How to Make Shoes Shrink Into a Smaller Size
Making big shoes smaller is a problem without an ideal answer. Unlike clothing which is made entirely from a fabric, shoes have a variety of materials in them that may not be shrinkable. Most shoes have some form of plastic, leather or even wood in them. It is impossible to shrink plastic at home. The only part of the shoe that can be shrunk is the fabric top portion. However there are some tricks to make shoes tighter. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Purchase insoles. Half insoles and full insoles provide different levels of support. If the shoe is snug towards the toe but loose in the back, then a heel half insole might do the trick. Stack insoles on top of each other until the shoe becomes more snug. Sometimes it can take three to four layers of insoles stacked on top of each other until you achieve the desired snug fit. You can combine half and full insoles--it may take two full insoles for the toe to become snug and then another two heel half insoles for the heel to become snug. Experiment and figure out what works best. Insoles can be purchased at shoe stores and most pharmacies.
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Use heel grips, possibly with insoles. Heel grips are like insoles but are designed to keep the heel from moving inside a shoe. Heels grips are generally stickier than insoles, which means the foot is less likely to move around inside the shoe. Heel grips come in half and full grips.
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Tie the laces tight. A simple solution is to remove the laces, thread them as tightly as possible, and tie them as tight as they will go. This ensures that the shoe is at its smallest around your foot.
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Wash the shoes. This only works with running shoes or shoes with canvas or other fabric. Never wash leather shoes. Washing the shoes may ruin or damage them, so do this at your own risk. Place the shoes into the washing machine alone--do not wash them with other items. Wash on the hottest setting. Select a gentle cycle. Once the shoes have been washed, place them into the dryer. Dry the shoes on the hottest setting. This process will shrink the material on the shoes. It will not make the rubber sole any smaller but it will shrink the material. This process may damage the shoes, so this is best done with an older pair of shoes and not brand new ones.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit The pair of old destroyed safety shoes image by Carabay from Fotolia.com
