Tight Shoes? Here Are 4 Tips On How To Stretch Non-Leather Shoes

Have you ever bought a pair of non-leather shoes that felt comfortable at the store but didn’t fit very well at home?

Well, you can make them feel comfortable again with just a few simple tips.

Here are 4 tips on how to stretch non-leather shoes after you’ve just got them from the store.

1. Wear Your Shoes In Your Home

How to Stretch Non-Leather Shoes

One effective way to stretch out shoes is by wearing them in your house. Make sure that you wear thick socks before putting on your shoes.

Thick socks will help in creating more space inside your shoes for later use. Make sure that the socks you wear are thicker than the ones you usually wear.

This way, it’ll create a little more space than you’d need, making the shoes comfortable for you.

Once you wear your shoes, keep them on for an hour or two. Walk around your house with your shoes on.

This will help it stretch out even more than it would if you sat in one spot.

Wear your new shoes with thick socks in your home every day for about a week. Your shoes will become a lot more comfortable to wear after that.

If your feet hurt too much when you wear your shoes, try some of the methods mentioned below.

2. Use Shoe Stretchers

How to Stretch Non-Leather Shoes

Whenever you’re not wearing your shoes, stuff them with shoe stretchers. You can purchase shoe stretchers or use your own make-shift shoe stretchers.

If you’re purchasing one from the store, make sure that the size is right for your shoe.

Also, get shoe stretchers that are shaped for your shoes. This will ensure that it does a better job of stretching out your shoes.

If you’re not sure which shoe stretchers are best for your shoes, take your shoes to the store and try the fillers there.

You can get two-way shoe stretchers if you want to stretch the shoes out and increase the length of the shoes.

Once you insert the shoe stretchers in your shoes, tighten the screw according to how much you want to stretch your shoes.

Don’t overdo it because that can ruin the shape of your shoes. It’s best to ask the store clerk to help you pick shoe stretchers that are most suitable for your shoes.

You can also make your own shoe stretchers if you don’t want to purchase one. You can stuff your shoes with paper to stretch them out.

Crumple up as much paper as you can into one piece. Try and shape it according to the shape and size of your shoes.

Don’t worry much about the shape of the crumpled paper because it will find its shape once it’s in the shoe.

Make sure that you put enough paper in each shoe so that it actually pushes against the walls of the shoes.

When you’re stuffing the shoes with paper, use your fingers to push in as much as you can toward the part the toes go.

After stuffing the shoes with paper, press the front of the shoes (where your toes would be if you were wearing them) with your thumb to check if there’s enough paper in those parts of the shoes.

You’ll be able to stretch your non-leather shoes faster if you wear them in your home every day, and stuff them with shoe stretchers when you’re not wearing them.

3. Freeze Your Shoes

freeze your shoes

Freezing your shoes is a good way to stretch them out. The water on your shoes will expand once it turns to ice.

The expansion of ice will consequently stretch your shoes. Therefore, sprinkle a bit of water over your shoes before you put them in the freezer for the best results.

To prevent damaging your shoes or dirtying your freezer, place your shoes in a plastic bag before you put them in the freezer.

Leave your shoes in the freezer for the whole night. This way, all of the water on your shoes will freeze nicely.

In the morning, take your shoes out of the freezer and let them thaw. Give your shoes enough time to thaw nicely.

Use a dry cloth to remove as much water as possible. After that, try on your shoes and check if they are more comfortable to wear.

If you’re still not satisfied with how much your shoes stretched during this process, repeat the same process the next night. Continue doing this until your shoes fit you well.

You can improve the result by placing shoe stretchers in your shoes when you place them in the freezer overnight.

4. Use A Hairdryer To Heat Your Shoes

How to Stretch Non-Leather Shoes

The heat from a hairdryer helps in expanding and molding the shape of plastic. Therefore, using a hairdryer is a good way to stretch plastic shoes.

Wear your shoes along with thick socks so that you know which parts of the shoes are tight.

Turn your hairdryer on maximum heat and heat the areas that are tight on your feet. Hold the hairdryer in those areas for about a minute or two.

Be careful not to let your shoes get too hot – you can burn your feet if it gets too hot.

While you’re heating your shoes with the hairdryer, try and push against the walls of your shoes with your feet.

This will allow you to slightly alter the shape of your shoes, making them looser in the process. During this process, tie your shoelaces or zip up your shoes all the way.

This will allow the shoes to expand while they’re tightly fit against your feet. You can use a hairdryer to stretch shoes made of faux leather too.

Conclusion

Each of the 4 aforementioned methods for stretching shoes should yield positive results in a few days.

If your shoes still feel uncomfortable after trying out each of these methods, consider replacing them. There’s no pair of shoes worth injuring yourself over.

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How to Stretch Non-Leather Shoes