Of all the types of leather, the one that oozes sophistication from every pore is suede. And the good news does not end there. If you feel that your shoes are too tight, they stretch easily. Here, we will show you how to stretch out suede shoes.
Suede stretches out alright, and easier than the full grain and other types of leather. However, you still need to be cautious because the leather fiber can break if you do not stretch it correctly.
But why should even bother about stretching your shoes? Sometimes, you will find a pair online that the manufacturer claims comes true to size. However, when you try it on, you realize that it fits a bit too tightly.
You can wait for the tightness to go away. However, in most cases, it never does. Therefore, to break in the shoes, you need to take deliberate steps and stretching them out is one of them.
How do you break in suede shoes?
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Most likely, you do this by stretching them so that they can fit you. This is important especially for boots that feel too tight around the heel area.
It is also important for your boots if they feel too narrow, or perhaps they press on the sides of your feet and on your toes too much.
Apparently, stretching is the method of choice for boots that run a bit smaller. If the boots pinch in certain places, they need some stretching out.
Keep reading the upcoming sections to see how you can stretch out your footwear using different techniques.
How do you stretch suede shoes with a hair dryer?
This is the simplest method that you can use to break in your shoes at home.
Wear the shoes as you hit them with the heat. Actually, hit is the wrong word here, because you want to gentle with the heat.
You should also wear the boots with the socks that you will use mostly with them. That way, the shoes not only stretch but they also conform to the shape of your feet.
Identify and even mark the spots that are pinching your feet. If the footwear feels just tight in some spots, don’t blast it all with heat.
Only work on the parts that need stretching. You can mark the spots that pinch with a pencil so that you do not miss them.
One benefit of using the hairdryer is that you can target the tight spots alone. Even after you have heated all the spots, keep wearing them and walk about in them. That way, they adapt to the shape of your feet.
“Listen” to your feet. If they still feel tight, give them a repeat of the same treatment.
Using socks alone stretches the shoes
This is the oldest trick in the book but it is still very effective. Therefore, you should wear two or three pairs of socks and then wear the shoes.
Walk around in them for a couple of hours and they will stretch out. However, if they pinch too hard, you might find it hard to use this technique. If the feet feel too compressed, remove the footwear so that the circulation is not cut.
After spending some hours in the socks and with the shoes on, remove them both. Now, slip your feet again into the shoes with normal socks or without. You will feel whether they have stretched out. If they have, it is fine.
Continue wearing the shoes for a couple of days so that they can stretch fully and eventually adapt to the shape of your feet.
Use ice to expand the shoes
At freezing point, water turns into ice and it expands. That is how it will hep make the boots bigger.
First, you will need plastic bags, which you will fill up with water and then place them inside the shoes. Do not fill them too tightly because you want the water in the bag to spread out and adapt to the shape of the footwear.
With the plastic bags full of water inside the shoes, now, place the shoes in clean plastic bags. You do not want to make your freezer dirty.
Remove after 24 hours
Let the shoes stay inside the freezer for about 24 hours. When the ice expands, it will force them to stretch out. This can happen in about 8 hours. However, keeping them longer in the freezer helps to keep them stretched.
This is a sure fire method and it also works for other types of leather. If you find that the manufacturer has warned to keep the shoes away from direct heat, just use ice instead. Heat can destroy some materials.
If you still find that they are not big enough, you can repeat the process. Usually, the first attempt works perfectly.
Using stretching tools
The shoe stretcher is one of the most important stretching tools. It expands the footwear gently but firmly until you can get the fit just right.
The good thing is that this stretcher expands both the length and the width. Therefore, when you are done, the shoes will be ready to wear.
It does not matter what types of shoes you want to stretch. They can be flats, wedges, high heels, pumps, boots and many others. Whatever design of suede shoes you have, there is a stretcher for them. You can order a stretcher for your type of footwear.
If it is the toe area that is too small, you can increase its size using a stretcher made for the toes. The same applies to the heel area as well as the calf area for boots.
Suede Sprays
Lastly in this list on techniques for how to stretch out suede shoes is sprays. It is very important that you get sprays that are made for suede shoes. ‘
Before using it, check whether you should apply it on the inside or outside of the shoes. Apply enough of it thoroughly so that shoes can stretch evenly. The change in size will be permanent.
Just as you did when using the hair dryer, wear your socks, a couple of pairs if you will, and spray the shoes when they are on your feet. That way, the shoes are going to expand and adapt to the shape of your feet.