Have you ever had shoes that were too tight to wear comfortably for extended periods of time but you wore them anyway because they were cute or matched the occasion perfectly? Nothing is worse than suffering through the pain and discomfort that shoes too small can cause. Even if the pair “sorta” fit there is a trick you can do to get that extra breathing room and increase your toe space. Best of all it is simple, cheap and quick to do.
Simply take 2 plastic sandwich bags and fill each one a quarter of the way with water, put one in each shoe and place the shoes in your freezer. Leave them there long enough for the water to fully freeze before taking them out. The video suggests waiting 20 minutes for the ice to thaw a bit before taking the bags out of the shoes.
However, you can also break the ice with the end of a knife or utensil and avoid any potential damage the melting bags could cause, or even wiggle out the ice bag. Make sure you wipe off any water or residual moisture and try on the shoes to see how they now fit. If they need to be stretched more, simply repeat the process.
When water freezes and turns from liquid to solid it expands. The baggie filled with water stretches your shoe as the water becomes ice. Be careful to not over stuff your shoes because it could tear them.
This method works best on real leather but can also be used on fake leather and man-made materials. However, if you are going to use it on fake leather you will likely have to repeat this process several times because it tends to shrink back to it’s original shape.
In the end your shoes can be stretched out half of a size up to potentially one whole size. It is also a great way to break in a new pair of shoes quickly and painlessly. Your feet will thank you for the extra room and comfort.
On a related note, freezing shoes can also get rid of smelly odors. Put the shoes in a sealed bag and place them in the freezer. The cold temperature of the freezer will kill any odor causing bacteria. Also, if you step in gum toss your shoe in the freezer so that you can easily chip it off. The possibilities of freezing shoes are seemingly endless.
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