How to Stretch Sneakers for Wide Feet ( 5+ Best Ways to Stretch)

Sneakers are one of the most worn shoe types by people. For those, with wide feet, there is a constant struggle in finding comfortable shoes. What to do then? to solve this issue they need to know how to stretch sneakers for wide feet.

Generally, Shoes come in wide sizes but there are limited numbers. Major shoe companies focus on manufacturing shoes in sizes that fit the most number of people, which automatically means people with wide feet will suffer.

There have been instances where you buy shoes from a store and on reaching home when you try they feel tight. Lengthwise they are of the right size but somehow they hurt you a bit.

Also, if you are someone who shops online, even when you have ordered your size it still fits a bit tight and sometimes there are no replacement policies so again the issue is how do you widen shoes that are too narrow for wide feet people?

There are endless methods to stretch out sneakers for wide feet available but some of them can damage your shoes rather than solve your problem.

This article will give you some tips and tricks that will help you in stretching your sneakers so that they are not uncomfortable anymore without damaging them.

Can sneakers be stretched?

Yes, Sneakers and shoes can be stretched because the materials which are used to make the sneakers can be stretched.

Don’t worry then, sneakers can be stretched according to your feet and you can enjoy wearing them just follow the below-mentioned easy and very simple steps to stretch your sneakers at home.

Related: US Shoe Size to Indian Size Chart


8 Ways to Stretch Sneakers for Wide Feet at Home

The following tips and tricks will explain how to stretch your tight sneakers at home.

1. Stretching by Wearing Them at Home

The best, easiest, and at the same time cheapest or we can say a free way to stretch your sneakers is to wear them at home in the evening.

There has been a scientific study that states that your feet get bigger in the evening cause the feet carry your body weight all day, especially if you are standing most of the time. So you can wear them at home in the evening.

To follow this method, wear a pair of socks and then wear the shoes for 4-5 hours. It will be a bit uncomfortable for the first few days, but the heat of your feet will help in stretching the sneakers and shaping the sneaker to your feet, giving you proper comfort.

Note: Please keep in mind that this trick will take a minimum of a week to work. Also, this will work on sneakers that are not extremely tight. And don’t wear them in public until they have stretched enough.

2. Freezing the Sneakers Trick

Stretching Sneakers for Wide Feet by Freezing

Yes, you can expand your shoes or sneakers by freezing. I know this sounds a bit funny, but trust me this method works well. According to science, water molecules will expand once they are frozen and this fact will help us in stretching our sneakers.

To follow this method, take two sealable plastic bags or two balloons of good quality. Then fill them with water but keep in mind to not fill them completely but just half or a little bit more than half.

Now, after sealing the bags, place the bags carefully inside the shoes. Use your hands to settle the bag properly. Put the sneakers into the freezer and leave them for eight to ten hours.

When you take the sneakers out afterwards, the ice should have stretched the sneakers well. Remove the bags from the sneakers and wait half an hour before trying the sneakers. If needed, you can repeat the process to stretch more.

3. Stretching Leather Sneakers with a Hairdryer

how to stretch sneakers for wide feet

As we all know very well heat will expand things and we can apply this to our sneakers as well. So to stretch your sneakers, you would need the best hairdryer and two pairs of thick socks. Wear socks and sneakers shoes.

Then use your hairdryer on medium heat for two to three minutes. As the material gets heated up, you have to jiggle your shoes and bend your feet so that the material loosens.

Follow this for few times until you are comfortable in the sneakers. Also, take between each time and while the sneakers are getting cooled you must keep wearing them.

4. Using Shoe Stretchers

If you are someone who doesn’t trust home methods you can use professional tools that are made especially for stretching. These come as a kit, including a specialized spray and a wedge-shaped plug.

Firstly, you need to spray the insides of your shoes to relax the material to aid in stretching. Afterwards, you need to attach the plug and leave it in the sneakers for seven to eight hours. This method will stretch your sneakers making them comfortable and make your shoes less tight.

5. Using Alcoholic Mixture

In this method, you will have to mix fifty percent water and fifty percent alcohol in a spraying bottle.

Now you just have to spray the mixture inside the shoe. Also, keep stretching the sneakers while you are spraying. This action will aid in settling the mixture completely inside the shoes.

After spraying the mixture, wear the shoes for an hour. This trick will not only stretch the sneakers but also make the treads strong. However, this method is not advisable if the material of your sneakers is leather or suede.

6. Use Rice or Oats for Stretching

This is the best way to stretch shoes. An old-school trick, especially great for leather shoes. In this method, you can take any grain like rice or oats, which swell after getting wet.

Put any grains inside a bag and pour water into it and place the bag in the shoes overnight. The next day you can feel that your sneakers have become more comfortable and have stretched enough.

If it didn’t then you can repeat the process to stretch more. Also, you can use those grains to cook your next meal, just kidding! Please don’t use them.

7. Stretching by Using Potato

Yup, you heard it correct, you can easily stretch your sneakers with the help of potatoes.

To follow this method, peel a potato and make sure that the potato that you use is large enough to fit in the shoe. Wipe the potato dry and then put that potato into the shoe and leave it overnight.

This trick will stretch your sneakers as well as remove any pungent smell from the sneakers.

 8. Choking Method

This trick may sound a bit weird, but it actually works. For this trick, you will need seven to eight pairs of thick socks, which depends on your shoes and some balls.

Then you need to keep the balls in socks and put them into the sneakers. Keep inside the sneakers for ten to twelve hours. You can keep repeating the process for few times until you get the desired result.

After you have reached the desired stretch, keep the sneakers in the open air as socks inside the sneakers would have caused the sneakers to smell.


Infographic on How to Widen Tight Shoes at Home

how to stretch sneakers for wide feet

What are the best ways to stretch your toes?

Along with stretching your shoes, you need to stretch your toes to get the proper fitting of the sneakers. 

How to know your toes need stretching? If your toes are grouped in the shoes and making you uncomfortable that means your shoes are tight. You need to widen your shoes with the above-given methods and at the same time try to stretch your toes.

You need to separate all the fingers of the foot in the shoes. Here is the best way:- Just separate your toes and do toe exercising by wiggling them daily a few times. Your toe needs proper morning sunlight and air to keep your feet healthy.

This will surely stop the problem of how to enlarge tight shoes.

5 Sneakers Shopping Tips

  • Must Take Time While Buying:- Buying a pair of shoes or sneakers must be done in no hurry. Check your shoe size and read customer reviews. Don’t forget to check the return policy before purchasing shoes.
  • Check the Return Policy:- Checking the return policy while buying shoes is very important. There are some sellers who do not provide a return system for their products. So purchase shoes after reading reviews and checking the return and refund policy.
  • Selection of Brands:- Picking the brand that works for you is also important. Different brands make shoes of different varieties and styles. Which brand works for your feet would be a better option to go with?
  • Look for The Wider Toe Box Shape Shoes:- Have a question in your mind about how to avoid narrow shoes? While selecting sneakers for yourself it’s good to choose shoes that have better space in the toe area and are of good fit. Don’t go for curved shape footwear it won’t work for you.
  • Go with the Men’s Shoes:- Athletic shoes for men are perfect shoes for wide-footed people. So it’s a key tip to go with the men’s athletic shoes to get a little more space in the toe area.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): How to Widen Sneakers?

How much do I have to stretch my sneakers?

This depends on how wide your feet are and how much tight are your sneakers. The only way to find out how much do you need to stretch is to try them on after trying any of the above-mentioned methods. Are you confused about selecting the best sneakers for yourself or for your loved ones? Don’t worry! We have a comprehensive article on the best sneaker brands for men and their best sneaker shoes as per the shoe sizes. Do check them.

Will my sneakers be able to stretch enough?

Unless you have bought shoes that are too small for your feet, most of the sneakers will stretch after trying the above methods and if still, your sneakers won’t stretch it means that you probably need to buy a larger size.

What If I stretch my Sneakers too much?

This is a highly unlikely thing to happen, as none of the above-mentioned methods will stretch your sneakers to a large amount. If by any chance it happens, then you will have to buy new ones. Luckily, it is very difficult or we can say next to impossible to stretch your sneakers so much that they become too big.

Will any of the methods damage my Sneakers?

No, none of the above-mentioned methods will damage your sneakers If you follow the instructions carefully. These are safe and effective methods to use.

3 Ways To Fit Into Too Small Shoes By Watching This Video

Summing-Up

We have given a lot of tips from which you can choose or a combination of multiple tricks that suits the best to your needs or that you find easy to follow.

Most of these tricks and methods are extremely cheap, the majority of them can be done with the items found at home and are highly effective.

We hope that you enjoyed reading this article on how to stretch sneakers for wide feet people and this article was helpful to you in some way.

Do tell us in the comments section which were your favourite tricks and which one surprised you. Also, Do share this article with your friends, families, relatives, and any shoe lover that you know of.

Related: Shoe Size Chart in India

Sources:

  1. https://www.healthline.com/health/shoes-too-tight
  2. https://www.canadianfootwear.com/fitting-buying-tips
  3. https://www.healthline.com/health/when-do-feet-stop-growing

I am the founder and chief editor of Men Shoe Factory, a passionate shoe lover from India. Studying and researching on shoes led me to build this blog site where I share shoe care tips, detailed reviews and different types of shoe size charts. Feel free to contact me on my social accounts or through the contact form here.

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