How to Walk Without Creasing Shoes

Co-authored by Moe Draper and Caroline Heiderscheit

Last Updated: April 14, 2024 Fact Checked

You've got a new pair of amazing shoes—but you're worried that in a couple of months, they'll be super creased. When you wear your new sneakers, dress shoes, or heels, you want to look fresh. And luckily, we can help! There are so many simple ways to reduce creasing while you walk, store shoes so they crease less, and even remove creases that have already formed. To learn everything you need to know, read through our complete guide below!

Things You Should Know

Train yourself to walk heel-to-toe. This will be especially effective if you can maintain good posture while you walk.
Wear padding inserts and store your shoes with a shoe horn or shoe tree to protect the toe structure.
Remove existing creases using an iron, blowdryer, or steamer.

1

Walk heel-to-toe.

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Lead with your heels and your shoes will be less likely to crease. When you put stress on the front of your shoes (where creases are most likely to form), you make creases worse. Shift your weight to the back of your shoe (towards the heel), and you'll limit creases over time. ^{[1]
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- Plus, leading with your heels can help strengthen your calf muscles and increase flexibility. It’s a win-win!
- Avoid walking on your tip toes, especially if an activity or job requires you to do it regularly. In those cases, wear shoes that you won't mind creasing.

2

Maintain good posture.

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Walk with your shoulders back and your back straight. When you avoid hunching over, it'll be easier to walk with your feet flat and your heels leading. When you keep good posture , you’ll be able to walk in a way that limits creases over time. ^{[2]
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3

Avoiding crouching and kneeling.

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Kneel down in your new shoes, and you could leave permanent creases. If you need to get low, take off your shoes first. Kneeling puts a ton of pressure on creases in your toe box, which can easily create wrinkles.
- Once or twice might not make a huge difference, but crouching regularly definitely can. If you perform work or do activities that require regular crouching down, wear shoes that you don’t mind wrinkling.