Stretching shoes

I have really weird feet. They are quite wide at the front but very narrow at the back. When I get my feet measured they come out at 6 1/4 and 6 1/2, yet when I buy shoes I need a 7 or even an 8. It's an absolute nightmare trying to buy shoes. Sometimes they just fit like a glove (strangely enough, Penneys shoes are the most comfortable!) but normally they're tight at the front and tight at the back. So I buy a 7 and they're too tight or an 8 and they give me blisters from rubbing at my heels. Does anyone else have this problem? What brands of shoes do you buy?

I got a really cute pair of ballet flats today in a size 7, they're a small 7 (no 8s left) and as usual they're tight at the top. My toes are too wide for them, basically. Is there anything I can do to them?

taram

My shoes are all either Clarks, Converse, Vans or Pennys I have wide toes but average width across arches so unable to wear any pointy toes

If they're leather shoes you can buy a wooden shoe stretcher, I know Clarks do them (around 30 euro), got one in my local cobblers for my mother too, or stuff the toes with wet newspaper and leave it dry inside and expand but that can make them smell. If they're canvas or plastic-based there's not much you can do really but try buy either a wider shoe, or just stick with ones that are like gloves. You could try a half insole and a fabric heel grip for the loose 8s to make them fit better. Heel grips are my beloved shoe item, I need to stick a heel grip in half my shoes because of rubbing from that tiny centimetre or two of extra space.

dudara

I had the same problem with a pair of Irregular Choice that were tight on my toes. I found two bottles of nail varnish that fitted tightly into the toe section and pushed them hard into the toes. I kept pushing them in over the course of a week or so and it made a big difference to the shoes. (It helped that that shoes were leather and able to stretch).

bnagrrl

Put a plastic shopping bag in each shoe, carefully fill with water and tie a knot in it. Put shoes into the freezer for a few days. As the ice freezes it will stretch the shoes.

Michellenman

Would the ice not just expand up out of the 'neck' of the shoe (where your foot goes in) because there's already a gap there? If it does work whoever thought it up is a genius.

I'm pretty sure you can buy what look like mannequin feet to put in your shoes which stretch them out.

bnagrrl

Michellenman wrote: »

Would the ice not just expand up out of the 'neck' of the shoe (where your foot goes in) because there's already a gap there?

No because you don't fill the bags completely with water, you only fill them partially so the ice can expand into the shoe. Well it's worked for me everytime I've done it (twice!)

Michellenman wrote: »

If it does work whoever thought it up is a genius.

Thank you :cool:

Michellenman wrote: »

I'm pretty sure you can buy what look like mannequin feet to put in your shoes which stretch them out.

Oh yeah I never thought of those. They could also work, have never tried them though so can't advise.

fonpokno

My mam got a pair of shoes stretched for €7 a few weeks ago in C & D Shoes if you're in Dublin. We used the one in Sundrive beside Superquinn and the man who works there is the loveliest man ever.