Q&A for How to Stretch Plastic Shoes

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  • Question
    How do you expand plastic shoes?
    Moe Draper
    Shoe Care & Repair Specialist
    Moe Draper is a Shoe Care and Repair Specialist and the Owner of Detroit Shoe Shine and Shoe Repair. With over 20 years of personal experience, Moe specializes in shoe shining, cosmetic restorations for quality leather goods, and minor/major shoe repair services. Moe and his staff at Detroit Shoe Shine and Repair have over 30 years of combined experience and knowledge.
    Shoe Care & Repair Specialist
    Expert Answer
    Unfortunately, plastic shoes can not be stretched very much because they are plastic. If you stretch them too much, you risk ruining (tears/holes) your shoe. If you are willing to take the risk, you may do the following: To stretch out shoes that are too tight, you can purchase your own wooden shoe stretcher and hand crank them to the appropriate tension to stretch them. If this is too difficult, you can always google your local shoe repair or shoe cobbler and take them in to have them professionally stretched.
  • Question
    How can I stretch the calf of my leather boots?
    Moe Draper
    Shoe Care & Repair Specialist
    Moe Draper is a Shoe Care and Repair Specialist and the Owner of Detroit Shoe Shine and Shoe Repair. With over 20 years of personal experience, Moe specializes in shoe shining, cosmetic restorations for quality leather goods, and minor/major shoe repair services. Moe and his staff at Detroit Shoe Shine and Repair have over 30 years of combined experience and knowledge.
    Shoe Care & Repair Specialist
    Expert Answer
    The best way to stretch out calves of leather boots is to take the boots to your local shoe repair or cobbler and have them use a calf stretcher to stretch out the boots. You should measure your calves to report it to the cobbler so that when they measure the circumference of your boot, they know how much they need to stretch the boot. This process sometimes takes longer than a regular shoe stretch, as different people have different size calves which may affect the stretch time.
  • Question
    How can I stretch leather shoes without damaging them?
    Moe Draper
    Shoe Care & Repair Specialist
    Moe Draper is a Shoe Care and Repair Specialist and the Owner of Detroit Shoe Shine and Shoe Repair. With over 20 years of personal experience, Moe specializes in shoe shining, cosmetic restorations for quality leather goods, and minor/major shoe repair services. Moe and his staff at Detroit Shoe Shine and Repair have over 30 years of combined experience and knowledge.
    Shoe Care & Repair Specialist
    Expert Answer
    Leather shoes have the elasticity to be stretched out, however, you should be careful in stretching them too much, as you may not want to invest in a repair on synthetic shoes. To stretch out leather shoes use a wooden shoe stretcher and a hand crank. In order to get a good stretch, you should stretch them for at least 3 days, and you should wear them for the remainder of the day to ensure that the stretch lasts. To further maintain the stretch, you should purchase cedar shoe trees to hold the stretch when you are not wearing the shoes.
  • Question
    What is the best way to stretch tight shoes?
    Drew Hawkins1
    Community Answer
    One of the best ways to stretch tight shoes is also one of the simplest: a shoe stretcher. Shoe stretchers come in a variety of styles depending on the type of shoe you're trying to stretch, so choose one for the type of shoe you're stretching. Fit the stretcher in your shoe until it fights tightly, then twist the knob 3-4 more times to stretch the shoe. Leave the stretcher in place over night, then remove it and try on your shoe to see how it feels. Be careful not to overstretch your shoe or you could damage the material
  • Question
    How do you know when shoes are too small?
    Drew Hawkins1
    Community Answer
    There's a simple test you can use to see if a pair of shoes are too small. Put on the shoes and stick a finger between the heel of our foot and the heel of your shoe. If it slides in with room to spare, the shoes are too large. If there's no room at all, then they may be too small. It also depends on how comfortable they feel. If the shoes feel too small or too tight, try going up half a size to see if they feel better.
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