Chafing shoes – how to deal with them?

Rubbing shoes – especially a new pair – are a problem many of us have faced. When your dream high heels, perfectly fitting boots, or comfortable – in theory – ankle boots turn out to be a source of pain and sores on your feet, you start looking for ways to break in your shoes. Today, I want to present some of the most popular and truly effective methods. Happy reading!

Methods for dealing with rubbing shoes include using chemical agents as well as various accessories like insoles or shoe stretchers. To find the ideal method for you, you'll unfortunately need to try out a few. Moreover, it's important to remember that different tricks for rubbing shoes should be used for leather footwear than for those made of other materials. If all methods for rubbing shoes fail, you should take them to a shoemaker, who will most likely place them in professional shoe stretchers with appropriately chosen stretching force. Such a treatment should guarantee results – but before resorting to such help, it's worth trying a shoe stretching product at home or testing other – usually effective – methods.

Home remedies for rubbing shoes

How to break in shoes using home remedies? One of the most popular methods is to wear thick socks or winter tights, soak them in alcohol, and walk around the house in the shoes for several hours. I do not recommend this method for people with dry foot skin – alcohol can unfortunately further irritate it. Instead, soak a large amount of material (old socks or thick women's over-the-knee socks will work here) and stuff it inside the shoes – from the toe to the heel. There must be a lot of material, however, to "expand" the shoe from the inside. Our mothers and grandmothers used this method for rubbing shoes – alcohol slightly softens the shoe material, and expanding it from the inside helps to widen the shoes a bit in strategic places.

Another method for breaking in shoes is to line them with water-soaked material and put them in the freezer. The effect will be similar – the freezing water will increase in volume, thereby stretching the shoes. However, it's not worth trying this on real leather shoes, as they can easily get damaged, deformed, and discolored.

There are also shoe stretching products available on the market – it's best to use such a product, adapted for natural or artificial leather – then we can be sure that its action will not negatively affect the appearance of the material the shoes are made of. The recommendations are similar to the alcohol trick – after applying the product to strategic areas (heel counters, toe areas), you can walk in such footwear around the house for a few hours – the feeling of pressure should subside during this time.

Rubbing shoes are a nightmare for many women – how to deal with them?

Shoe stretchers – does buying them make sense?

Another way to deal with rubbing shoes is to buy shoe stretchers. However, it is worth knowing that this is a gadget useful not only for stretching rubbing shoes but also when we want to keep our favorite high heels, low shoes, or other models in good condition for many years. Good quality shoe stretchers are designed to give the footwear the desired shape – especially in the toe area. When buying, it is worth paying attention to their quality – shoe stretchers made of real wood (preferably cedar) are much better than those made of plastic. Wood absorbs unpleasant odors and moisture, preventing damage to the insole and the inside of the footwear.

Shoe stretchers can also be used in conjunction with shoe stretching products. Just apply the product to the critical areas, insert the stretchers, and that's it – no need to struggle with walking for hours in tight footwear – under the pressure exerted, the material will stretch by itself.

A shoe stretching product used with shoe trees is an ideal solution to the problem

Tights, thick socks and women's over-the-knee socks – a way to protect sensitive areas

If the problem isn't resolved and you absolutely want to wear your new, but rubbing, shoes, you need to arm yourself with a few items that will help you get through the day without pain and chafing. First and foremost, buy blister plasters – if they appear, you'll be able to quickly relieve discomfort and protect the injured area. Also, don't wear shoes on bare feet or thin tights. Instead, opt for thick socks or winter tights, and if necessary, put women's over-the-knee socks on top.

Another useful gadget is heel inserts that raise the shoe around the heel. They slightly lift the ankle, and thus – the critical spot at the back of the foot where blisters form. This method works especially well for high heels and low shoes – in such cases, these areas do not come into contact with the edge of the shoe, so no chafing will appear.

Thin tights won't work with rubbing shoes – put on women's over-the-knee socks instead!

And what are your ways to break in shoes? Do you use ready-made products, or do you stick to the old alcohol method?

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