How to shrink shoes half a size or even a size?
You found an astonishing pair of shoes with a big discount but they are available only in a size half bigger than what you wear? Well, here is some good news for you – there are certain ways to shrink shoes which are half or one size bigger than you wear. You can go ahead and buy them and use one or more of the shoe shrinking methods listed below.
Shrinking methods:
Water and hairdryer for shoe shrinking
Use a spray bottle to wet the leather shoes, but be careful as to not oversaturate them, because you can cause damage to the leather. Turn the hairdryer on to a medium or high power level and dry the wet pair of shoes from a distance of more than 5 inches away. Keep blowing until they are dry and then try them on – they should feel more tightly fitting. If they need to shrink more, then you can repeat the process once more or more times if necessary. Remember to apply a leather conditioner after you are done, in order to restore the moisture of the leather and keep it from cracking or drying.
Water and dryer shrinking method
Spray your shoes with water (this one is for shrinking tennis canvas shoes), and put them in the dryer for about 15 minutes. They should feel tighter and better after they have been dried. You can repeat the procedure if you need them to become even tighter.
Water and natural heat
You should spray the shoes and allow them to dry completely naturally outdoors on a hot day. Make sure though that they do not spend too much time under the direct sunlight, because it can cause the fading of their color.
Using insoles and foam
You can add some extra inserts to your shoes, in order to make the fit snugger and more comfortable. You can cut the inserts so that they fit the shoes properly. You can also make them feel smaller and fit better by stuffing the toe area with foam or paper as well. If you have high-arched feet, but don’t have one of the special running shoes for high arches, then you can use arch support inserts to fix the problem. Same applies if you happen to have fallen arches.
Add a strap method
This is a method for ladies only. You can go to the local cobbler to get straps attached to your slightly large shoes, so that they stay in place while you are walking and wearing them. Also, a bigger size of shoes with straps is more likely to fit you comfortably, because the straps keep the feet intact.
Add an elastic band method
This method is suitable only for textile and thin leather flats. Sow small pieces of elastic bands for garments in the inner back side of the shoe. This can resolve the problem with your big shoes constantly falling off and causing you to trip and feel uncomfortable.
The thick sock method
You can try wearing an extra pair of socks or wearing thicker socks than normal with your big shoes, to resolve the issue of them being a tad bigger too. This is most appropriate for winter footwear.
Box them
If you don’t succeed with any of the above-mentioned methods, you can either give the pair away to a friend or a charity, sell them, or box them and keep them. Believe me, there will times in your life when after some strenuous work, exercise, running, hiking, during pregnancy or PMS, or if you add some weight, your feet might swell up. This is what you will be prepared for – just take the bigger shoes out of the box, slip them on, and feel comfortable once again!
