Did you know that there are actually different kinds of feet? It’s true. There are so many people with different feet than one might assume, and that is part of what makes this world such a wonderful place. But it also means that some people have feet that are wider than others. That probably sounds strange to you if you’ve never thought about it before, but it’s true. It can be an incredibly awkward thing to discover at first because we tend to think of our own bodies as being normal and everyone else as being somehow different or unusual. If you have wide feet, finding shoes can be challenging. The good news is that there are ways to make your shoes fit better even if they weren’t made specifically for someone with wider feet. If you’ve ever experienced pain from wearing shoes that were too small for your feet, then you already know how effective stretching them can be! Here’s a guide on how to stretch shoes for wide feet so you can keep wearing those beautiful shoes without worrying about pain or blisters!
How To Stretch Shoes For Wide Feet?
- The first thing you need to do is find a pair of shoes that are just a little too big for you. If they’re not too big, then they probably won’t fit you well and will be uncomfortable. You want to find shoes that are slightly too big so that the insole can expand inside the shoe and make it more comfortable for your feet.
- There are various ways in which you can stretch your shoes for wide feet, but the best way is to use a pair of pliers. You can use a pair of leather working pliers, but if you’re going to go this route, then get ones that have wire jaws instead of a flat jaw so they can grip tighter! Just hold them over the area where your toes and heel meet and pull them together until they’re as tight as possible without tearing or damaging them.
- The next step is to measure where your toes begin and end on your foot. If the toes on the shoe aren’t long enough, then don’t worry about it because your shoes will stretch out again with wear anyway! However, if they are too short, then no amount of stretching will fix that problem because there isn’t enough space for the insole inside the shoe!
- You can also stretch out shoes by using an elastic band or an elastic hair tie made specifically for this purpose! Place it on top of your foot where it meets at the heel and another one on top of the toes at the same spot. You can even use a pair of socks if you want to!
- You can also stretch shoes by using an open-end wrench or a pair of pliers with a flat jaw. Just clamp them together over the area where the heel and toe meet and pull them tight until they’re as tight as possible without tearing or damaging them.
- If you are unable to stretch your shoes, then it’s time to buy new ones! Make sure that they fit well before you buy them though because not all shoes will stretch out when they get used to be worn.
- Another option is to try wearing socks with your shoes! This way, your feet will be more cushioned and will mold into the shape of your shoe more easily, which can potentially make it easier for you to wear them again later on when they start to stretch out again!
Why Do Shoes Stretch?
- Shoes can stretch or shrink in various ways because they are made of a variety of materials, rubber being one of them. While rubber is pretty pliable by itself, it can become very rigid once it’s stretched. This is because the molecules in rubber are able to align themselves in such a way that when an internal force is applied to them (when wearing your shoes, for example), they want to return to their original state.
- If you take a pair of shoes with you on vacation and then leave them out while you’re gone, you’ll notice that they start stretching out when they’re not worn!
- When your shoes are new, their shape will be larger than when they have been worn before which will cause them to stretch more than usual. Once the shoes have been worn a few times though, the shape gets smaller and the material will be more prone to shrinking since there isn’t as much material that needs to form into its original shape!
- Shoes can also stretch when you take them off! When your feet start sweating and getting rid of any excess water inside your shoes this can cause the leather on your shoes to shrink (because leather has a tendency to shrink at around 0 degrees Celsius). The more moisture your feet have inside them, the tighter they’ll draw on the shoe which can potentially make it expand slightly as well!
- Shoes also tend to stretch as they get older, especially if you wear them regularly (such as every day). The tanner in the shoe can break down and lose the ability to form into the shape of your foot which can cause it to shrink.
- Shoes will also stretch when they are taken apart and re-sewn with other pieces of footwear that may be quite a bit smaller than the original piece. When this happens, it’s common for shoes to shrink by 3/8″ (about one inch)! This is because the new pieces add more material so that there is enough room for your feet to fit inside!
Tips For Successful Shoe Stretching
- If you’re going to be wearing your shoes for a long period of time, make sure to keep them in a place where they won’t get too warm or too cold. This can cause the leather to shrink and become more pliable than it would otherwise be!
- If you’re going to wear your shoes in the winter, make sure to wear socks that are made of wool or other materials that are not very sweaty (such as cotton). This will help prevent your shoes from shrinking as much in the winter!
- Make sure your shoes are worn evenly and consistently throughout the day. When you put them on at night, make sure that you don’t walk around with them on all day long! Leaving them out overnight can also cause a lot of things to change inside them (such as the shape of your feet) which can cause them to shrink!
- Another thing that may cause your shoes to shrink is if they are new but have not been worn yet so they’ve had no time to stretch out yet! If this is the case, just give it some time and they should stretch out over time!
- Lastly, if you have a pair of boots that have been broken in already and have become fairly comfortable, make sure to take off those boots before trying on new ones so that there’s enough room for everything else inside your shoe (like how new socks might feel when wearing a pair of old sneakers)!
Conclusion
While it’s true that people with wide feet may have to invest in a wider selection of shoes than people with narrow feet, it’s not something that should keep you from wearing the type of footwear that you want. If you’re trying to figure out how to stretch shoes for wide feet, you should keep in mind that you don’t want to overdo it. You should try stretching your shoes only until they are comfortable enough to wear. No matter what type of feet you have, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to settle for shoes that don’t fit well. There are ways to make them fit better!