Recently I ordered myself a great pair of leather ankle boots on the internet .
With their leopard print, I admit that my choice was daring :-)
But once the package arrived, it was a big disappointment!
Indeed, my new pointed shoes were too tight :-(
At first, I thought of sending them back or going to the shoemaker…
But I told myself that there had to be a trick to enlarge shoes that were too small !
So I decided to look for the best methods to widen my boots quickly and make them more comfortable.
I first tested the freezer method , and the result is stunning!
The trick worked perfectly, and I was immediately able to put on my awesome boots – comfortably !
Since then, I have tested two other ultra-effective methods to enlarge shoes that are too tight:70% alcohol and the hair dryer .
So, without further ado, here are the 3 magic tricks to enlarge shoes that are too small . Watch:
- 2 large freezer bags with zip closure
- water
1. Open both bags, and put one bag inside the other.
Why use two bags? Of course, if you want, you can use only one bag per shoe.
But I prefer to double the bags for safety, in case of a small water leak.
2. Put the bags in the shoes, with the bottom glued to the insole.
Use your hand to press the bags firmly into all the nooks and crannies of your shoes.
3. Pour water inside the bags. Very slowly, until they fill the inside of each shoe.
4. Close the freezer bags carefully.
5. Put the shoes in the freezer, until the water in the bag turns to ice.
As the water freezes, it will increase in volume (almost 9%) and gently stretch your shoes.
6. Take the shoes out of the freezer.
7. Let the ice melt - just enough to lightly pull the ice packs out of the shoes.
And now, thanks to the ice, your shoes are softened and ready to be worn :-)
This trick has the big advantage of working with all types of shoes that are too tight:
Leather (or fake leather), suede, synthetic, nubuck, fabric, canvas, varnished, but also with sneakers (Nike, Adidas, etc.), running shoes, hiking shoes, football boots, tennis or any other sport.
You don't even need to use a shoe tree to save half a size!
- 70º alcohol
- small spray bottle
1. Put some 70º alcohol in the spray bottle.
2. Spray the inside of your shoes that are too tight, until they are slightly damp.
3. Wear and walk with your shoes, until the alcohol dries.
Lo and behold, as if by magic, alcohol made your shoes bigger :-)
Are your shoes still a little too tight?
Just repeat the operation.
Note that there is also a variant of this method.
It consists of soaking cotton socks in 70° alcohol and then wringing them out.
Then, put on the socks, and wear them with your shoes that are too tight, until the alcohol dries.
Repeat the operation several times if necessary.
To discover: 23 Uses of 70% Alcohol Everyone Should Know.
- hair dryer
- a pair of thick socks
1. Put on a pair of thick socks (the thickest possible to tuck your feet into your shoes).
2. Put on your shoes.
3. Pass the hair dryer on the tight part of your shoes, for a few seconds.
4. At the same time, wiggle your toes and bend your feet inside the shoe.
5. Keep wearing your shoes until they cool down.
There you go, the heat from the hair dryer will loosen and expand your tight shoes.
No more shoes that hurt your feet!
Are they still too tight for you?
Repeat the operation until they are perfectly enlarged.
