How to stretch leather shoes at home

Many people are familiar with the situation: in the store leather shoes or boots fit loosely on the foot, but at home they began to chafe blisters and squeeze toes. If you have no desire to give the shoes back or spend the whole season to break them in, you can use the effective recommendations given in this article. They will help you quickly stretch even the tightest shoes and boots without causing damage to the leather, insoles and soles.

The main ways to stretch leather shoes

Leather belongs to the category of elastic natural materials, which can change shape under the influence of heat, cold and various professional devices. Therefore, to stretch it often use boiling water, ice, hair dryer and special stretchers. Taking as a basis these simple but effective ways, you can stretch shoes at home in a few hours.

Using boiling water

Before using this method, you need to remove the insoles from the shoes. Otherwise, under the influence of boiling water, they will become deformed and will cause discomfort when walking.

Having provided for this nuance, you can proceed to the procedure itself. Everything must be done in accordance with a clear algorithm of actions:

• pour hot water into leather shoes and leave it for 2-3 minutes;
• pour out the liquid and wait until the shoes / boots have cooled;
• put the shoes on, first wearing thick socks so as not to burn the heated leather;
• walk around in the shoes until they are completely cooled and dry.

Under the influence of hot water, the skin will soften and take the shape of your foot. In this way you can stretch the shoes in length and width. On average, it will increase by 1 size. It is important to note that this method is only suitable for natural leather. Artificial leather from the effects of boiling will crack and become unusable.

Using ice

Stretch leather shoes can be done not only by the "warm" method, but also by the "cold" method. The essence of this method is to take two bags of water, tie them and drop one piece into each shoe. The shoes should be put in the freezer and taken out only when the liquid inside them has completely frozen. Next, you need to wait for the ice to melt, and then take them out of the shoes. Under the influence of the cold, the leather shoes will stretch by about a size.

As with the boiling water, the insoles must first be removed from the shoes or boots. After the procedure is finished, you need to let the shoes thaw and dry well.

Heating with a hair dryer

This method helps to quickly stretch new tight leather shoes. Before using a hair dryer, you need to:

• put on thick socks;
• put on your shoes;
• stretch the fingers, as if stretching the leather products.

Then you need to turn on the device and direct it to the areas where the shoes or boots are rubbing your feet. The hair dryer is not recommended to bring too close to the shoes, otherwise the hot air currents can crack the seams and leave stains on the leather. In addition, you risk drying out the leather material.

Once the procedure is complete, you should walk around in your shoes until they have completely cooled down. It is also recommended to immediately lubricate the shoes with a professional product - this will help prevent the skin from drying out and restore the lost balance of moisture. If there is no special cream on hand, you can use petroleum jelly.

Using shoe stretching agents

If you do not want to heat or cool your shoes, fearing for the safety of the skin, you can use special devices for stretching. They are steel or wooden pads equipped with a screw mechanism that expands the length and width of the shoe. Complete with stretching pads often come with special sprays - with their help you can stretch the shoes in the necessary places even faster and more convenient.

It is recommended to use pads not only if the shoes are tight. They are also effective when a leather pair is put away for storage until the next season. Stretch pads left inside the shoes will help avoid creases and deformations. So if you do not know how to stretch shoes or wear them, use these professional devices. It is important not to overstretch, otherwise you can provoke the appearance of cracks in the leather surface.