How to Break in High Heels

There’s nothing that women love more than their high heels. High heels are forgiving of every figure and no matter what your size or shape, a high heel will always make you feel good about yourself. From fictional characters like Carrier Bradshaw on Sex and the City to real life shoe fiends like Kelly Ripa, shoes are a source of inspiration and delirium. A coveted source of appeal to women of all ages shoes play an important role in our everyday lives, so it’s important that we feel comfortable in them. But, walking in a pair of heels, especially a brand new pair can be difficult. Many women struggle with stilettos, tagging them their “one hour shoes”, but heels don’t have to be a pain in the foot. Here’s how to break in your heels so they’re comfortable for a whole day of prancing.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Correctly sized shoes
• Moleskin
• Band-Aides
• Dr. Scholl's gel pads
• Second skin
• Socks
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Rag, wash cloth or cotton balls
• Invisi-Sole
• Patience

1. Put on a pair of tube socks and wear your shoes around the house for about 30 minutes each day. Wear them while you are making dinner, sitting at the computer or even out to get the mail. They’ll feel a bit tight and uncomfortable with the tube socks, but this is the best way to stretch and mold them.

2. After a few days you’ll notice a big difference in the way they feel on your feet. Now it’s time to wear them sans socks. If you really struggle with high heels, you should avoid wearing them for excessive periods until they’ve really formed to your foot. Wear them for about an hour at a time, removing them as soon as they begin to hurt your feet. Bring an extra pair of heels with you if you think you can’t make it through the night.

3. Dampen the inside of your shoe with a wet rag or washcloth. You may use rubbing alcohol, keeping in mind that it will feel drier against your skin. Put the shoes on immediately and wear them around the house for 30 minutes to an hour.

4. Place your shoes in a cool, dry place to dry out. Neither water nor rubbing alcohol is very good for your shoes, but this process will mold the material precisely to your foot.

5. Use sandpaper to rough the bottom sole, or purchase rough patches to glue onto the bottom of your shoe. Rough patches can be purchased at most drug stores and will afford you better traction on slick surfaces.

6. If you have a sensitive foot and bruise or blister easily, purchase some shoe aides for breaking in your shoe while protecting your feet. There are a ton of new bandages and pads on the market to alleviate foot pain and stress.

7. Even after you’ve broken a shoe in it’s possible to get blisters. If your foot sweats easily, you’ll be more likely to slide and this constant movement of the foot inside a shoe can cause the sensitive tissue to irritate and form blisters. Invisi-Sole is a liquid gel that forms a cushion wherever you place it and the rubber material helps to prevent the foot from sliding inside the shoe. There are also many bandages available specifically designed for the foot. Carry a few in your purse to combat an unexpected blister.

Tips & Warnings

• Carry a couple Band-Aides in your purse wherever you go.
• You may think about carrying a pair of rubber flip flops or thin flat sandals with you just in case you're far from home when you realize that you just can't bare to walk in your stilettos any more.
• Do not buy shoes that are too big or too small, no matter how bad you want them or what the sale price is.

Resources

• The Shoe Dish

[donnelly38]

on 3/27/2009 thank you! 5*