What to do if the sneakers are too small, how to carefully stretch the shoes?
After purchasing new sneakers, many people begin to realize while wearing them that they chose the wrong pair in size. As a result, the question arises: how to stretch sneakers? The easiest solution is to return them to the store and choose a new pair. But there are situations when you can’t return your shoes or you simply don’t want to.
Is it worth contacting a specialist?
An easy way to stretch your shoes is to take them to a shoe repair shop. To do this, the master will first treat the material with a special compound, and then insert a special form into the sneakers, which will help stretch the product. After the workshop, the shoes will be precisely adjusted to size. With this method, all the negative consequences of stretching are eliminated.
You can also increase the size yourself. To do this, you need to consider several methods of stretching at home and take into account the characteristics of the material from which the shoes are made. But this should be done carefully, as if done incorrectly, you can ruin the appearance. Before stretching your sneakers, you need to learn about the features of changing the shape of products made from different materials.
Stretching methods depending on the material
Before starting the stretching process, you should find out what material the shoes are made of. After this, one of the following methods is selected.
- Genuine Leather.
To stretch at home, it is enough to wear leather products at home for several days.To improve the effect, this should be done in wet woolen socks. Two days are enough before the final stretching. In this case, before wearing it in, it is worth spraying a special agent for stretching the leather on the inner surface of the shoe.
- Suede leather.
How to break in suede sneakers? Ice can be used to stretch this material. This method is based on the fact that when hardening, water expands, stretching the material. First you need to find a sealed bag, and then pour water into it and place it in your shoes. After this, you need to leave it in the freezer for a day. Then you can take out the suede product and ice. But you need to remove the bag only after the contents have melted.
- Textile.
To change the size of a fabric product, you need to boil water and pour it over your shoes. Immediately after this you need to put it on and wear it until it dries. If it does not stretch enough, it is worth repeating the procedure. You can also use newspapers or rags that are dampened and stuffed tightly into the sneakers. They should be taken out after complete drying.
- Leatherette.
If sneakers made from this material are too tight, you should be prepared for a long period of wear-in at home. Faux leather is difficult to stretch. But you can try the following method: soak your socks in an alcohol-containing substance (for example, cologne) and, after putting them on, wear your sneakers for about half an hour. These steps need to be repeated about 10 times. After this, the leatherette will begin to stretch. To ensure that no odor remains on the material, the products should be washed and ventilated.
Advice
When stretching leather products at home, you should lubricate them with special compounds for such material.If this is not done, the skin will begin to dry out and become hard and brittle.
Mechanical stretching
To stretch shoes, there is a special device, which consists of several wooden elements and a threaded metal pin. The wooden parts are made in the shape of the inner space of the boot and are fixed to the pin in such a way that when it rotates, they move apart to the sides. This device helps to stretch your sneakers more comfortably, without putting on wet socks and causing pain in your feet.
Before breaking in sneakers at home, you need to understand that stretching does not occur in length, so increasing the purchased shoes by a size will not work.
To avoid ruining your sneakers, it’s best to try walking in them for a few days. After this, shoes can become more comfortable even without the use of radical methods that can ruin the shape of the product and the material. One of the most effective ways remains wearing thick socks.