Stretching Sneakers Overnight with Ice
Fill 2 1 gallon (3.8 L) sealable bags with water. Since water expands when it freezes, you can use it to stretch your shoes out overnight. Fill both sealable bags about 1/2 full to avoid over-stretching your shoe. Seal the bags tightly shut to avoid any leakage.
Push the water-filled bags into your sneakers. Put 1 water-filled bag into each sneaker so that the front of the bag is in the very tip of the shoe. If necessary, reach into each shoe with your hand and press the water-filled bag into the front and back of the shoe. Make sure that the bags are still sealed at this point—a leaky bag would ruin a shoe.
Place the sneakers into your freezer and leave them overnight. Set the shoes on a flat surface in the freezer with their tops facing upward. It will take at least 8–10 hours for the bag of ice to freeze. As the ice freezes, it will expand and stretch outward against the insides of the sneakers.
Pull the sneakers out of the freezer the next morning. Take the sneakers out of the freezer, remove the bags from inside of the shoes, and try them on. At this point, the sneakers should have stretched enough to fit your feet. If you don’t want to freeze your feet, let the sneakers warm up for 20–30 minutes before trying them on.
Repeat the process if the sneakers are still too tight. If the shoes still constrict your feet after 1 night in the freezer, freeze them again. Fill 2 more plastic bags with water and make them slightly fuller this time so that they expand more within the shoes. Freeze them overnight, and try the sneakers on again in the morning. László Vass László Vass, Master Shoemaker Stretching sneakers is an art of gently expanding the shoe to create a customized, comfortable fit. The goal is not to distort the shoe but to patiently mold it to the unique shape of your foot. Use proper tools and services to gently stretch the materials. A well-fitted shoe enhances comfort and longevity.
Heating Sneakers to Stretch Them
Put on 2 pairs of thick socks and the sneakers. Find a couple of pairs of thick wool socks and put them on over one another. Then, put on the sneakers that you’re planning to stretch. Using socks to make your feet as large as possible will help stretch out the sneakers. If the shoes are tight enough that your feet won’t fit in while wearing 2 pairs of socks, just wear 1 pair.
Heat the shoes with a hairdryer for 30 seconds at a time. Keep your feet inside the shoes, and use a hair dryer to blow hot air over the outside surfaces of the shoes. Set the hair dryer to medium heat to avoid overheating and potentially damaging your sneakers. Every 30 seconds, switch the air from the hair dryer to the other shoe. Keep the hair dryer moving so that it heats all surfaces of the shoe: the toe cap, sides, and heel.
Wiggle your toes and feet as you’re heating the sneakers. The heat from the hair dryer will loosen up the fabric of your sneakers. Wiggling your toes and flexing your foot while you’re heating up each shoe will help to stretch the sneakers. Stretching your sneakers out so they fit comfortably may take up to 2 minutes per shoe.
Stretching Sneakers without Temperature Extremes
Wear your sneakers for 4-5 hours at a time around your home. The best way to break a pair of sneakers in is by wearing them around your home. They’ll break in even if you’re just sitting down. The heat and sweat from your feet will soften up the shells of the sneakers and cause the shoes to mold to the shape of your feet. Be aware that it can take 5–7 days to break in a pair of shoes. So, if you have a big track meet or other sporting event tomorrow, this may not be the most effective method.
Use shoe-stretching inserts when you’re not wearing the sneakers. Shoe-stretching inserts are foot-shaped wooden or plastic objects that widen and exert outward pressure on shoes when they’re pushed inside of the body of the shoe. Stretch the sneakers even when they aren’t on your feet by keeping a pair of shoe-stretching inserts inside the sneakers. To use shoe-stretching inserts, place the toe of the insert into the shoe and press the heel into place. This action will expand the front portion of the insert. Even if you keep the inserts in around the clock, it’ll take at least 3 days for the shoes to be stretched enough to accommodate your feet. Purchase shoe-stretching inserts at a nearby sporting goods store or at a large shoe store.
Take your sneakers to a professional cobbler for a faster stretch. Professional cobblers have machines and tools specifically designed to stretch sneakers and other types of running shoes. Drop your sneakers off with the cobbler and explain that you’d like the shoes stretched. Expect a 48-hour turnaround time on this procedure, which usually costs about $15 USD. If you don’t know whether or not there’s a cobbler nearby, search online for a phrase like “professional cobblers in my area.”
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