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Who has the biggest spending regret of them all? Reader Vikki fell prey to a pair of too-small shoes, which I completely sympathize with.
Have you ever loved a pair of shoes and just knew you had to have them?! I recently bought a pair I had been eyeing for some time. Unfortunately, they didn’t have my size at that time. Knowing I couldn’t wait any longer to have them and afraid they would be gone, I went ahead and bought them a half size smaller than I normally wear! Needless to say, after one wearing, I realize I can’t wear them again but they sure look pretty sitting on the floor!! I should have waited…
I’ve put my size 10 feet through this ordeal, unfortunately. Once, however, I successfully stretched out a pair of size 9 leather walking boots over three painful months. Now they fit like a glove!
Vikki wins a hot pink BargainBabe.com T-shirt for sharing her spending regret. This contest started with my decision to single out one purchase on my credit card bill each month that I regretted. I hope that reviewing my bill with a critical eye will reduce my credit card spending and help me stay on budget. Unfortunately, I can’t return the item – it cost me $8.10 in shipping but was otherwise “free!”
March 5th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
I have done this, (more than once, regretfully!) and I use some good old foot juice to get them in and the lubrication eases the pain. If I go up a size i just get a thick insole and they fit fine.
March 5th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
My ego helps me! I won’t buy shoes that are bigger than my usual size and fit too loosely. As for too small, pain is a good impulse controller.
March 5th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Couple of suggestions: (I used to have a shoe repair shop).
1. A heel pad (1/4″) will draw your foot back that amount and give an additional 1/4″ room at the toe…(this is something a good repair shop can easily do, or you can shop around for a Scholls pair which will work as well).
If the quarter inch isn’t enough, add a little more…
2. To give yourself more room in the width…take ordinary rubbing alcohol (the basis of most professional stretching compounds) and spray on the leather where it’s tight.
IF the shoe is not leather, then you’ll need to use heat…put the shoes on with heavier socks and use a hair dryer to ‘relax’ the plastic/artifical material. You’ll need to leave them on for sometime so the material doesn’t immediately shrink back.
Something to consider is if the heel is too high–if it is, it will throw all the weight forward onto the ball of the foot and toes which will always make the shoe feel too tight.
Put the shoe on a flat surface. If the heel is held flat and the fall of the foot (widest part) does NOT rest on the flat surface also then the heel is too high.
Likewise, if the heel is too low, the weight will be carried on the arch which causes all sorts of other pain.
The weight should be carried equally by the heel and ball of foot..this is something that should be checked out when buying shoes…
Take a shoe you already have that’s comfortable, look at its balance and you’ll have a better idea of what I’m talking about.
Also: If you have leather shoes and there’s a place that’s hurts, dab the area with alcohol and use the handle of a kitchen spoon (wood or hard plastic) and push repeatedly on the area until it stretches a little.
If shoes seem just a little tight, use a small amount of baby/bath powder in the shoe and it will slip on and off more easily.
Hope these suggestions help a little…
March 6th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Any shoe repair place should be able to stretch out shoes at least a 1/2 size, and it’s usually pretty cheap. I bought shoes that were 1+ size(s) too big and even stretching didn’t make them fit well…but, 1/2 size should work, so check out shoe repair places in your area!
If you’re in LA around the westside, Buster’s Shoe Repair is my guy. He works magic with my shoes, whether replacing worn soles or stretching or even cleaning satin or similar material ballet flats. He used to be at Wilshire & 14th, but he has moved to Main Street Santa Monica, a few blocks south of Pico!
March 6th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
Lynda, do you agree with Maggie’s comment that a shoe repair place should be able to stretch out (presumably, any) shoes at least 1/2 size?
And, Maggie, I assume you meant you bought shoes 1+ size(s) too small. If so, why? (Just curious)