How To Break In Shoes: Easy Step By Step Guide

By Sarah

How To Break In Shoes: Easy Step By Step Guide www.walkjogrun.net

How many new pairs of shoes do you have sitting in your wardrobe that you need to break in? Whether they’re running shoes, high heels, or boots, many of us have gorgeous new shoes still waiting to be worn in.

Whether you’re off for a hike, a run, or a night out, wearing shoes that you’ve not worn in will likely leave you with painful blisters, painful feet, and a hobble. Well, at least temporarily. Also, when you haven’t softened the materials before any heavy use, new shoes are usually too stiff for comfortable use.

To make sure your feet are as comfortable as possible, ensure you know how to break in shoes with our easy step-by-step guide.

Do shoes break in?

Yes, absolutely. Breaking in new shoes isn’t as difficult as you might think. All you need is a little patience and time. But, if you rush through the breaking in shoe process, you probably won’t be able to wear your shoes comfortably. Do you really want to be left with pain and blisters?

Knowing how to break in boots, dress shoes, or trainers is easy with pain-free and stress-free measures that will easily let you break in your shoes.

How long does it take to break in shoes?

As we’ve said, you may need a little time and patience, but knowing how to break is shoes is not as time-consuming as you might think.

How long your shoes take to break in will depend on several factors, such as;

Materials
Stiffness
Construction
Type of shoe
Thickness of the sole

For example, walking or exercise shoes comprised of rubber soles and soft materials will take little time to wear in. But thick-soled, stiff shoes can take a few weeks to wear in like those made of leather.

If you follow the tips we’ve left you below, you can even learn how to break in leather boots. Learning to break in shoes is vital if you spend all day on your feet and need comfortable everyday shoes.

How do you break in shoes: 5 easy hacks

First, knowing how to break in running shoes is much easier when you’ve bought the correct size. I might sound a bit like captain obvious here, but you wouldn’t believe how many people are walking around with ill-fitting shoes.

If you’ve bought a pair of shoes that are too small, you’ll be wasting your time trying to break in your new shoes. Always know your correct shoe size, including width, so you can ensure you’ve got the most comfortable fit.

To avoid the hassle and pain of unworn, new shoes, we’ve come up with some epic ways to let you break in your new shoes easily, all in the comfort of your home.

1. Wear your shoes around the house until they loosen up enough to be worn outdoors.

2. Use a hairdryer on your shoes for a couple of minutes, and then put on a thick cotton sock. When the shoes are warm and soft, put them on and stroll around the house until the shoes cool down (the longer, the better).

You can try this method a couple of times before the shoes become more comfortable.

3. If you don’t fancy the blowdryer trick, breaking in your new shoes is easy by wearing thick socks around the house for a couple of days. Your boots should stretch to a more comfortable level.

Not only does this thick padded layer create a comfort buffer between your feet and your shoes, but it will also make it easier for your shoes to stretch.

4. Make sure to protect the parts of your feet that will rub on the stiffer parts of your shoe. Knowing how to break in leather shoes or knowing how to break in shoes that rub your heels all boils down to protecting the areas susceptible to blisters.

Moisturize or use petroleum jelly on those areas to reduce the amount of friction and keep your feet hydrated, or try out blister band aids.

5. Try wearing your shoes a little and often. If you have pain wearing your shoes outdoors, likely, you’ve not worn them for enough time. Also, as mentioned above, some shoes take longer to break in than others.

So always break your shoes in slowly if you have the time.

How do you break in new sneakers fast?

Sometimes, you don’t have time for breaking in new shoes. Perhaps you’ve bought a pair of dress shoes last minute for a wedding or big work event. When you don’t have time to break in your new shoes, you can still rock these new kicks without pain.

When you’re in a rush, you’ll want to know how to break in dress shoes in a pinch.

Follow these simple steps below.

Get the hairdryer blowing only on the areas that feel tight.
Fill two freezer bags with water and place them in your shoes, then in the freezer. The bags will expand when frozen, stretching the material.
Expand your shoe overnight with a shoe stretcher or stuff rolled-up socks in your shoes.

Are my shoes too small, or do I need to break them in?

You’ll want to make sure you buy the right-sized shoe for a comfortable fit. Both shoes that are too small and too big can cause pain. When shoes are too small, they’ll be more likely to rub between steps.

Knowing how to break in shoes easily means knowing when your shoes are just tight enough and therefore knowing your best shoe size. Of course, you need your shoes to be pretty snug, with any laces or buckles nice and tight.

However, too small shoes often cause foot deformities, such as hammertoes, corns, blisters, bunions, neuromas, and bursitis of the foot.

But, if multiple attempts to wear in your shoes still leave you wincing in pain, you definitely shouldn’t wear those shoes. Shoes that constantly cause you constant pain are likely too small and should be abandoned.

But if you’ve got the right-sized shoes, we’re sure these methods for breaking in shoes will leave you walking, climbing, dancing, or even skipping comfortably in no time.