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How to Break in New Shoes: The Best Method Discovered!

How to Break in New Shoes
Written by Brian G Smith

Who doesn’t love new shoes? But one problem we often face with new shoes is that discomfort for the first days. Some pairs might not fit and even hurt your feet. To fix this, you need to break your shoes in.

Here we will show you how to go about this the right way. It’s time to try a fail-safe plan to keep your feet safe from that agony.

Why Do New Shoes Need Breaking In?

New shoes can be super tight around the toes and sometimes back of the heel. These new shoes cause friction blisters because of the constant rubbing of feet against the shoes. After some time, these blisters turn into abrasion. To save you from these miseries, you should definitely break in your new shoes.

How to Break Shoes in? – 12 Effective Methods Explained

how to break new shoes

1. Stretch Them Out

One of the simplest methods is to stretch them with a shoe stretcher, which is easily available in the market. Stretchers come in different shapes and help you stretch the shoes without destroying their shape and material. Put bulky socks on the stretcher and place it in the shoes overnight. Keep repeating unless you break in properly.

2. Wearing Around the House

New shoes must align with your feet to be comfortable. Gradually break in new shoes by trying them on for 3-4 days. Walk in them for 20-30 minutes on the first day, and increase the time daily. After four days, the shoes will most probably adopt feet shape.

3. Freezing Shoes

Use two water bags large enough to pressurize the shoes while expanding in a freezer. Make sure your shoes are water-proof. Then, place one bag in each shoe and pack the shoes in an air-tight plastic bag. Now, put them in the freezer for 2-3 hours, and take them out to wear.

4. Heating Shoes Up

Wear a pair of bulky socks, and try the shoes. Then, walk for 10 minutes. For heating, put them in front of an indoor heater or in the sun but for not too long. The shoe’s material will expand. Wear them again for 10 minutes and repeat until they fit.

5. Water Bucket

Wear the shoes and dump them in a water bucket. Then walk with the wet shoes for some time. The water will stretch the material inside and make it soft, allowing the shoes to adapt to your feet shape. Now dry them off with a towel. This method is for water-resistant shoes, mostly for sandals.

6. Chunky Socks

You can also break in a pair of shoes while wearing chunky socks. For this method, wear chunky socks on and try the shoes. But don’t walk; just sit because if you walk it will make blisters again. It’s time-taking, so you can use a shoe shaper with a sock instead.

7. Identify Hot Spots

New shoes are harsh with all those fractional blisters and abrasion they make. Identify the hot spots and try to make it a pleasant sight. Apply moisturizer or lotion to reduce friction or petroleum jelly on the worst spot. Use smooth and thin paper surgical tape to reduce the effect.

8. Blister Cushions

Next, you can make blister cushions or extra padding to give a little relief while breaking in. This extra cushioning will provide a foam-like feel and reduce the friction against the feet. We often get these blisters from riding skates and doing tricks on a pro scooter. If there’s a particular spot causing friction, using a Band-Aid, surgical tape, or cushions will reduce it.

9. Use Hairdryer

This method is applicable to leather material, not synthetics. Put on super thick socks, and wear the shoes. Now, feel the tight spot, or from where the shoes making a fraction or hurting. Blow-dry that part unless it gets hot. Start walking when it’s hot, and the shoes will adopt your feet shape.

10. Soak in it

First, check if the material is water-resistant. Spray some water inside the shoes or use some rubbing alcohol inside. Then, wear them in the same condition and walk for 20-30 minutes. Repeat this process several times, and you’ll be able to model them as per your feet shape.

11. Dry your feet

For non-water-resistant shoes, you should keep your feet dry and walk for short intervals in the shoes, to refrain from blisters. There will be a lesser chance of blister formation and fungus if you use any antiperspirant product on your feet because it will fix your feet in well, thus stop fractions.

12. Other Methods

  • Using a potato

Use a peeled potato that has the size the same as feet size or choose the stretch you want. Don’t use bigger than that, or it’ll destroy the shape of the shoes. Fix it inside overnight, and take it out in the morning and walk in them. Repeat the process as much required.

  • Using a shoe stretcher

Buying a shoe stretcher can actually help you break in your shoes quickly and shorten the miserable time. You can wear a sock on the shoe stretcher and keep it in there overnight. Then, use it immediately afterward to give it the shape the same as your feet.

  • Get a machine-stretching from a cobbler

If you want to get it done professionally, then consider going to a cobbler. He will use a stretching spray on the insides and use a stretch machine to break in.

  • Using a stretching spray

You can buy a stretch spray, which is available for all kinds of material. Pick the right one for your shoes and follow the instructions given on the packaging.

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Don’t use any hard object like a It will destroy the shape and sometimes even break them.
  • Don’t have another person wear shoes whose feet are bigger than yours because they’ll loosen afterward.
  • Don’t soak them in boiling water or rubbing alcohol to clean the shoes. They’ll be scrapped and decolorized.

Conclusion

What are you waiting for? Use these methods mentioned above and break in your shoes for more comfort. Once done, you can wear them anywhere and enjoy various activities.

FAQs

1. How long does it take to break in new shoes?

Ans. If you don’t use any method, they’ll take 2-3 weeks. The more you use them, the more quickly they conform to your feet. Use different methods to break them in quickly.

2. Why do new shoes give blisters?

Ans. The surface of the new shoes is hard, so when the surface touches the upper layer of the skin repeatedly, it produces friction, and that friction causes blisters.

3. How do you stop new shoes from giving you blisters?

Ans. When wearing new shoes, provide better cushioning. Some options include wearing chunky thicker socks, adding extra padding, using a moisturizer for less friction, or covering the infected area with surgical tape.

4. Is breaking in shoes a thing?

Ans. When you buy new shoes, you’ll understand how miserable it is to walk in shoes without breaking them in. You’ll get fractional blisters and abrasion. So, consider breaking in the shoes before giving them a ride.

About the author

Brian G Smith

“Hey, are you out of your mind?” - this is what I often hear when people see me performing some really dangerous stunts. While most people use scooters to commute, I use mine to hone my stunting skills. Yes, that’s me, Brian Smith. I’ve a small group of like-minded people in my team that love to do all sorts of stunts with their kick scooters and skateboards. My fans also ask me to teach them a thing or two every now and then. This is why I am here. In my leisure time, I like to write about what I do with my scooters and what I am going to do next. One thing I want to say to all my fans - Don’t hit the streets without proper information and training..

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