Leather shoes - that helps against pressing shoes

• Let shoes widen
• Shoe Trees
• strain spray
• Moisten shoes
• Stretching with newsprint
• Treatment in the freezer
• Blown air without moisture
• steam

Everyone has experienced this new shoe press and blistering. It can not be completely avoided, but you can be careful when buying shoes not to take too tight shoes. Shoes have wide classes. The width G means, for example, that this is a normal width, even for normal feet, not too narrow and not too wide. For wider feet, the width H is much better suited. If you need even more footwear, you have to come up with something, because wider shoes are only available as custom-made shoes. However, there are many ways in which shoes can be widened, but usually only leather shoes made of genuine leather. Faux leather and textile materials are not stretchy and shoes can be damaged quickly. Gel pads or pads help here, but they are not suitable for all shoes. For sandals and other open shoes it gets harder.

No matter which method of expansion you choose, it only works if the leather is just slightly too tight and pushes. Shoes with a wrong fit and shoes that are too tight can not be matched. You have to use force and that damages the shoes. The leather can tear.

Let shoes widen

Anyone who knows a good shoemaker should let his problem shoes widen. Sometimes you also get help in the shoe business. The experts use a shoe stretcher, which is inserted into the shoe and then always set slightly larger. Thus, the desired width can be achieved quite easily. The shoe stretchers usually remain in the shoe for a few hours until the leather has become accustomed to the new shape. For this expansion, you have to expect between 10 and 15 euros, which is usually low in comparison, which would cost a new pair of shoes, which could also make problems again. The good thing about this treatment is that the end result looks good, visually hardly or only minimal differences can be recognized. It is particularly favorable if only one foot is wider and only this has to be widened. The difference is usually not noticeable.

Shoe Trees

Shoe trees are usually known from specialist shops. There they make sure that good leather shoes keep their shape and the leather gets no wrinkles. Many also have such tensioners at home. For the width of the shoes, there are special screw-shoe trees. They can be adjusted manually. Some are in length, some adjustable in width. There are also combined models where both are adjustable. So a too tight shoe can be widened by about half a shoe size.

Shoe trees are less common, where very special places in the shoe can be stretched, eg the toe area or the instep. The tensioner is inserted into the shoe and adjusted so that a small expansion is achieved. One must only proceed in very small steps and must always control how the shoe and seams behave. Always take one or two hours break between steps to give the leather time to get used to the new shape. The leather is thus protected from damage. When the correct width is reached, the tensioner should remain in the shoe for a few hours. Beware of very fine leather shoes. Stretching can cause unsightly bumps.

strain spray

Stretch sprays are available in the shoe store. Not all users agree on the effect. Opinions range from pointless to good results. Here's just a try. The shoes should be sprayed evenly with the spray from outside and inside. This creates a very fine foam, which penetrates quickly into the leather. After about 2 minutes of it is nothing more to see. The shoe must then be tightened and you should also run with it, not just sitting around. The shoe should widen and adapt to the foot. If this does not work the first time, the process can be repeated as often as you like.

The sprays cost about 8.50 euros for 100 ml. It is given as absolutely unhealthy. Even the leather shoes take no damage.

Moisten shoes

Except with stretch spray you can moisten shoes even differently. The best stories are circulating on the internet. From urine, through pure alcohol to fat, all sorts of things are recommended. These agents should be used with caution.

• Urine - works just like water, it's just about moistening the leather. Any moistening makes leather softer and more malleable.
• Alcohol - unsuitable- Leather contains fats. These are dissolved by the alcohol, whereby the leather loses its suppleness.
• Fats - are usually too tough to penetrate the fiber structure, but good as a care product. They impregnate the surface
• Oils - eg in sprays or shoe washes, soften the fiber braid when moistening and ensure a refatting. This leaves the leather softer.
• Vinegar - diluted 1 to 1 with water, can help vinegar to widen your shoes. It is best to dip socks into the liquid and put them on well-dressed. This way stains on the leather can be avoided and the shoes adapt well.

tip

Dark leather shoes can be moistened without hesitation. This problem is especially unproblematic with black leather shoes. Light-colored shoes, on the other hand, should be handled with care because stains and edges quickly develop. Therefore, this leather should be moistened only minimally. It is ideal to wear wet socks and then put on your shoes. If stains and edges have arisen, this is usually permanent. If you notice that the moisture has broken through, quickly take a hair dryer and blow dry, but not too hot. So usually an edge formation can be prevented.

Generally, the shoes should not be dried too hot. You never get hot and do not put your shoes on the heater . Too much heat can cause the fiber mesh to stick together, causing the leather to harden. Leather can also shrink at too high temperatures. It is important to always stuff wet or damp shoes to dry. Alternatively, unpainted shoe trees can be used. The open wood of the tensioner and the newsprint both bind moisture, keep the shape and ensure faster drying.

Stretching with newsprint

An old home remedy is to stuff your shoes with wet newsprint. However, this must be stuffed very tight, but so that no bumps occur. You just take half newspaper pages and crumble them together to small balls. These are moistened and put in the shoe, very tight natural. Then you let the paper dry.

Treatment in the freezer

A rather blatant way is to put a freezer bag in the shoe, if possible far in advance and then fill it with water. It must be hermetically sealed, for example with adhesive tape. Put the shoe including the freezer bag in the freezer for a few hours. The water freezes, expands and widens the shoe so. It is important to make sure that there is as little air as possible in the bag when it is closed, otherwise the ice has too much space and the effect of stretching is very weak.

Blown air without moisture

Leather shoes can also be widened with warm air. But you put on the shoes, but with thicker socks. By warming with warm, by no means hot blower air, the leather expands. Only the places are processed where the shoe causes problems, where it pushes. It is important not to sit still, but to run after the warming with the shoes and to stretch the toes. The leather cools down over time and is no longer stretchy. If the shoe still presses, the process must be repeated. It is important to treat the shoes afterwards with good leather care, so that the moisture lost by the warming is replaced.

Important : Caution is advised against excessive heat. Adhesive connections can come loose.

steam

Even with steam, shoes can be widened. Many households use steam ironing stations or steam ducks. These can also be used for shoes wide. The shoes must be steamed from the inside, whereby it is important to keep the distance between the iron and the shoe, otherwise they will be damaged. Then insert a shoe straightener and turn to tension. Leave the Dehner in the shoe for a few hours. He still presses, steam again and put the Dehner a bit further until the shoe fits.

Conclusion
There are many ways to widen your shoes. It is important to try the above methods only for leather shoes. You should also be careful with liquids, hot air or steam. The least damage can be done by moistening thicker socks, putting them on and putting them on. When you move and stretch and stretch your toes, the shoes widen without any major problems and adapt to the foot. It can be used calm water. So-called miracle drugs on liquids also do not achieve a better effect.