Yes! That has happened to me more times than I care to admit. It seems the more I love the new shoes, the more my feet complain.This is especially true when I find beautiful high heels and wear them without trying to break them in. My heart nearly leaps with joy at the beauty of the heels and I simply can't wait to show them off. My feet almost always complain. I try to ignore their complaints, but after a while, they complain so loudly that I am forced to pay attention, or at least attempt to find a solution that will please the both of us. If this has happened to you as well, you are in luck! I have posted below some ideas to help you break those new heels in so that you and your feet can be friends again. You can look gorgeous and your feet won't complain about your pretty new high heels.
First of all, the trick is to try and tweak your new shoes a bit before you actually wear them. Here are a few simple ideas that might really help your shoes to feel great on your feet.
1. Try to buy your shoes in the evening when feet are the most swollen. That will ensure a much better fit. Always buy shoes in your proper size to ensure the most comfortable fit. Wearing shoes that are either too large or too small will almost surely cause you pain.
2. Give your new shoes a little test run to identify where problem areas might be. Try wearing them around the house to break them in a bit and try to mold them to your feet. Wearing your shoes for extended periods before breaking them in can really cause pain and blisters.
3. Keep a bit of saddle soap at home to help break in your shoes.
Run a clean cloth under water and wring out all excess moisture. Next, rub the cloth in a bit of saddle soap until it begins to lather a bit. Then rub the cloth over the area that rubs using a circular motion, covering the entire surface. Next, put the shoes on your feet.
Why does this work? The saddle soap softens the leather so that it more easily conforms to the shape of your feet.
4. If you have a place that is rubbing your foot in a certain area, dab a bit of rubbing alcohol on the inside of the shoe. Put on a thick pair of wool or athletic socks with your new shoes. The alcohol makes the leather more pliable and the heavy material of the socks works together with the rubbing alcohol to help the shoe take on the natural shape of your foot. You can dab the rubbing alcohol on the entire area of the inside of the shoe if needed. If you have no rubbing alcohol, try wearing a thick damp sock with your shoes around the house. This helps to stretch your shoe out a bit and helps the shoe conform to your foot.
5. Place your shoes in the freezer overnight with a double bagged, water filled zip-top baggie inside the heel sections of each one. As the water freezes and the bags expand, your shoe will gradually be stretched out a bit, making the heels a bit wider and more comfortable. If you entire shoe is too tight, you can try the water bag on the inside of the entire heel. (Double bagging is highly recommended.)
6. Use moleskin on the inside bothersome places of the shoe to keep it from rubbing. Some moleskin pads are meant to go directly in the shoe to keep a shoe from rubbing.
Another way to use moleskin is to place the moleskin on your feet where your shoe is rubbing. Next, soak your feet and moleskin together in water. The moleskin will expand and will then create a thick barrier between your feet and shoes. Put the shoes on and wear them around so that the expanded moleskin can gradually mold the shoes more to the natural shape of your feet. Moleskin is sold at most drug store or medical supply stores.
7. Try inserting a foam or gel comfort insole or foot cushion. They normally take on the shape of the shoe and offer increasing comfort of your shoe. Remember to take the time to buy the proper size insole for your shoes. Some can be trimmed down to size for comfort. Heel cushion inserts can also be most helpful. Many have an adhesive back so that you get relief of pain without slippage of the pad.
8. If you are walking and identify an area that begins to rub your foot, you can rub the inside area with a solid deodorant stick or a candle. A travel size deodorant stick is a great thing to carry in your purse for emergency relief of foot pain.
9. Rub the bottom of your shoe with a piece of sandpaper. This helps to alleviate slippage when walking. Another "trick" is to put a piece of duct take on the sole of your shoe. This is temporary but helps with slick surfaces if you have no sandpaper.
Now, what are you waiting for? Put on those new heels and try the tips above so that you can break your heels in and start showing them off.
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