buy a specialized product.

Regardless of the method chosen, it is recommended to follow the instructions, since it will not be possible to remove the smell without following the rules.

Home Remedies

Since ancient times, people have learned to fight stench with the help of improvised means. This means that you don’t need to think about how to get rid of odor in shoes, just use one of the existing methods. The most popular home remedies include:

Baking soda works great for removing unpleasant odors

Boric acid;
Hydrogen peroxide;
Soda.

Of course, you can use another method. It all depends on the capabilities and preferences of the person. Having learned how to remove an unpleasant “aroma”, you need to begin solving the problem as quickly as possible.

Hydrogen peroxide for shoe odor

One of the most effective means to eliminate the unpleasant odor of feet and shoes is 3% hydrogen peroxide. It is enough to wipe the inside of the boot once with peroxide and the problem will disappear. If the stench is very strong, you can pour the substance inside your shoes. After such treatment, you must leave the sneakers in the fresh air.

The advantage of treating shoes with peroxide is not only that the substance can remove unpleasant odor from shoes, but also eliminate fungus. This is why the substance can be used before the stench appears.

Soda for shoe odor

Sooner or later, every person is faced with the stench emanating from shoes. That is why it is necessary to figure out how to get rid of odor from shoes. Every home has drinking soda. Oddly enough, this substance can save a person from the problem.

To remove the stench, just pour 1 tbsp into each shoe. spoon of soda. After this, it is best not to touch the sneakers for 10 hours. After the specified time, there will be no trace left of the stench.

You can use boric acid

Boric acid

A substance such as boric acid acts on the same principle as baking soda. It is best to use boric acid in powder form. It is recommended to get rid of the stench at night. The powder is poured into each sneaker and then left for 8 hours.

After 8 hours the unpleasant aroma will disappear. In addition, all bacteria will be destroyed, so there will be no stench throughout the day, and you will not need to think about how to get rid of foot odor. This product is suitable for any type of shoe.

What odors can come from shoes?

Some people think that boots can only stink when they sweat. Actually this is not true. In addition to sweat, a person can smell Chinese shoes. Moreover, most often this happens with new shoes that no one has ever worn. Sometimes sneakers can smell bad like rubber.

No matter what the sneakers “smell”, you need to think about how to eliminate the stench. It should be noted that most methods are aimed at eliminating a particular stench.

How to remove sweat odor from shoes

In most cases, people are faced with the smell of sweat that gets into their shoes. You need to think about how to get rid of the smell of sweat in shoes. It is recommended to use available means. A solution of potassium permanganate helps against the stench. To prepare the product you will need 1 liter of water and 5 potassium permanganate crystals. After thorough stirring, the cotton wool is moistened with the solution, and then the boots are wiped from the inside with it. When the “aroma” disappears, the shoes are thoroughly dried.

New shoes can smell bad too.

If the question still arises of how to remove the smell of sweat from shoes, you need to use vinegar. It is recommended to place a cotton swab soaked in vinegar in your sneakers. It is best not to remove tampons for 24 hours. After treatment, the boots should be taken outside to air out.

Is it possible to get rid of unpleasant odor from shoes?

Many people are interested in the question of how to get rid of the unpleasant smell of shoes and is it even possible to do this? Of course, it is possible to cope with the problem, but you will need to try. The stench can disrupt many plans, especially if the guy is going on a date with a girl or to a business meeting. To get rid of the “fragrance”, it is recommended to use specialized means or folk methods. It is important to follow the instructions, since it will not be possible to quickly remove the “aroma” otherwise.

To avoid unpleasant odors, shoes should always be dry.

Foot odor in men

The problem of unpleasant foot odor most often occurs among the stronger sex. Many people do not know how to remove foot odor. In this regard, unpleasant conversations begin behind the man’s back. Over time, even friends may turn away from a person with bad smelling feet, since it is simply impossible to tolerate such a “fragrance” for a long time.

Why do shoes start to stink?

There are many reasons for unpleasant shoe odor.
Removing odor from shoes is not that difficult, but you need to understand why it appeared. In fact, there are several reasons that cause stench. These include:

New, never worn sneakers that may smell unpleasant. This is due to the fact that the material that is still in the package emits a specific aroma. In addition, glued boots can smell like glue;
Worn shoes stink because sweat, dirt and dust get into them. As a result, a huge amount of bacteria accumulates inside the shoes;
Damp sneakers can also emit a stench. A humid environment is an ideal environment for fungi and bacteria to thrive;
Excessive sweating and foot fungus can also cause an unpleasant odor.

If you understand the reasons, then you can eliminate the smell in shoes without any problems. It should be noted that stench can appear for several reasons at once.