Those perfect pair of boots that you’ve been eyeing on are finally available in your size, and you buy them without burning a hole in your pocket. Life’s good! Since you bought them online, you cannot know for sure how they fit.
Unfortunately, after waiting for days for them to be delivered, you are left disappointed with the extra snug fit, even though they are your size.
Truth be told this a very common issue when it comes to footwear because brands make them considering only a standard foot shape, and not all feet are shaped the same. This only means that you will need to be patient while waiting for them to give you that ideal fit you were hoping for by breaking into them every single day until you are finally comfortable in them.
Most of us are too impatient for this process and avoid wearing them altogether for a long time, only to find them weeks or months later wrapped up in its original box, in the closet somewhere. But the solution to this problem is called a Shoe Stretcher, and if you are wondering whether it will work on boots – then yes, they most certainly will.
What is a Shoe Stretcher?
There are several tried and tested home remedies of stretching out a pair of shoes or boots but nothing works better than a shoe stretcher.
It is a device that helps break into a new pair of shoes without having to hurt your feet. They are also known as shoe expanders and are shaped like an actual foot, made of wood, or plastic, and metal.
It is the most convenient way to relieve you of the pain that a tight pair of shoes can bring about, along with saving you from the waiting period of breaking into them. It also helps in alleviating pressure points around the shoe that further results in giving your feet good health.
Do Shoe Stretchers Work on Boots?
Shoe stretchers are specifically meant for regular shoes, but they do work on boots as well. However, some may not go all the way down to the heels of the boots considering they are engineered in a way to work precisely on shoes. In this case, there are boot stretchers that can do the job more efficiently for you to get the desired results.
Boot stretchers come with special extended handles to reach the bottom-most part of the boot. They aid in loosening the toe area along with easing the pain in the problem spots with their spot-stretching plugs.
Your boot size can go up by at least half an inch, which is a lot of extra space for your feet to feel comfortable.
If you already own a shoe stretcher and do not wish to buy a separate boot stretcher, you can always apply a shoe stretcher spray on the boot before inserting the shoe stretcher in it.
This will help to soften the leather as they tend to be slightly sturdier compared to shoes made of leather. It will make the job easier for the stretcher.
Which Materials are Best for Shoe Stretchers to Work?
Even if shoe stretchers exist to make life easier for us when it comes to our feet, it does come with its limits. It works on certain materials better than others. Materials such as leather, suede, and other natural materials are most effective for stretchers to work.
Materials that are manmade, such as polyurethane, vinyl, and other synthetic materials DON’T work too well for stretchers as they tend to revert to their original size soon.
You can still use the stretchers on boots or shoes made of such materials but be prepared to follow the process every time you decide to wear them.
How Many Types of Shoe Stretchers are there?
There are different types of shoe stretchers made specifically for different types of footwear.
Firstly, there is the one-way shoe stretcher that expands only the toe area of the shoe, giving you more wiggle room.
Secondly, a two-way shoe stretcher; this type assists in lengthening and widening the entire shoe. The result is a perfect fitting comfortable pair of shoes.
Thirdly, a boot stretcher; made specifically for boots that are long come with an extended handle to further expand them to the desired size.
The above-mentioned shoe stretchers work on our most common shoe fitting problems, and they all come with additional spot-stretching plugs for relief from pain caused by bunions, corns, and calluses.
There are a few others such as high heel shoe stretcher, cast iron ball and ring shoe stretcher, toe box raiser, and vamp and instep raiser.
Are Shoe Stretchers Expensive?
As we all know that there are millions of brands out there in the market selling every type of product that we need for our everyday use.
And each of these brands, price their products according to the materials they’ve used, time consumed during production, plus how much weight they hold in the market. Similarly, shoe stretcher makers price them according to these points.
They are made of either wood or plastic with a metal or steel rod inserted in between for the handle. Considering wood is pricier than plastic, a shoe stretcher made of wood will cost you more but it will have longer durability as they don’t break that easily.
A plastic shoe stretcher, on the other hand, can easily break depending on its prolonged usage under extreme pressure.
So while buying one, make sure what is more important to you. While a wooden shoe stretcher will be a bigger investment that will withstand the test of time; a plastic one will save you some money with no guarantee of its time shell.
What are the Benefits of a Shoe Stretcher?
Since our feet take most of the burden through the day, don’t you think they deserve to be treated well with no discomfort? Why make them suffer by wearing boots or shoes that are ill-fitting just because they look good?
I for one, don’t think that’s fair to them, so I have listed out the benefits of having a shoe stretcher handy.
1.) The money you spent on a beautiful pair of boots or shoes is not being worn only because they don’t fit too well. So you would rather keep them packed away in your closet, and all that money just goes to waste. Instead of regretting buying those boots, use a shoe stretcher to expand them to fit your feet perfectly.
2.) Your feet hurt while trying to break into a new pair of boots, which is a continuous process that can go on for a few weeks until you get them to be completely pain-free. Using a shoe stretcher will give you relief from the pain as you won’t have to break into them by yourself.
3.) A shoe stretcher will also save you the time and energy that goes into trying to expand the boots by other methods which may or may not always give you the desired results.
4.) The special spot-stretching plugs on shoe stretchers aid in pain relief that are caused by corns, calluses, bunions, and what we call as shoe bites when wearing boots or shoes that don’t fit well.
As I mentioned earlier that several brands make these shoe stretchers and it can get confusing to choose one. So below is a list of recommended Shoe Stretchers:
Wrapping up
Now that you understand how a Shoe Stretcher can make your life slightly easier, you won’t have to hurt your feet anymore. Invest in a good Shoe Stretcher that is made with good and high-end quality materials.
Wooden ones should be well polished if you want it to work to its full capacity; as they can absorb odor and moisture caused by sweaty feet, plus they will last long. Plastic ones will last for a long time too if you use them carefully because unlike wood they will not weaken over time due to moisture.
Whether you buy a wooden stretcher or a plastic stretcher, always remember to use them only to its maximum limit, as expecting them to stretch further can only damage them, and ultimately break them.
If you are someone who loves wearing long boots, it is better to get the one made specifically for such boots, instead of expecting a regular shoe stretcher to do the job.
