If you have bought footwear that appears to be a half-size or so bigger than your fit, you need to know how to wear shoes that are too big.
Manufacturers will swear that their shoes run true to size. However, when it gets down to it, their shoes either run big or small. Of course, small is easier to fix with a simple process to break-in boots.
If they are too big, they take more work to shrink, but it is doable. But if you do not want to shrink the shoes, you can fine-tune them so that they fit you.
How to wear shoes that are a half size too big
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If your shoes are only a half size too big, wearing them is not a problem at all. You will just need some little work to make the shoes fit you, without slipping out.
Here are a few techniques that you can employ to get your shoes to fit:
1. Add Insoles
Insoles will occupy some of the volume inside your shoes. Thus, your feet will have less space to fill.
There are all types of insoles in the market. Some are thin and some thick, so you can choose the most appropriate ones.
If you have foot issues such as plantar fasciitis, you can use the appropriate insoles for your condition.
2. Wear two pairs of socks
The good thing with wearing two pairs of socks is that you make your feet thicker and bigger. Also, no one else needs to know that you are wearing a bundle of socks. You can wear the shorter pair inside and the bigger one outside.
If the shoes are a half-size bigger, it is no trouble at all and two pairs of socks should do the trick very well. If you still feel that there is some extra space, you should try using a pair of inserts.
3. Use heel pads
You can also use heel pads in the shoes, to raise your heels a little so that you can fill the shoes some more.
If you have plantar fasciitis, you will appreciate the heel pads because they give you more padding to absorb the impact that might come to your feet.
The heel pads offer more padding in the heel area. Therefore, when your feet make impact as you move, the shock never gets to the heels.
If you have bunions on your toes, heel pads will be better than full inserts for you. The reason for that is that in the toe box, you need more space to accommodate the toe that has bunions.
4. Get a pair of thick socks
You might feel that the shoes need just a little nudging to fit nicely. Thus, instead of wearing two pairs of socks, you can just wear one pair of thick socks.
If the one pair of socks does not help the shoes to fit, you can always wear a second pair. Remember, we are not talking about regular socks here. We are talking about thick socks that you would wear with cowboy boots.
5. Stuff the toe box area
This is something that your mother probably did once or twice in your childhood, so you can try it again. Stuff some material in the toe box area.
It can be old newspapers or toilet paper. Just make sure to leave some space for your toes’ wriggle room.
If you stumble and your foot slides forward slightly, you do not want to hit your toes against the materials you have used for stuffing. That could be too painful!
6. Use heel inserts
Heel inserts are so simple to use and they do reduce the size of the shoes. In addition, you can use two of them if you need to, so that you can further decrease the shoe size.
Heel inserts are designed in such a way that on one side, there is the adhesive that attaches to the back of your shoes, on the inside.
It is best to prepare amply before peeling the adhesive because when exposed for too long, it can lose its stickiness.
How to wear shoes 2 sizes too big
Actually, the right question to ask here is: can you wear shoes two sizes too big?
The answer is no, you cannot. It is possible to fine-tune a pair of shoes to fit you if they are a half or one size too big.
But two sizes too big is a little too much. It is best to return the shoes and exchange them for smaller ones.
If you cannot return the shoes, perhaps you can try selling them online. You can find a person who can wear that size among your Facebook followers. If not, you are just stuck with shoes that you will probably never wear.
So, why can’t you just wear thick socks with the shoes? There are many reasons. One of them is that if they are this big, they will keep sliding along your heel line and this is going to cause serious blisters.
Also, if your foot keeps sliding inside the shoes when you are going up or down a slope, you will develop some serious blistering.
Is it okay to wear shoes that are too big?
It is okay to wear sneakers that are too big but even then, they should not be thicker than a half size.
For the other shoes, it is only okay to wear shoes that are too big only when you have fine-tuned them with full inserts, heel pad, heel inserts and other means.
Even then, it is important to test whether the shoes amply fit you. If they leave too much space, do not wear them.
Why should you avoid wearing shoes that are too big? There are a few reasons. One of them is that the shoes will keep slipping off your feet, which can affect your walking speed and pace. It can also increase your risk of falling on slippery floors.
If your shoes are too big, they will cause blisters at the back of the heels. As the shoes keep slipping off and on, they rub the back of your heel. This can cause serious injury that will prevent you from going to work for a couple of days.
To reiterate, if the shoes are too big, there is no need to attempt to make big shoes fit tighter. Just keep them away, or give them to a relative with bigger feet and buy others.
Will insoles make shoes tighter?
Using full inserts, half or even three-quarter inserts is one way of making big shoes fit tighter. Thus, if your cowboy boots are only a half-size bigger, a pair of inserts might solve that for you.
Insoles raise the footbed of the shoes therefore decreasing the volume that your foot has to fill. The shoes start fitting tighter.
If you have foot issues such as plantar fasciitis, if you have knee issues, hip pain and ankle pain, you should get orthotic insoles. These come with good support at the heel, ball of foot area and in the arches.
You could ask your doctor to help you select the right pair of insoles for your feet. If you need to make big shoes fit tighter and you have feet issues, you might want to try aiming for two birds with one stone.
Is it better for shoes to be tighter or loose?
It is better for your shoes to fit snug-comfortable than snug tight or to be too loose. We have mentioned time and again that when shoes are too loose, they cause blisters on your heels.
When the shoes are too tight, they are going to press your toes and the sides of your feet. Also, when you move on uneven ground, your feet might slide inside the shoes and cause serious blisters.
If the shoes are bigger, it takes more work to shrink them. Making tight shoes fit better is easier though. Different materials used to make shoes start to stretch over time.
One of the methods for breaking in shoes is to put plastic packs of water inside the shoes and then leave the shoes in the fridge for tens of hours.
As the water turns into ice, it expands. Thus, it pushes against the walls of the shoes causing the leather to extend.
It is best to get shoes and boots that run true to size. But if it really comes down to choosing between tight and loose shoes, choose tight. They will expand. Loose ones will expand and become even looser.
Should my toes touch the end of my shoes?
In learning how to wear shoes that are too big, make sure they do not get to touch the end of your shoes. If they do, they are running small. You can injure your toes badly if you stumble and your foot slides forward.
When your shoes are laced up, they should not slip off your heels. At the same time, you should be able to wiggle your toes, move them up and down and slightly sideways.
If you have bunions, more toe room is better! You may have to get big size shoes.
Wrapping Up
That is it for the question of how to wear shoes that are too big. If they are only slightly, like a half size bigger, you can fine-tune them. If they are bigger than that, it is probably best to return them or just not wear them.
When ordering your shoes online, check the shoes or boot sizing charts so that you can buy your correct sizing.