Come on, admit it. All of us are guilty of falling in love with a pair of shoes that are just a wee bit (or maybe a lot!) too small for us. Maybe it was an Ebay purchase that didn't quite work out or a thrifted pair that you couldn't pass up for only $2. Whatever the reason, we all know wearing shoes that are too small is bad for our feet. As I was purging my closet, getting ready for the big move, I ran across a pair of beloved boots, an Ebay purchase from a year or so ago. I'd almost forgotten why they had been banished into shoe purgatory. I set them aside to wear to work the next day. Needless to say, about halfway through the next day I began to remember why the boots had been banished. The right one feels about a half size smaller than the left one, pinching my toes and being all around annoying. I checked to make sure the boots are actually a matching pair and they are. And the last time I checked my feet were a matching pair as well. I am hoping to come up with a way to stretch the one boot so I don't have to part with yet another pair of too small shoes.
I know I could take them to a shoe repair shop and have them professionally stretched but I just fancy myself a little more of a DIY kind of girl. Besides, paying to have the shoes stretched kind of defeats getting them for such a good bargain. A little internet research turned up these options:
- "To soften leather cut a potato up and stuff it into the area that you want stretched or softened. It works, don't ask me how but it does. Leave the potato overnight and see if they're better!" How can I put this lightly. Um, NO! No potatoes in the shoes, please. Next!
- "Put on a heavy pair of socks, spray the inside of the shoe with 50-50 water and rubbing alcohol solution, and wear the shoes for 20 minutes- almost always works." There were a lot of these "put on wet socks" solutions out there. Sounds more like a recipe for blisters if you ask me.
- "Place a plastic bag in the shoe and fill the bag with water. Place the shoe in the freezer. When the ice expands the shoe will stretch as well." This sounds the most promising so far. I can see how, technically, it could work. I'm afraid that freezing might not be good for the vintage leather.
- "Stuff your shoe full of damp newspaper as full as you can possibly do it and leave it overnight." This sounds like a possible solution. Much better than a wet sock.
- "Put the shoe on with a pair of thick socks. Heat the leather for about one minute with a hair dryer to soften the leather. Walk around in the shoes until they are completely cooled off." Now this sounds more like my speed. Toasty toes and stretched shoes at the same time? Perfect.
I'll be putting (some) of these to the test and I'll be sure to let you know how it goes. Anybody out there have any other suggestions? And please, step away from the vegetables.