This has probably already happened to you: You go to a store and buy a beautiful pair of shoes and then when you get home you realize they are too small and hurt your feet. You can’t bring them back because they were a final sale item, you were so distracted by the amazing price and beauty of the shoes that you didn’t concentrate on whether they fit or not… Thankfully, it is possible to stretch your too-tight shoes with the help of 5 very quick and easy tricks. Discover them now!
1. The newspaper trick
Did you know that a simple and quick way to stretch out your shoes is to use some newspaper? Here is what you have to do:
- Take some newspaper, make two balls and dip them in water;
- Place your newspaper balls in your shoes all night;
- Remove the newspaper the next morning. Your shoes should be a bit bigger.
2. Stretch your shoes with some potatoes
Potatoes are not only delicious accompaniments to dishes but they are also very useful to make your shoes bigger. Take two big potatoes, peel them and then cover them with some paper towel. Place the wrapped potatoes in your shoes all night and remove them the next morning.
3. Use some thick socks
It is possible to make your shoes bigger with the help of thick socks. You can, for example, wear some ski socks or your knitted wool socks with your shoes. This is a natural and easy to trick to try!
4. Try shoe trees
You can also stretch out your shoes with shoe trees. These are shoe accessories shoemakers use. All you need to do is to buy two, place them inside your shoes and adjust them with the knob. You can select the type of expansion (width or length) and leave the tree shoes in your shoes until you get the desired result.
5. Try the freezer bag trick
The following hack has proved its worth with leather shoes. Here are all the steps to follow to get the best results:
- Take two freezer bags, fill them with water halfway and close them;
- Place the bags in your shoes and place your shoes in the freezer;
- Once the water is frozen, remove the shoes from the freezer and wait about 20 minutes;
- Remove the bags from your shoes and let them dry.
6. Use shoe stretch liquids and sprays
Yup, that’s a thing. All you need to do is spray that liquid on the tight areas and walk in your shoes.
7. Spray rubbing alcohol
If you can’t be bothered to buy specialized shoe stretch sprays, know that there is a DIY version of this trick. Pour some rubbing alcohol into an empty spray bottle and spray the inside of your shoes until there are a bit damp. Wear the shoes and walk around until the alcohol has dried. Repeat as needed until you get your size. You could also soak a pair of cotton socks in rubbing alcohol, squeeze the excess and wear them as your wear the shoes, until the alcohol dries.
8. Go to a shoe repair professional
If you can’t be bothered with the time or energy it takes to stretch out your shoes yourself, know that you can pay someone else to do that for you. Moreover, these shoe professionals really know what they are doing and should be able to provide you with the best result. It might be well worth the investment…
You don’t need to give your shoes away if they are too small! You can, in fact, stretch out your shoes in many different ways. You just need a little bit of time!
