Method2Using Quick Fixes to Break in High Heel Shoes
1Stick a peeled potato in your shoes.[3] This may seem unusual and a little icky, but it can help stretch out your heels quickly. You'll need to select two potatoes large enough puff up your shoes once inserted.Peel the potatoes before inserting. Doing so will allow the moisture from the potatoes' juices to soften the material inside your shoes, which will make it easier to stretch.
Leave the potatoes in your shoes overnight or for at least eight hours in order for the shoes to remain enlarged once the potatoes are removed. Make sure to wipe clean out your shoes afterwards to get rid of the potato residue.
2Rough up the bottoms of your heels.[4] It's important that your shoes have a decent amount of traction on the bottom. Walking in high heels will be a lot easier and safer if you're not sliding around all over the place. New heels tend to have smoother bottoms that become rougher once scuffed. Speed up the process by roughing up the bottom of your heels using a piece of sandpaper. Rub the bottom of your heels for a minute or two, or until the bottoms feel noticeably rougher.
3Wet the insides of your high heel shoes to stretch them.[5] Water can speed up the breaking in process by helping to mold the inside material of your shoes to your feet. Take a damp cloth and rub the insides of your high heels. Put them on while they're still moist and wear them for an hour or more. You can also dampen a pair of socks and wear them with your high heels for the same amount of time.- 4Freeze a bag of water inside your shoes. Water expands when it freezes, making it a perfect method you can use to break in your high heels. You'll need a one-quart sized freezer bag. If you have smaller freezer bags available that's okay to use as well.
Fill the freezer bag half way with water. Squeeze the air out of the bag and close it up. Toss the bag lightly in your hands to make sure it's closed all the way and that there are no leaks in the bag.
Gently stuff the bag inside the shoe until it fills all of the empty space down to the toe. You may need more than one bag of water depending on the size of your shoe. Be sure to tuck the bag in places where the shoes feel too tight on your feet.
Put the shoes into the freezer, and keep them there until the water freezes completely. Once the water is frozen, you can remove the bags and try on your shoes, which should now be stretched. Repeat the process if they still feel too tight.
5Cover the parts of your feet that are being pinched by your heels with moleskin, soak your feet in water, and then wear your heels for a few hours.[6] Moleskin is basically a more comfortable bandage that comes in sheets that you can cut into any size. One side is sticky and one side is soft. It protects the areas of your feet that hurt when wearing your heels, which is typically where blisters might form. Dampening the moleskin and then wearing your shoes will help the insides of your shoes to mold more quickly to the shape of your foot.Cut pieces of moleskin large enough to cover the areas of your feet that hurt when wearing your new high heel shoes. Adhere the moleskin to your skin, like you would a bandage.
Then to get maximum comfort, soak your feet in warm water for a few minutes while wearing the moleskin. The moleskin will expand. The extra padding will give your feet additional protection. And because the moleskin is damp, it will help to soften the material inside your shoes, making it more pliable and able to conform to the shape of your feet.
- 6Use shoe stretching supplies. If breaking in your heels is a battle you constantly find yourself fighting, you may want to invest in shoe stretching spray and a heel stretcher. You simply spray the insides of your shoes, and then insert the heel stretcher in your shoes overnight. You should be good to go in the morning.
7Use a shoe stretching machine. If trying to break in your high heel shoes doesn't seem to be working. Or if you simply don't have the time try various DIY methods, stop by a shoe repair shop for a quick fix. Shoe repair shops have machines specifically built to stretch your shoes. The machine applies the same techniques as common home remedies –pressure and heat –to stretch your shoe quickly.Many shoe stores will stretch shoes for you before you purchase them to help them fit better.[7]
