How can i stretch the width of my shoes

Ideally, put on a few pairs of thick socks. Put your socks on and squeeze into the shoes. Using a hairdryer to apply heat, blow dry the areas of the shoe that feel tight for about seconds at a time.

Aside from using heat to stretch leather, you can also use cold. While this method is okay for leather shoes, it works best for non-leather shoes. For leather, we recommend using the heat option instead. For non-leather shoes like sneakers or slippers , you can use a zip-close bag filled with water to stretch them gently in the freezer.

Stick the shoes in the freezer and leave them there until the water freezes. Shoes that can get wet, like canvas shoes and water shoes , can be directly frozen. Wet these shoes with a little water and put them in the freezer to freeze. Take them out and let them thaw. They should fit well after their freezer time! An old-fashioned way to do this is to simply stuff your shoes with newspapers.

The pressure and shape of the tightly bundled paper will slowly and gently stretch out the shoes. In a few days, the shoes should feel noticeably roomier. Peel a potato and shape it into the mold of the front of the shoe where your toes go. Wipe the potato dry with a paper towel and stuff it into your shoe overnight. This method sounds silly, but you can definitely expect to have a little extra space in your shoes come morning.

Adjustable shoe trees are the fancier and more technical way to go about stretching your shoes. Adjustable shoe trees are often used to keep various kinds of fancy dress shoes in shape.

Shoe trees are designed to smooth out the lining of your shoes, and keep away any creases or dents to preserve the look and aesthetic of the shoe.

While shoe trees are not exactly designed to stretch shoes, they can do some stretching. Privacy Policy. Terms and Conditions. Affiliate Disclosure. Contact Us. Site Map.

This is designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon. This allows us to earn an income to maintain our site and continue to provide value to our readers. Copyright of Boot Mood Foot Steve Thompson. These are the best ways for how to stretch shoes for wide feet: Change the insole. Stretch spray. Freezer technique. Shoe stretcher. How to Stretch Shoes Wider Before you start looking for ways on how to stretch shoes for wide feet, remember that not all materials are equal.

Change the Insole If your new tight shoes have a removable insole, take it out and see if you can replace it with a thinner one. Stretch Spray You can either buy a stretch spray or make your own with some rubbing alcohol and a small spray bottle. Newspaper Just ball up a couple of sheets of wet newspaper. Stuff your shoes with them. Leave the paper in the shoes overnight until it dries, and the paper will naturally expand your shoes. Fill the bag about half-way with water.

Seal it. Carefully place the bag filled with water inside the shoe. You can use a second bag over it for extra protection. Repeat on the other side, making sure the water reaches the spot where you need extra room. Put the shoes inside another plastic bag to not take all the germs from your soles to your food. Put them in the freezer, and leave them overnight. When the water freezes, it expands inside the shoe and widens it a little bit. Hairdryer A good DIY trick for widening your shoes at the exact spot you need it the most is with a hairdryer.

Just pull on a pair of thick socks and then your shoes. Grab a blow dryer and direct it at your feet. Keep the hairdryer at low temperature, and move it around to not damage your shoes with too much heat. You can direct it exactly at the place where you need the shoe to widen the most.

Repeat if needed. Shoe Stretcher Shoe stretchers are what professional cobblers use to widen or lengthen shoes. To know your foot width, just measure it at the widest point and compare it to a size chart. Leave them in a warm, dry place for about minutes, or until the ice starts to melt.

Then, wiggle the bag back and forth until you can remove it from the shoe. If there are any holes in the bag, the water could leak into the shoe and damage it. Method 3. Use a shoe stretcher to gradually widen leather shoes. Typically, they have a knob or a lever that you turn to gradually widen and lengthen the shoe stretcher.

Over time, this will help relax and widen the shoe, making them up to a half-size larger. Try this in conjunction with a shoe-stretching spray for the best results. Dampen the shoes with the spray, then insert the shoe stretcher. Repeat this as needed until your shoes reach the size you need. Roll up socks and stuff them into the toes of the shoes for a gentle stretch. Take a sock and roll it up tightly from the toes all the way to the top, then stick it down into the toe box of the shoe.

This may not work as well for shoes with a stiff upper, like dress shoes. Also, shoes that are made from a flexible material, like mesh, might require direct heat or a method that saturates the shoe in order to stretch out the fibers. Place wet newspaper into the shoes for more stretching power. Dampen a few sheets of newspaper, then ball them up and stuff them into the toe box of the shoe. Continue adding balls of wet newspaper until the shoe is full. As the paper dries, it will expand and harden, stretching out the shoe.

Do not saturate the paper, or it could damage the inside of your shoe. Also, avoid using this technique on leather shoes. Stretch the shoe with wet oats, grains, or rice for an old-fashioned approach. Fill a plastic bag with oatmeal, rice, or any other grain that will swell up when it gets wet. Add just enough water to cover the grains, then seal the bag and place it into the shoe, working it down into the toe box.

Leave the bag in place overnight, then remove it and try your shoes on! As the oats expand, the pressure will help stretch the material of the shoe. Did you know you can get premium answers for this article?

Unlock premium answers by supporting wikiHow. Penny Simmons Shoe Care Specialist. Penny Simmons. Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer. Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0. Not Helpful 8 Helpful 6. How can I stretch my new shoes if they have glitter on them that I don't want to come off? Not Helpful 4 Helpful 5. Not Helpful 3 Helpful 9. Not Helpful 6 Helpful 4. Not Helpful 2 Helpful 3. Not Helpful 4 Helpful 4.

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 3. Neatsfoot Oil is great if they are leather. Not Helpful 19 Helpful You can do this by using the freezer stretching technique in the article above. Not Helpful 12 Helpful Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. If your shoes are expensive or delicate, it may be best to take them to a professional cobbler to have them stretched. Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0. Related wikiHows How to. How to.