Stretching Heels - Help?

[pml285]

I have some designer Mary Jane stilettos that run small... I thought I did the EU conversion properly but at any rate, they're WAY too snug and I need to have them stretched. I heard about the freezer method - filling Ziploc bag part way with water, and let them sit for 4-5 hours or so. Instead of bags of water, how about ice packs?

They look like this:

[hoverfly]

They are not designed to expand like a bag filled with water. It's has a mix that more or less make it slushy to save space.

[heels59]

The cold pack doesn't contain pure water and may not expand much, also it never gets really hard when frozen. I never had much luck with water bags, but some have. I've used this high heel stretcher with pretty good results when width is the problem. Length usually can't be changed much. http://www.amazon.com/Womans-High-Heel-Professional-Stretchers/dp/B0091BF92I/ref=sr_1_4?s=shoes&ie=UTF8&qid=1377543051&sr=1-4&keywords=shoe+stretcher+for+high+heels

[Shafted]

The real question I would think, is do the ice packs expand when frozen?

[HappyinHeels]

pml285, I bought a (woman's) shoe stretcher at Target about three years ago and have used it to stretch about six or seven pairs of pumps and sandals where the vamp (part over the toes) was a bit snug. I took a spray bottle and sprayed both sides of the vamp, inserted the shoe stretcher and twisted it about 10 times, then put the shoe and the strecher inside the freezer overnight. It stretches the material enough to make the shoe about 1/2 size bigger. Like others have said this method is meant for width issues and not to increase the length of the shoe which is determined by the length of the unit or mold upon which the shoe was built. This does not mean that a shoe that fits you but is tight in the ankle strap cannot be fixed. I have simply added a hole at the right spot in the ankle strap and it made all the difference. This is particularly true with size 10 heels. I am ideally a size 11 but can fit a fairly large range of size 10 open-toe sandals if I just make a small adjustment to the strap. Many shoe stores have the tool to do it but may only do it once you have actually purhcased the shoes.

There are of course shoes, mostly classic pumps and boots that are of a certain material that is snug at first but simply has to be broken in. The only way to do that is put them on and get your heel thing on! I hope this helps. HappyinHeels

[dww]

I believe most ice packs have a small air bubble in them that takes up the expansion. Like when on holiday I always put a small bottle of water in the freezer to take to the pool, but never fill it right up or it will break always leave an air pocket, so you can drink a bit as it melts during the day.

[Shafted]

Water is a very unusual material. It expands when frozen other materials contract.

[meganiwish]

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://realdoctorstu.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/frozen-milk.jpg&imgrefurl=http://realdoctorstu.com/2010/12/23/exploding-milk-bottles-when-ice-and-dairy-collide/&h=333&w=500&sz=62&tbnid=hiGNpXSblybpOM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=135&zoom=1&usg=__ypPTA45VfUVF85ZV8ZUbkaC01jY=&docid=XU41R6RYJIjp2M&sa=X&ei=R6wcUqTrJcrBhAeKrIGICw&ved=0CEYQ9QEwAQ&dur=1725#imgdii=hiGNpXSblybpOM%3A%3B3KVV-86V_2a5rM%3BhiGNpXSblybpOM%3A A cold morning

[Dr. Shoe]

All shoes are made "tight to toe". Leather, like most fabrics, stretches one way. Therefore the leather is cut so the stretchiness is across the foot and not along it.

[Amanda]

I have some designer Mary Jane stilettos that run small... I thought I did the EU conversion properly but at any rate, they're WAY too snug and I need to have them stretched. I heard about the freezer method - filling Ziploc bag part way with water, and let them sit for 4-5 hours or so. Instead of bags of water, how about ice packs?

They look like this:

I would have thought that putting big man feet in them would be an easier way to stretch them.

[dww]

Miss Amanda to funny for words.

[Amanda]

Miss Amanda to funny for words.

Like

[Curt]

I would have thought that putting big man feet in them would be an easier way to stretch them.

she is right! The more you wear your tight shoes, the more they stretch. Try wearing tight shoes with double socks, they will stretch quite a lot.

[Gudulitooo]

I suggest you pay a visit to the old website created by firefox. I think there is a tutorial on how to strech shoes with an home made wood shoe strecher and much efforts to introduce it in the shoes.... Yes freezing water in a water bag does strech the shoes up 1/4 size, or maybe from normal width to slightly wider width. Better to use a shoe stretcher or have it done at a cobbler. Beware if the shoes are zipped, the force may not apply on the good part of the shoe and rip the zip apart.

[Lime15]

she is right! The more you wear your tight shoes, the more they stretch. Try wearing tight shoes with double socks, they will stretch quite a lot.

This has been my experience with heels that are tight, especially around the toe. Put on a pair of regular athletic socks and do a few household chores. You may have to do this a few times (as the socks can make a pair of tight shoes feel REALLY tight at first) but it's usually just the thing to accelerate the break in process on shoes that are maybe just a tick too tight.

[meganiwish]

Isn't there an old cowboy trick than involves standing in the bath and wearing them till they dry? I suppose it would be a handy way of getting trench foot too.

[dww]

I don't know about boots Megan, but my girlfriend used to do the bath thing when she bought a new pair of jeans. Makes them fit better I'am told.

[gary0618]

Isn't there an old cowboy trick than involves standing in the bath and wearing them till they dry? I suppose it would be a handy way of getting trench foot too.

I Tried this once. But after 4 days of standing in the bath, my boots were still wet.

Was I supposed to let the water out of the tub?

[Guest]

Megan I think it was shrink to fit Levis back in the sixties when they seemed to be a more sensible price.

 

My cowboy boots always got baggy after 6 months daily wear in all weathers.

 

Al