Saving Money on Shoes by Using the "Stretching" Method

An easy way of saving money on purchasing shoes is to stretch them at home with alcohol. This is cheaper and easier than paying for a new pair of shoes every time they pinch a toe or cause an uncomfortable blister. This is easily done on shoes that only need to be a half size larger, because a full size indicates that you should have bought a larger size. In this instance, stretching cannot be completed, as this will tear up the shoe permanently.

You will need a shoe stretcher that can be bought at any shoe store or cobbler supply, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, a spray bottle and a water source. To start, you want to put your shoe onto the shoe stretcher. Begin by placing it inside the shoe with the toe end of the stretcher touching the inside tip of the toe of the shoe. The stretchers look like an old wooden shoe, so just insert the toe end of it into the toe end of your shoe.

Now you need to crank the small handle on the outside. Some stretchers require you to simply turn the toe end of the stretcher to increase the size. If this is the case with yours, simply crank the end of the toe out to one size larger than your shoe. Then you will need to insert it back into the shoe, and stretch the rear of the shoe over the end of the stretcher. If this is too hard to do manually, use a shoehorn to get it back inside.

To actually get the shoe to stretch, you need to have an alcohol solution ready. To make this, fill your bottle halfway up with water, and fill it the rest of the way with alcohol. Shake this for a few moments and your spray is ready to go. This can only be used on leather uppers, or the top of the shoes and not on rubber. For boots of another skin, this will work, but should be tried on an area that is not visible for colorfastness.

Now spray the shoe completely with the alcohol solution you just prepared. This spray will not do any harm to your shoe or stretcher; it simply adheres to the leather and makes it pliable. So when you stretch your shoes, the leather does not rip or tear, the right amount of alcohol must be applied. Allow your shoes to sit untouched for about 4 hours. This gives them time to dry completely so you can check to see if they fit any better. If it is still too tight in one area such as the toes or across the instep, spray the inside again around the seams and reinforced areas and then place the shoe stretcher back inside. This is more than likely due to the threads used for reinforcement in these areas, and since they did not stretch the first time, they should this time. Now spray the outside again in the areas that were uncomfortable. Spray this until the solution of alcohol is dripping down the sides. Allow this to sit for 24 hours, or overnight if you need them in a hurry. This will give them time to dry again. Take the shoe stretcher out of the shoe and feel inside to make sure the insole is dry. Once it is completely done drying, try it on to see if it fits now.

Shoe stretching can only be done a few times before the fabric will begin to break down, so always try to get the right fit within the first 2 times of stretching.