How to Fix Painful Shoes 3

1
Buy some specialized socks. Sometimes, wearing the right type of sock with your shoe is all that you need to fix painful shoes. These types of socks offer support to your feet, wick away moisture, and help prevent chafing and blisters. Here are some types of specialized socks that you might be able to find, and what they can do for you:^[6]^[7]

Athletic socks are tighter in the arch area. This helps offer arch support, and makes them ideal for athletic and running shoes.
Moisture wicking socks will help remove sweat from around your feet. This will help keep your feet dry and prevent blisters.
Running socks have extra padding on the underside, This will help absorb the impact your foot makes when you run.
Toe socks are like gloves, but for your feet instead. They cover each toe separately, and may help prevent blisters between toes.
Consider the material. Some materials, such as cotton, soak up sweat too easily, which can lead to blisters. Acrylic, polyester, and polypropylene help remove sweat, leaving your feet dry.

2
Prevent painful flip-flops by cushioning the thong part. Flip-flops can be comfortable and easy to wear. When the thong starts to dig in between your toes, however, they can become painful. Here are some tricks you can try to make flip-flops less painful:

Use silicon flip-flop inserts. They are shaped like ball-of-foot cushions, except that they have a little cylinder that sticks up near the front. Place the insert in the front of your flip-flop, then slip the thong part into the cylinder. The cylinder will help prevent the thong from digging in between your toes.
Wrap the thong area with some adhesive moleskin. The will be especially effective on plastic or rubber flip-flops. It will help cushion your foot and soften any sharp edges.
Wrap some fabric around the thong. You can even continue wrapping the fabric around the straps for a colorful, personal touch. Secure both ends of the fabric to the shoe with a drop of shoe glue.

3
Know how to treat painfully-smelly shoes. You can use micro-suede insoles to absorb odor-causing sweat, or you can stick some tea bags into the shoes while you are not wearing them. The tea bags will absorb the odor. Discard the tea bags the next day.
4
Consider taping your third and fourth toe together using skin-colored medical tape. This helps lessen pain in the ball of your foot. The reason this works is because there is a nerve between those two toes. That nerve splits when you wear heels and put pressure on it. Taping those toes together pulls some of the strain away.^[8]
5
Break in stiff shoes by wearing them for short periods. If your new shoes are painful because they are stiff, you can help soften them up by wearing them around your home. Be sure to take breaks often and take the shoes off when they become too painful. Over time, the shoes may loosen up and become more comfortable to wear.
6
Use a hairdryer to stretch and break in stiff shoes. Turn a hairdryer on to the lowest setting and point the nozzle into the shoe. Warm the shoe up from the inside for a few minutes, then turn the hairdryer off. Put on two pairs of socks and slip the shoe on. As the shoe cools back down, it will conform to the shape of your foot. This method is best used for shoes made from natural materials; it is not recommended for plastics and other synthetic materials as it may damage them.