The Easy Trick to Make Your Shoes More Comfortable

If you’ve recently purchased a pair of shoes and haven’t broken them in yet, the possibility of blisters is probably on your mind. But fear not—it turns out there are simple ways to avoid the pain a new pair can often inflict. The solution? Stretching the shoes.

There’s a little bit of a science to it, though. Read on to see some tips for stretching your shoes to make sure your new pair won’t kill your feet. Then, shop our picks of the most comfortable and chic shoes we have our eyes on.

Wear them at home.

An easy way to break in new shoes is to wear them around the house first. Your shoes will slowly adjust as the leather begins to soften, plus you can take them off as soon as they start bothering you.

Wear them with thick socks.

You can gently stretch your shoes by wearing some thick, bulky socks with them. All you have to do is wear them until your shoes have loosened enough.

Use a shoe stretcher.

This is a trick used by many cobblers. Leave a shoe stretcher inside your shoes for up to a few days with some stretching solution on them (if available). Check the shoes daily to see if they’ve adjusted to the right fit.

Seek out a professional.

Take your shoes to a cobbler to have them professionally stretched. They have leather solutions and industrial machines that can get the job done in no time. If you’ve invested in an expensive pair of shoes, you might want to enlist the help of an expert before trying any other method.

Go on to shop for our favorite shoes of the season.