How to wear boots: rubber, artificial or genuine leather

Each of us has encountered such a problem as tight boots. Perhaps your favorite shoes have become too small over time, or you purchased a new model that is the wrong size.

If you have no particular desire to part with the item, you can try to save the situation. To do this, you need to know how to wear boots at home and not damage the product.

You can achieve the desired result yourself without resorting to the services of a workshop. There are several ways to solve the problem.

Special means for stretching

The easiest way to increase the size of your boots is to purchase a special aerosol. It is applied to the area of the shoe where the product “sits” most tightly on the foot.

After applying the spray, you need to walk around in boots for at least 30 minutes. When stretching out a new thing, try not to stay in one place, but to move, this way you will achieve results faster.

Alcohol

Mix alcohol and water in half and treat the inside of the shoes with a sponge or spray bottle. Let it soak a little, and walk around in it for an hour in your thickest socks. Then dry it naturally, not in the sun or under a radiator.

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Newspapers

Stretching in this way does not cause damage to the shoes. You will need a large amount of damp newspaper, which is filled with the product, after which the paper is left inside for 12 hours.
Then you need to put on thick socks (if possible, several pairs at once) and walk in shoes for as long as possible.
This process must be repeated until the product reaches the desired size.

Freezing shoes

For more delicate materials, another way has been invented to stretch winter boots at the top. It is not suitable for leatherette and rubber. The bottom of the boot, which will not stretch, is stuffed with newspapers so that it does not become deformed. A thick polyethylene bag is placed at the top, into which water is poured. Its volume should correspond to the current thickness of the boot. The air is released from the bag, but it is tied so that there is free space inside. The boot hides in the freezer overnight. The water will expand and stretch the boot. If it turns out that the volume is still insufficient, the process is repeated. The technique is especially good if you need to stretch suede boots: no external influence, which usually leaves stains on the material. Just make sure the freezer is clean. Better yet, to be sure, cover it with clean, dry cloth.

Freezer

Using cold, you can get the desired size within a day. To do this, pour water into a double plastic bag and tie it tightly. The presence of air in the bag is not allowed.

The “bubble” should be carefully placed inside the shoe and placed in the freezer for 10–12 hours. The boots are then removed from the freezing compartment and “thawed” at room temperature.

Hot air

In some ways, this method resembles the first, but it is more delicate for the material.

Tight shoes should be worn with woolen socks, even if it is very heavy. The procedure is long: in places where the boot does not fit in any way, they are heated with a hair dryer turned on at maximum temperature. They do this slowly, for half an hour. Next, you need to fasten your shoes and walk around the apartment in them for an hour or two. If it’s really uncomfortable, they repeat everything again. The process, although labor-intensive, is gentle, effective and safe for most materials.

Thermal impact

You can also increase the size by heating the product. You need to put on several pairs of thick socks, and then put on tight boots.

Turn on the hair dryer at high temperature and direct the air flow to the desired area. You can warm up the same place for no more than 1 minute. Then turn off the device and stay in your shoes until they cool down.

With the right approach, stretching boots at home will not be difficult.

Effective options for different occasions

There are times when only certain parts of the product may chafe or may not fit properly. This depends on the specific production method. Sometimes the cause is an anatomical feature of the human leg. Then you need to apply methods to specific parts of the shoe.

In the shin

If this part of the product is too tight immediately after purchase, do not rush to stretch it. Maybe the material will stretch on its own after a few days of wear. You can stretch the bootleg if you pour boiling water on it and immediately put it on. Then you will have to wait for the shoes to dry completely. You can insert a bottle of warm water into the boot. You'll have to wait the whole night. Use specialized sprays or foams.

In caviar

Look at the sewn-in elastic bands. It may happen that the shoes can stretch while you wear them. If not, then you can use special sprays. Methods using alcohol, oil or freezing water will come in handy. It all depends on the quality and material from which the shoes are made.

On the rise

The most effective way of stretching is considered to be the “cowboy way”. It consists of using cereals or any grain. The product is poured into shoes, then filled with a small amount of water. You need to leave the boots for one night. The croup increases in size, which stretches the rise itself. You need to put on your shoes and stay in your shoes until they dry completely.

How to stretch boot tops at home

Stretching the boot is a labor-intensive and risky process. To avoid damaging the product, you should not try to stretch it in cases where:

the zipper is only zipped halfway;
the shoes are made of leatherette.

In other cases, even if the lightning does not converge by a couple of centimeters, you can influence this area yourself. Let's look at how to stretch the boot tops at home using improvised means.

Effective methods

A shoe shop can widen the top of your boots, but you can try to do it yourself. Hardware stores offer a large selection of chemicals that are used for these purposes.

You can decide for yourself which method to resort to. They are equally effective and simple. The main thing when doing home stretching is to follow some simple instructions.

Have you ever had to stretch your shoes at home?

Yes

Home Remedies and Methods

In order to stretch the top of suede or leather boots, you can use a regular household iron . Thick cotton fabric is suitable to protect the material. The product is placed on the ironing board, with the lock facing outward, and covered with a protective cloth. It is necessary to turn on the steam function on the iron and iron the boot for 10-15 minutes. After this, carefully, without sudden jerks, stretch to the required volume. To maintain the shape while drying, newspaper is placed inside the shoes.
Another effective way is stretching with a bag of water . To do this, you need to fasten the shoes, place a thick bag of liquid in the desired area and put everything in the freezer until it hardens completely. Usually water freezes within 6-8 hours. Afterwards, until completely dry, fill the boots with newspaper. This will help expand the volume of the boot to the required size.
A household hair dryer will help stretch the boot . To do this, wear tight knee socks on your feet, just above your boots. Afterwards you need to put on your shoes and fasten your boots completely. Direct a stream of hot air from a hairdryer into a narrow place, and then walk around the house for about 15 minutes. The procedure requires several repetitions for the material to remember its shape. Then you can record the result with ordinary newspapers, putting them inside the shoes.
Old newspapers can be used not only for drying boots, but also for stretching. You need to roll the paper into tight balls and completely fill all the free space inside the shoes with them. The outside of the boots should be wetted and left to dry. The boots will take the given shape and will no longer rub.

Use of chemicals and professional products

In any shoe store you can find special means for stretching shoes. They are available in different formats - gel, spray or foam, which can soften the base material and deform it to the desired volume.

You can find universal stretchers on sale:

Damavik.
Pregrada.
Salamander.
Silver.

Professional products are applied to both sides of the product - the outside and the inside, then the pair must be put on and fastened to the end. When the product dries, your favorite boots will become the desired girth.

Stretching with an iron

To successfully complete the task, you must act carefully, without making sudden movements, and follow the following sequence of work:

Unfasten the boot and lay it on a flat surface.
Preheat the iron to medium temperature and steam the shoes through a wet cloth.
When the material becomes soft, stretch it to the required measurements, noted in advance.

Once the desired size is obtained, the boots are stuffed with paper and allowed to dry at room temperature. If it was not possible to achieve the desired result the first time, the procedure must be repeated.

How to wear patent leather

The peculiarity of the material is the application of a special coating. In order not to violate its integrity, you need to use gentle compounds.

Alcohol-water solution

This composition will help to distribute tight shoes in certain places, preserving the structure of the varnish coating.

Mix 2 parts alcohol with 1 part water.
Soak your socks in the solution.
Put socks on your feet.
Walk in them until they dry out.

The softening component has a delicate effect on varnish models.

Fat cream

You can use any nutritional composition for the body.

Treat problem areas with cream. Apply the substance liberally.
Use pads or put the model on your feet with thick socks.
Leave for 2 hours. If necessary, extend exposure time.

This is a safe way to widen tight shoes that feel tight in the toes or sides.

Advice! Patent leather shoes should not be subjected to freezing, hot or chemical treatment. This will ruin the material.

Glass container and pencils

Shoes should be wetted in problem areas with hot water, then a glass container filled with water at a lower temperature should be placed inside the boot. After this, pencils are alternately inserted between the container and the boot until there is no free space left, and set aside until completely dry.

Using these methods, you can achieve the desired result, and the boots will fasten into the boot without much effort.

Vegetable oil heated in a water bath will help stretch the shoes.

New leather shoes cause discomfort when worn and often damage the skin. To avoid this, it is necessary to stretch the product before use. Let's look at how to wear leather boots correctly:

Put on your boots and walk around the room every day. If you experience any discomfort, take off your shoes immediately.
Moisten the product with boiling water to make the leather soft and elastic. Then put on your shoes and walk around the room. Remember, boots are stretched until completely dry; it is not advisable to remove them before.
Heat vegetable oil in a water bath and wipe the surface of the shoes with it using a foam sponge. After impregnation, the boots must be put on and left in place for an hour and a half, repeating the treatment every 30 minutes. After the shoes have stretched, the oil is thoroughly washed off with water.

Breaking in leather boots is easy. This material is easily stretchable, and you can easily get rid of the discomfort when wearing such shoes.

Main rules

It should be said right away that any leather pair of shoes can be successfully stretched only in width. It is permissible to make the toe, heel, instep or boot looser as much as the material of the boot allows. If the model is pinching a little all over the leg, there is a method to fix this too. At the same time, you shouldn’t even think about how to stretch the boots to length. If they rest heavily on the toe, it is best to return such a pair to the seller or exchange it for another.

Exposure to high and low temperatures, mechanical stretching, and the use of chemicals will help make shoes more comfortable. But before you get started, remember:

Products made entirely from genuine leather are the easiest to stretch. It is more elastic, responds well to influence, and changes shape without visible damage. Any method is suitable for her.
With varnished models you need to be extremely careful not to spoil the delicate coating. It is afraid of low temperatures and many chemical reagents. After processing, there is a high probability of a network of cracks or cloudy spots appearing on the glossy surface.
Shoes made of eco-leather and with inserts of synthetic elements are impervious to high temperatures, so heating them is useless. In addition, these materials have a lower tensile strength compared to natural leather. If you overdo it with stretching, the seams may fail.

After any procedures, boots must be lubricated with suitable products designed for shoe care. This can be a cream, spray or other impregnation. This will restore elasticity and flexibility to the skin, and will also prevent the appearance of creases due to drying of the material.

How to stretch faux leather boots at home

Faux leather shoes can be stretched using castor oil.
Shoes made of artificial leather cannot be stretched, and when trying to increase the size, the material deteriorates. Therefore, you won’t be able to stretch the boots too much; you can only soften them slightly in the following ways:

Use castor oil, whose properties are similar to those of special sprays. Apply a small amount of product to the required areas and wear the product for as long as possible.
If the shoe puts pressure on the toe or heel, lubricate this area with a 13% vinegar solution. Then put on the product and wear it until it dries.

These methods, at least slightly, help cope with the problem and partially eliminate the inconvenience.

How much does it cost in the workshop if they press in length or width?

In shoe studios you can carry out any processing on leather shoes. Specialists will take into account the characteristics of the material

No master will undertake stretching a product made of artificial leather or rubber.

The work of a master will cost more than if the procedure was carried out independently. However, if a specialist takes on the job, he will guarantee you the desired result.

Information. To change the size of shoes, craftsmen use modern and delicate processing methods. The shoe workshop uses a full range of measures to stretch products in length and width.

How to stretch rubber shoes at home

Is it possible to stretch rubber boots yourself and how to do it? First of all, you need to understand that rubber is plastic and practically cannot be stretched. If you apply a lot of force, it will simply break.

Only boots made of PVC material can be stretched. It is possible to stretch rubber boots when they are made of PVC. Many people mistakenly call polyvinyl chloride rubber, but its difference is that this material responds well to mechanical stress, and you will not need much effort to increase the size of tight shoes.

How to stretch rubber shoes yourself? Follow this sequence of actions:

Pour boiling water inside the boots and leave for 30 minutes.
Put on thick socks and, after draining the water from inside, quickly put on your shoes.
Soak your feet in a basin of cold water and stretch your shoes for 20-30 minutes, pushing into tight areas as hard as you can.

Household chemicals

Pure vodka or medical alcohol must be diluted to 70 percent strength. In this case, it is necessary to exclude the use of vodka with additives or with a lower strength, since such compositions can damage the material. Some use vinegar essence, but this is unsafe: the leather may lose color and become discolored, and suede may lose its former structure and elasticity.

So, vodka is applied to unfortunate areas, avoiding problem-free areas where the size is appropriate. They put on very thick woolen socks, fasten their shoes and walk around the room for at least an hour or two. The alcohol will evaporate quickly and the procedure will have to be repeated again.

This requires patience: if the effect is not sufficiently pronounced, you will have to repeat everything over several days. However, the result is worth it: worn-in boots will last a long time, without shrinking back.

Sprays for stretching

Special solutions help solve the problem quickly and safely. The compositions easily penetrate the pores of the material, saturate it well, giving elasticity and softness.

Advantages of special chemical stretchers:

have different forms of release (sprays, aerosols, foams);
help to stretch the boot top made of genuine leather, nubuck, velor, suede and other materials;
do not leave contours, spots or streaks;
do not change the color of the material;
soften the surface and fix new parameters, preserving the properties of the material;
allow you to avoid cracks and tears when the material is tensioned.

Before use, shake the container and spray the product onto areas that require stretching from the inside and outside. After treatment, put on shoes and walk in them for at least 30 minutes.

How to break in suede shoes

Shoes made of delicate material stretch well using any of the methods used for leather. In addition, you can use the traditional method using potato peelings.

Stuff your shoes tightly with potato peelings.
Leave for 12 hours.
Remove the contents.

In this case, the softening effect is provided by starch, which is released from the peelings.

Castor oil

Treatment with a herbal remedy helps soften the material and stretch hard shoes. Lubricate the inner and outer parts of the products without fur with heated oil, put the boots on thick socks and wear them in for 4 hours. The oil is then removed from the surface and the result is checked. This method increases the width of any shoe, except suede.

Suede heated with an iron can be stretched well. The boot top is ironed through a damp flannel cloth for 1 minute, dousing it generously with steam. The heated boot is put on so that the new parameters are recorded.