One of the most unpleasant experiences of purchasing new shoes is having to break into them. We have all put up with the bunions, the blisters, the boils, and the excruciating pain while breaking into new shoes at some point in our lives.
As canvas material is made from woven fabric, the shoes are somewhat more flexible and breathable than other synthetic shoes or patent leather shoes for example. The stretching process would require less effort, but it can be very useful to know how to stretch canvas shoes.
Why you might need to stretch canvas shoes
Even if people know their correct shoe size, it can be difficult to find one that exactly fits your foot. As with any wearable item, there isn’t one size that fits all. Two people could be of the same shoe size, but their feet maybe proportioned differently. One might have a wider foot, more muscular ankle, etc. Hence it is not surprising that people have a hard time breaking into new shoes and may need shoe stretching.
Typically, it could take a few weeks to break into a new shoe, but this depends on how mismatched your shoe is.
How to stretch canvas shoes
Before learning how to stretch canvas shoes, it’s good to learn some preventative measures to minimize your need for shoe stretching. For example, when choosing new shoes, ensure you leave around a centimeter between your toes and the edge. It’s also interesting to note that human feet tend to be bigger towards the end of the day, so hit the shoe stores in the evening!
To minimize the pain from potential blisters and bunions, wear cushioned pads or bandages where there is most friction (such as the heel for example).
Here are some tips and hacks on how to stretch canvas shoes:
Practice walking and running in them
Wear thick sports socks (or wear many socks to get the thickness you want) and practice walking or running around in them. Flex and bend as much as possible, and you can even try performing exercises like lunges and squats. This will stretch the shoe more thoroughly. This would be more effective if you do them in a warm environment so that the heat will soften and expand the material.
Use a heat source
As previously noted, heat will soften the material and expand it. For a heat source you could use:
- • A hair dryer-
Set the hair dryer on high heat and direct the nozzle to where the shoes feel the tightest.
- • Steam-
Boil a pot of water and hold your shoes up to the steam. It will make the canvas fabric more malleable.
Shoe Stuffing
You can choose a variety of material to stuff inside the new shoes, ranging from old newspapers to potatoes! Stuff the shoes with your filler and leave them for several days. The shoe will gradually deform and stretch.
Freeze your shoes into shape
Yes, you read that correctly. Freezing new shoes is an effective and well-tested method according to all the testimonials you find in the fashion blogosphere. Place an empty plastic bag inside your shoe and fill it with water. Tie the bag securely and leave the shoes in the freezer overnight. Water expands as it freezes, stretching out your shoes.
You can also use fillers like the last method and place the shoes in the freezer instead of using a bag of water.
Get yourself a shoe stretcher
For all the fancy shoe owners out there, this is a cool gadget to have. You can find various types of shoe stretchers such as the ball-and-ring stretchers or the two-way shoe stretchers. Two-way shoe stretchers have a two-part mold that expands in length and width as you turn the screw.
Hopefully, after reading this guide on how to stretch canvas shoes, you can enjoy your new canvas shoes and steer clear of those pesky bunions and blisters!
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