Imagine you have the perfect outfit planned. Clothes, accessories, bag, hair, makeup, the whole shebang. And then you’re barefoot because you didn’t break those new shoes in and you’re looking a mess. Scary right?
Breaking in new shoes is no easy feat as new shoes tend to cause blisters on the heels and toes, feel tight in the toe area and occasionally pinch as you try to walk. This is because shoes are made to standard sizes,and while our feet may be a certain size, it has its own unique shape and fit. This means some time to adjust to the shoe is needed.
Luckily, there are some ways you can ease the pain by getting your shoes acquainted with your feet before wearing them out. We’ll talk about 3 methods for breaking those shoes in.
Method 1: Use Heat
Works best on leather as it can melt synthetic materials.
First, you put on a pair of thick socks (or a few pairs of a thin one) and then, put the shoe on. Now, using a hair dryer, gently add heat to the shoe at 20-to-30-second intervals. Move the dryer around to avoid burning yourself and applying too much heat to one spot. Walk around while the shoe is still hot. The heat loosens the shoe material while the socks help to stretch it out.
Method 2: Use Ice
Works great on shoes that are NOT leather.
Fill two plastic bags with water. Tie them tightly to prevent any spillage, or use a Ziploc bag. Stuff them into the shoe, paying special attention to the toe areas that may need the most stretching. Put into a freezer for about 8 hours (or at least once the bags are frozen solid) so that the shoe expands. After taking the bags out, put the shoe on and walk around for about 15 minutes.
Method 3: Few & Far Apart
Best when you’ve bought shoes well in advance of your event and have time to gradually break them in.
This isn’t a step-by-step process, but rather requires you to wear the shoe at intervals well before you actually need to be wearing it. You can wear the shoe on evenings after work while you take a walk around the house and get some light chores done. This helps the shoe to gradually fit to your feet.
BONUS METHOD
This method doesn’t require much breaking in beforehand and applies specifically to wearing high heels without feeling like you need new feet after. It might sound crazy but it surely works. You can actually tape your third and fourth toe together (counting from your big toe). and when pressure is placed on it causes pain, taping it relieves this strain leaving you pain free
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Rochelle is a 25 yr old Digital Marketer by day, Blogger/ Beauty Product Junkie by night. And all day, every day I’m an advocate for things local & regional. My blog ellerstyle.com features products and services available right here in Trinidad & Tobago and by extension the Caribbean so that we can get familiar. Follow me on IG @eller_style!