Fit Fix: Too Tight!

 The most common problem people experience when trying on new shoes is tightness around the top and sides, or vamp, of the shoe.

As hard as it may be to believe, a shoe with a snug vamp can be a blessing in disguise. Leather shoes have a natural break in period, and, over time and wear, the vamp will stretch to perfectly accommodate the size and shape of your foot.

Of course, not all of us are so patient. Most cobblers have a shoe stretching service where they use a wooden block to stretch out the leather of a shoe. This is a fine fix, but you’ll get a less customized fit, and it’ll cost you a pretty penny. We much prefer using rubbing alcohol to stretch out shoes. It’s cheap, fast, and customized to your foot.

Nervous to use alcohol on your shoes? You can also put on thick socks with your shoes and run a hair dryer over them. This will help imitate the heat of your foot stretching the shoe naturally (although we’d recommend following up with some leather lotion to avoid over-drying!). You could also try the freezer method.

Feel better? Click on to solve your next fit fix problem!

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