Ponder this, you on an ordinary evening of a working day.
You have just arrived home from an exhausting day at work and as you reach for the door to get in, you notice a package sitting by the door.
You pick it up to get a closer look and the receipt on the box has your name on it.
All of a sudden, you realize it is the package for your new leather shoes that you ordered weeks ago and have finally arrived!
You get inside the house and open the box to see shoes that are pieces of art. You’re excited to put them on but that excitement does not take much time to fade away as soon as you try them on because they are tight and can’t be returned.
Now, that is just sad. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t turn that frown upside down.
You need to find a solution because tight shoes are more painful than fashionable. They can cause some serious damage to your feet including some real injuries such as hammertoes, blisters, corns, etc.
So, the best solution you can find is by learning how to soften the back of new shoes because that is partly causing the problem.
Don’t stress because there are, believe it or not, various ways you can do so. You can find ways to soften the back of your new shoes among the following list of tips:
10 Ways to Soften the Back of New Shoes
#1. Use Ice to Ease Your Shoe
This tip requires you to jog your memory a bit and do some third-grade science work.
As you know, water expands when it freezes, you can use it to overcome your problem. All you need to do is fill two sealable bags halfway with water and place each bag into each shoe.
Just make sure the weight of the water stays on the side that is tight, whether it’s the back of the shoes or the toe area.
When you’ve placed the bags inside the shoes, put them in the freezer for about seven hours and let science take over. Once you take them out and put them on, the shoes will take the form of your foot.
To try this out, you need to remember that this tip only works for natural materials such as leather, suede, and fabric, not synthetic materials.
Moreover, the bags should be properly sealed so the water doesn’t come out as it can stain your shoe.
#2. Damp the Soles
You might not know it, but a little bit of moisture is all you need to fix your problem.
Use a wet piece of cloth to dampen the soles of your shoes and then go for a walk while wearing them.
You can use hot water, steam or just putting the shoes in a box with a damp cloth will work just fine.
As moisture might destroy some materials, this trick only works for leather as it softens leather rather than destroy it.
#3. Alcohol Fixes Everything
The best kind of alcohol you can use here is ethyl. This kind of alcohol does not stain your shoes but it can definitely remove paint that is not permanent.
So, to avoid any mishap, either check the paint on your shoes or don’t use it on colored shoes.
Soak your sock into a mixture of an equal measure of alcohol and water. Put these socks and your tight shoes on and go for a walk until the alcohol evaporates.
Make sure you do not use this trick near a naked flame because ethyl is flammable.
#4. Using High Fat Oils
You can use castor oil to soften your tight leather shoes in no time. Simply apply some of the castor oil to the back of the shoes to ease them up.
This trick not only loosens your shoes but also helps your leather shoes look fresh and brand new. It works as a natural polish only for leather shoes.
#5. Wooden Inserts
A wooden insert for your shoes is an all-around useful product even though it is super old. Wooden inserts adjust throughout your whole shoe so that your shoe does not lose its shape.
Sometimes, your shoes are tight at the heel area and sometimes, they are tight at the toe area to stretch all these areas out, you can use wooden inserts.
Wooden inserts soften the leather by stretching it for a long time. They also help to keep your shoes ventilated and brand new so, even if your shoes are not tight, you can still use wooden inserts to keep them in a brand new shape.
#6. Using Insoles
Another convenient way to soften your new shoes is to get yourself some insoles. Insoles soften the inside of your shoes, ultimately softening the back of your shoes to fit you better. These insoles will help you walk around in your shoes easily without getting hurt.
Another major benefit you get from insoles is that they keep your feet lifted to give you a more comfortable surface to place your feet on as you try to break into these shoes.
You can also get insoles customized according to your feet so that when you use them, your shoes can adapt to the size and shape of your feet.
These insoles allow you to walk comfortably and at the same time improve your walking posture.
So, if you want to get a chance to fit into your tight shoes without hurting and blistering the back of your feet, insoles are a much better idea.
#7. Heat the Back of Your New Shoes
If you did not pay attention in your third-grade science class, here is a quick lesson that can help you in fixing your tight shoes.
It is a famously known fact in science that heat expands things which also makes them soft. Since you are looking for ways to soften your new shoes, let’s take some help from science and heat.
For this trick, put on a pair of socks and wear your tight shoes. Then, take a hairdryer and run it all over the outside of your shoe on low heat without staying on one side for too long.
As you are doing so, move your fingers inside the shoe so that the shoe molds into the shape of your foot.
Once you are done with the hairdryer, remove the socks and put your shoes on barefoot to check if they are the size you want them to be.
If you still think that they need to get a little softer, then repeat the process.
#8. Stretch Sprays
To get an instant fix for your tight shoes, you can use stretching sprays to fix your tight shoes right away. These stretching sprays are specially made and designed to fix your tight shoes instantly.
All you need to do is to spray it inside the shoe and wear it. Walk around and with the help of the movement of your legs and fingers, you can get the perfect size of your own shoe.
Stretching sprays work efficiently without destroying your shoes. In addition to this, they are super cheap and can easily be found at any convenience store.
#9. Soap
For all of you who thought soap was meant only for cleaning and bathing, this trick will prove you wrong.
This trick will show you ways in which soap is meant for so much more than just cleaning and bathing. Who knew you can use soap to soften and ease your tight shoes to fit you better?
Just rub a little bit of soap gently on the inside of the heel of your shoe. There are two advantages of doing this.
First, this will keep your feet from getting blistered. Second, this will allow you to put your shoes on with much more ease.
After you are done putting soap on your shoes, wear the shoes and walk around to stretch the shoe even more and make the material softer.
#10. Socks
One of the easiest ways to break into your new, tight shoes is by wearing the right socks.
What are the right socks you ask? Well, to break into your shoes efficiently, it would be best to wear thick socks.
If you don’t have thick socks, then there is no harm in wearing two pairs of socks at once to soften the shoes.
Make sure to wear socks that will protect your feet from blisters. Use socks that efficiently remove sweat from your feet so that they remain dry and blister-free at all times.
While choosing the best socks to break into your tight shoes, some of the best choices can be athletic and running socks.
Athletic socks are tighter in the toe area making them perfect for athletics. Running socks, on the contrary, feature extra padding on the bottom of the socks which helps with the absorption of the impact your feet receive while running.
Furthermore, cotton socks would not be such a great choice as they tend to absorb sweat and moisture.
Instead, synthetic materials such as acrylic and polyester socks keep your feet dry and free of sweat and moisture.
Bonus Tip: Get a Cobbler’s Help
If you feel like you might lose your mind, stop trying to fix the tight shoes yourself, and get some help from a professional cobbler.
A cobbler has all the knowledge when it comes to shoes because that is their job. They have the proper devices and skills to fix your problems.
The cobbler can do anything to fix your shoe. They may use a ‘last’ to stretch your shoe or they could also cut down the heel of your shoe.
The cobbler can re-size your shoe according to your size so whatever you do, do not try to do anything that might end up in complete disaster. Just seek help from a professional cobbler.
How to Break Into Your Shoes Before They Harm You
It is very obvious that breaking into your new shoes will take some time. Ultimately, as you keep wearing your new tight shoes to break them in, you might end up with painful blisters.
However, there are ways you can prevent blisters as you break your shoes. It would be best to point out the tight areas in your shoe before they hurt you even more.
An ideal way to prevent blisters from forming is by placing a bandage on the back of your foot. This bandage will work as low-key padding against the tight areas until your shoe break-in.
Putting on some petroleum jelly also works just fine if you don’t want the bandage to show when you wear your shoes.
Final Words
No matter how excited you are about getting your new favorite shoes, it is a bummer when they end up being tight.
But, don’t be sad because there are several ways mentioned above that will hopefully help you can overcome tight shoes and prevent any painful blisters and conditions from occurring.
