Are your favorite shoes too snug on your feet that they’ve started to cause major discomfort every time you walk in them?
If there are memories attached to these shoes and they’re in perfectly good condition, then you can’t just stop wearing them.
Instead of learning to live with the pain, you need to figure out ways to stretch them out to make sure they don’t rub against your feet anymore.
You shouldn’t take shoes digging into top of foot lightly because it can become dangerous if you don’t take proper care of your feet.
When your toes are always jammed together, you can easily develop toenail fungus that doesn’t just look horrible, but it’s also infectious.
Toenail fungus can easily spread to your other toes and even your fingernails if you’re not careful.
Too much friction can also cause calluses and blisters on your feet that can worsen over time if you don’t take appropriate measures right away.
In this article, we’ll take a look at some quick and easy ways to stretch out shoes that are chafing the top of your feet, so you can wear them comfortably wherever you go.
1. Rub Alcohol
If you’re looking for a quick solution to expand your shoes, you can add equal parts water and alcohol in a spray bottle and spray it on the area of your shoes that needs to be stretched out.
Wear the shoes while they’re still damp from the solution and walk in them for about 20 minutes, or an hour if you have the time.
Soon, you’ll notice them expanding to fit your feet just right.
If they still need some stretching, you can repeat this method a couple of times a day until there’s enough room for your feet to sit comfortably in your shoes.
2. Stick Pieces Of Moleskin Inside
If you’re afraid of getting blisters or bunions on your feet because your shoes fit you a little too snugly, then you can try sticking a few pieces of moleskin inside. You can easily find them in a shoe store.
Take a sheet, trace an oval or circle that’s a little bigger than the area that’s irritating you, cut it out, peel it off, and then stick it inside the shoe.
You can even cut out a piece of moleskin, stick it onto your feet, and then wear the shoes.
3. Use Thick Socks
Another easy way you can fix your shoes is by wearing the thickest socks you own and stepping into the shoes.
Shoes that are made out of suede or leather will be easier to expand.
You can always speed up the stretching process by using your hairdryer and pointing it directly on the top of your shoe. Make sure it’s on a hot setting.
The heat from the hairdryer should soften the material and allow it to stretch just enough to make space for your thick socks to fit through easily.
4. Freeze Them With Bags Of Water
Grab two Ziploc bags and fill them up halfway with water. Seal them properly to make sure there isn’t any air left inside.
Place each bag inside the shoes, and then pop both shoes inside the freezer.
Leave them inside until the water has frozen completely, and then remove them. Take out the ice bags and step into your shoes.
As the shoes begin to warm up, they’ll expand to fit your feet. This method is only known to work for leather, fabric, and suede shoes.
5. Use Oats
How about using oats that you eat for breakfast to fix your shoes and make some room for your feet?
All you need to do is fill up re-sealable bags with dry oats and add water to them until they’re completely immersed.
Put them inside your shoes and leave them for a few days. The oats will swell inside the water and stretch out the shoes.
After a couple of days have passed, remove the oat-filled bags and try your shoes on. You’ll immediately notice a difference, especially at the top of your shoe.
6. Use A Shoe Stretcher
If you don’t feel like trying the methods we’ve mentioned above, you can always turn to a shoe stretcher to solve your problems.
Not all shoe stretchers work the same way, but most of them come with a knob and a handle.
The handle is used to adjust the width while the knob is used to fix the length.
Place the shoe stretcher inside the shoe and turn the knob and the handle until the shoe material gets stretched out just enough. Leave it inside for about six to eight hours.
After enough time has passed, turn both the handle and the knob in the other direction until it gets visibly smaller, and then take it out of the shoe.
A shoe stretcher can be used to stretch out shoes made with natural materials like suede and leather, and they might also work for some types of fabric.
However, they might not be as effective for shoes made of plastic or synthetics.
Bottom Line
Almost all of these methods can be used to fix your shoes within a couple of hours at home.
It’s always best to avoid getting shoes that are a little tight in the first place to prevent unsightly blisters or corns.
If it’s too late and the damage is done, take proper care of your feet until they’ve completely healed.
Don’t put any more pressure on the area and make sure your blisters stay dry and clean.
Use a pad soaked in salicylic acid to remove dead skin from corn. It’s advisable to consult a podiatrist for the best treatment.
If you found this article useful, take a look at similar informational guides on our website and keep your foot health as your topmost priority.
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