How to Stretch Open Toe Leather Shoes

There’s nothing worse than finding the perfect pair of open toed leather shoes and then realizing that they’re too tight. Returning shoes can be a hassle, and finding the right size for your feet can be difficult. Fortunately, there are a couple different ways that you can stretch out your shoes to make them a little more comfortable to wear.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Stretching Your Shoes with Ice

1. Fill 2 plastic bags with about of water. Try to fill each bag up about halfway, then seal them tightly. Make sure there aren’t any holes where the water could spill out.^[1]
   
   • Pick bags that are small enough to fit inside of your shoes, like sandwich bags.
2. Push the bags of water into the toes of your shoes. Double check that the bags are sealed tightly, then shove them as far down into your shoes as you can. Make sure about of the bag is sticking out of the toe portion of your shoe.^[2]
   
   • Using a bag of water will mostly widen the toe portion of your shoes, and not so much the heel area.
3. Put your shoes in the freezer for about 3 hours. As the water freezes, the ice will expand inside of your shoe, stretching out the leather. You can check on your shoes periodically to see how frozen the water is, but it usually takes 3 to 4 hours.^[3]
   
4. Take your shoes out and remove the bags of ice. Once the ice is frozen, you can take your shoes out and test how much they have stretched. Dump out the ice but save the bags so that you can reuse them if you need to.^[4]
   
5. Repeat the process as many times as you need to. Since ice only expands so much, you may have to put bags of ice in your shoes 2 to 3 times. If this method doesn’t work, you can take your shoes to a professional cobbler for a stretching service.^[5]
   
   • The amount of times you use this method depends on how tight the leather in your shoes is and how much you need them to stretch.

[Edit]Heating Your Shoes with a Hair Dryer

1. Put on a pair of thick socks and your leather shoes. Thick socks will protect your feet from the heat of your hair dryer, which can get really hot. Pull your open toed leather shoes on over your socks as best you can.^[6]
   
   • It may be difficult to get your shoes on over the socks, but it’s really important to protect your feet from the hair dryer so they don’t get burned.
2. Aim your hair dryer at the areas that are too tight for 10 minutes. Turn your hair dryer on high heat and point it at the areas of your shoes that are too snug, like the toes or heel. Pass quickly over your shoes so that they don’t get hot, and keep doing this for about 10 minutes.^[7]
   
3. Keep your shoes on while they cool down for about 10 minutes. As your shoes cool, they will form to the shape of your feet. Leave your shoes on for a little bit so they conform to the larger size.^[8]
   
   • If you take your shoes off while they’re still warm, they could shrink in size.
4. Apply a leather conditioner to rehydrate your shoes. Heat can dry out leather, so it’s important to rehydrate your shoes once you’re done. Dab a small amount of leather conditioner onto a clean cloth and rub it in a circular direction all over the outside of your shoes.^[9]
   
   • You can find leather conditioner online or at most leather shops.

[Edit]Using a Shoe Stretcher

1. Spray shoe stretcher spray all over your shoe. Shoe stretcher spray will soften the leather of your shoe and make it more malleable. Spray a thin layer of it all over the outside of your shoe to get it ready for the stretching tool.^[10]
   
   • You can find stretching spray at most shoe stores. You can also find it in a liquid version that you rub into your shoe with a clean cloth.
   • Shoe stretcher spray is a leather conditioner that soaks the shoe to make it more pliable without damaging it.
2. Let the spray soak in for 1 to 2 minutes. Set your shoe down on a flat surface and give the spray some time to soak into the leather. You may still see a slight shine from the spray, but it shouldn’t pool up anywhere on your shoe.^[11]
   
   • If you don’t let the spray soak in first, it might not work as well.
3. Insert the shoe stretcher into your shoe. Shoe stretchers look like wooden feet with a metal bar sticking out the back. High heel shoe stretchers conform to the shape of the heel so you don’t have to worry about warping your shoe. Slide the tool into your shoe and situate it so that you can see the “toe” of the stretcher sticking out of the toe of your shoe.^[12]
   
   • You can find shoe stretchers at most shoe stores.
4. Turn the handle of the stretcher clockwise 6 to 8 times. The metal handle on the back of the stretcher pushes the inside of the stretcher open. Turn the handle 3 to 4 times until the stretcher is snug in the shoe, then turn it 3 to 4 more times to give it a stretch.^[13]
   
   • The shoe stretcher will widen your shoes from the toe to the heel. Unfortunately, it won’t make them any longer.
5. Leave your shoe stretcher in your shoe for 1 to 2 days. The leather of your shoes needs time to adhere to its new shape. Keep your shoe in a cool, dry place, like your closet, for at least 24 hours before taking it out.^[14]
   
   • If you have 2 shoe stretchers, you can stretch both your shoes at the same time. Otherwise, just do one shoe at a time.
   • The shoe stretcher spray will absorb into your shoes, so you don’t need to worry about wiping it off.

[Edit]Tips

• If you can’t get your shoes to stretch, take them to a professional cobbler for a stretching service.

[Edit]Things You’ll Need

[Edit]Stretching Your Shoes with Ice

• 2 plastic bags

[Edit]Heating Your Shoes with a Hair Dryer

• Thick socks
• Hair dryer
• Leather conditioner

[Edit]Using a Shoe Stretcher

• Shoe stretcher spray
• Shoe stretcher

[Edit]References

1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiBWdCvlauw&feature=youtu.be&t=50
2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiBWdCvlauw&feature=youtu.be&t=56
3. ↑ https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-stretch-your-shoes-2015-2
4. ↑ https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-stretch-your-shoes-2015-2
5. ↑ https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-stretch-your-shoes-2015-2
6. ↑ https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-stretch-your-shoes-2015-2
7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiBWdCvlauw&feature=youtu.be&t=92
8. ↑ https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-stretch-your-shoes-2015-2
9. ↑ https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/how-to-stretch-shoes-and-leather
10. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QohsNMsplqI&feature=youtu.be&t=115
11. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QohsNMsplqI&feature=youtu.be&t=52
12. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QohsNMsplqI&feature=youtu.be&t=105
13. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QohsNMsplqI&feature=youtu.be&t=114
14. ↑ https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-stretch-your-shoes-2015-2