Advice on stretching shoes

K.M.

Can you tell whether a shoe will stretch? I just got a pair made of faux suede. They are a little tight in the toebox width, especially in my right foot (bunion), but the length fits OK. I've been sitting in them inside my house for the last hour trying to gauge if they'll accommodate me... Any thoughts or experience with stretching out shoes? I'm interested in advice, hearing about your success stories as well as failures (so I can learn)... Thanks!

8 years ago

Dressing

10 replies

Latest reply was from K.M.

cindysmith

Veteran

I have no advice on synthetics. I don't know if they can be stretched or not, but my guess would be that if they're uncomfortable now they're probably going to stay that way. That's been my experience, at least

8 years ago

BrieN

Veteran

I am between sizes and, although it would seem that buying the bigger size and putting insoles in should work, I have recently had much better luck buying the slightly smaller shoe and having it stretched. The last two were patent leather, which apparently is hard to get to work but my cobbler was up to the task. He starts with a stretch that is focused on the area you need bigger, and his policy is that if you get them home and they still aren't quite big enough, he will stretch them a bit further gratis. That way he doesn't go to far or distort the shoe.

All that said, though, I've never tried to stretch a faux suede. You might ask your cobbler.

8 years ago

Anonymous

Angie had blog posts on this:
https://youlookfab.com/2015/06.....-footwear/
https://youlookfab.com/2014/06.....mfortable/
https://youlookfab.com/2013/05.....-wet-feet/
Success is iffy with synthetics. If in doubt, return. Feet are too important and life too short to tolerate uncomfortable footwear.

8 years ago

Anonymous

I have always assumed that synthetics do not stretch. Having previously bought shoes that inflicted pain, I recommend against them.

8 years ago

harmonica

Veteran

What cindysmith said.

With leather shoes I've had success with stretching by wearing thick/double socks (sometimes for days...). If I only need to stretch the toe box, I've folded the sock so it doubles around the front part of the foot. That way the heel is not affected. Hope this explanation is understandable. Hope you'll solve your shoe problem.

8 years ago

K.M.

Veteran

Thank you, everyone! This is very helpful. I think it's probably a safer bet to exchange it for a bigger size than to try to stretch it. I went to sleep with bunion pain, and that was only from wearing the shoes for one hour, mostly sitting down! The bunion really throws sizing off, as my left foot feels fine in this shoe. I always end up with clown feet for having to order a half size bigger quite often. BrieN, maybe I just need to find a very good cobbler!

Thanks!

8 years ago

shiny

Veteran

I have one of those shoe stretchers that has a nobbed insert you can add right where your bunion is. You put it in your shoe, crank it open as wide as you can get it, and leave it like that overnight or for a few days.

Another trick that's worked is to take a freezer bag, fill it with water, put it in the shoe, then put the whole thing in the freezer overnight. As the water freezes, it expands.

8 years ago

K.M.

Veteran

Thanks, shiny! I will take note of these tricks.

8 years ago

anchie

Veteran

I would not bother trying to strech them. There are so many shoes but you only have one pair of feet

8 years ago

K.M.

Veteran

True! Once I wore a pair of shoes that were so bad, at the end of the day even my knees hurt. I couldn't take a further step in them. It was the only time in my life when I walked with shoes on my hands and bare feet outside.

8 years ago

Category