How to reduce shoe size at Home
How to reduce shoe size on your own is of interest to many.
In fact, it’s simple, you just need to know how!
Sometimes after buying a new pair of shoes, you may find that they are slightly too big. In such a situation, many people wonder how to reduce shoe size at home. Fortunately, this is a completely doable task, and I will tell you how to solve this problem without having to go to a workshop.
You can reduce the size of shoes in different ways, which depend on the material of the shoes and their design. In this article, I will share proven methods that will help you comfortably wear your favorite pair of shoes.
Reasons for shoe size increase
Shoes can increase in size for various reasons:
- Wearing soft leather. Over time, shoes, especially made of genuine leather, can stretch and increase in size. This is especially noticeable in unlined shoes.
- Other people’s use. Sometimes, if someone else has worn your shoes, they can stretch out and become too big for you.
- Bad purchase. When buying shoes, your feet can fill out in the evening, and shoes bought in the afternoon can be too big in the morning.
Now let’s look at methods that will help reduce your shoe size.
How to reduce shoe size: basic methods
Heel pads
The first and easiest way is to purchase special heel pads. In stores you can find both silicone and leather pads:
- Silicone pads are denser and are suitable for light and open shoes. They are transparent and almost invisible.
- Leather pads are thinner and are usually made of suede. Suitable for closed shoes.
The pads are glued to the inside of the heel counter and help to reduce the size of the shoe by 5 mm. This is an ideal method for those looking for an easy and quick way to fix the problem.
Folk methods for reducing shoes
Another method is to use improvised means. For example, you can put cotton wool or soft fabric into the toe of the shoe to reduce the internal space. This method is suitable for closed shoes, but can be inconvenient, since the “pads” can fall out when taking off the shoe.
How to Reduce the Width of Shoes
Sometimes the problem is not the length, but the width of the shoe. Here are some ways to make your shoes narrower:
Installing half insoles and inserts
To reduce the width of your shoes, you can use half insoles or silicone inserts:
- Leather half insoles raise the foot and make the shoe more comfortable by reducing its internal volume.
- Silicone inserts also do a great job of this, especially in the case of open shoes, as they are invisible and easily attached to the insole.
Additional insoles
If your shoes are too big both in width and length, a good solution would be to use additional insoles. This is a universal method for closed shoes, which will immediately solve the problem with volume.
What not to do
When it comes to reducing shoes, it is important to know what not to do:
- Don’t wet shoes. Contrary to popular advice, you should not immerse shoes in water in order to narrow them. The leather can deform, become hard, lose color and even get damaged.
Some “well-wishers” advise to completely wet the shoes, even immerse them in water, and then dry them as quickly as possible in any available way – for example, using a fan heater, placing them on a radiator or, even “better”, putting them in the oven. In their opinion, this way, when drying, the shoes should shrink.
I can’t argue with the fact that the leather will really shrink, or rather, dry out and wrinkle. But I want to assure you – the shoes will inevitably get damaged.
During such a “procedure”, a lot of unexpected problems can arise. For example, when wet, in addition to the fact that the upper part of the shoe will suffer, the inner insole will begin to peel off, the sole will peel off, the leather may change color and become stained, and become hard and prone to tearing.
Remember, even if this method works temporarily, over time the skin will still stretch to its previous size, and possibly even more.
- Do not use strong heat. Drying shoes with a hair dryer, oven or radiator will cause them to shrink and crack the material.
- Do not freeze shoes. There are myths that shoes can be put in the freezer to shrink, but this is nonsense that will only ruin the shoes. Do not ruin your shoes and do not waste time on these useless and harmful procedures.
Conclusion
So, the best way to reduce the size of shoes at home is to use heel pads or half insoles to adjust the internal volume of the shoe. These methods are safe for shoes and do not require complex manipulations.
I hope my tips will help you extend the life of your favorite shoes and boots. If you liked the article, share it on social networks and do not forget to subscribe to new tips on shoe care.
