Shoe Stretcher

Your Feet Will Thank You

A shoe stretcher is a neat tool that is far handier than many people realize. It is often said that our feet are the most important part of our body, and anyone who has walked around all day in painful new shoes can certainly attest to this fact. When your feet hurt — you hurt all over. That’s why it is so important to wear comfortable footwear.

But sometimes those new shoes that felt wonderful when you tried them on in the shop, don’t feel all that great when you actually wear them to go out shopping or to work. One reason for this is that shoe sizes tend to vary widely depending on the manufacturer. For example, I recently bought a pair of shoes in my traditional size — 10 1/2 — only to find they were physically smaller and narrower than every other pair of shoes I owned in the same size.

These kinds of experiences are, unfortunately, not uncommon. Women especially tend to have problems with shoes not fitting as well for everyday use as they do in the shoe store. But that is where a brilliant little gadget called a shoe stretcher comes in handy.

Here are the two most popular shoe stretchers..

ProFoot Wooden 2 Way Shoe Stretcher - Women’s

ProFoot Wooden 2 Way Shoe Stretcher - Men’s

A shoe stretcher’s main job is to break in your shoes for you, so you don’t have to do it on your own, causing your foot — and possibly your temper — to swell. Using a shoe stretcher will also help prevent blisters and calluses that can become painful or even infected, leaving your feet unattractive and painful to the touch.

Shoe stretchers should maintain the original shape of your shoes, and subtly stretch the material from the inside, without creasing or cracking the surface, or otherwise disfiguring the appearance of your shoes. Usually, a shoe stretcher will be adjustable, to allow it to fit than wide range of both men’s and women’s shoes.

There are two basic types of shoes stretchers; plastic and wood. A plastic shoe tree is the cheapest option, but these do not tend to last as long as the more solid wooden shoes stretchers. Most quality wooden shoes stretchers are made of cedar, ensuring they will absorb moisture and last a very long time. As a side benefit, your shoes may end up with the subtle fresh scent of cedar, which is certainly not a bad thing.

As well as using a shoe stretcher on new shoes, you can also use them on existing shoes that you haven’t worn recently. Shoes that are not worn for some time will often shrink, and can become painful to wear. This is particularly a problem with dress shoes that may not get worn very often.

Another benefit of using a wooden shoe stretcher is that it can be used to hold shoes in place when you polish them. This ensures that you won’t get creases, while making the job of polishing and buffing your shoes much easier.

Most shoe types will respond well to a cedar shoe stretcher; however, there are a few materials that will not benefit much from using a stretcher. These include materials such as vinyl, and some hard plastics which may be used in ladies footwear.

But for traditional shoe materials, such as leather or suede, a quality shoe stretcher will serve you well, and save you the aggravation of breaking in new shoes on your own.

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