Your Avarcas like with all genuine leather products will naturally stretch and soften with wear.
But there is nothing worse than getting a fabulous new pair of shoes and finding them too tight (damn you, size chart!!). Or, maybe your feet are naturally two different sizes.
Thankfully there is no need to return them. With the following 6 do it yourself hacks you’ll be rocking those new shoes blister-free in no time!
Oh and make sure you check number 6, my Grandma will love you xx
#1 WAY TO STRETCH YOUR LEATHER AVARCAS - WEAR AROUND THE HOUSE
Not the quickest option but it makes total sense to whack on your shoes for short periods at home to help loosen the leather and stretch them out. If you wanted to speed up the process, a thick pair of socks – or two can also be worn but you might find stuffing your feet into the shoes a little tight.
#2 FREEZE YOUR AVARCAS TO STRETCH THE LEATHER
Say what?
A little science lesson … when you freeze water it expands (mind blown!!).
Fill up a ziplock bag 1/3 of the way with water and zip shut. Give it a good squeeze to make sure there are no little leaks. Place the bags into the toes of the shoes and then place in the freezer.
Once the ice has formed, remove the shoes from the freezer and thaw for around 20 minutes. The bags should then be easily removed and shoes gently stretched. If they haven’t stretched as much as you like simply repeat.
Check out this great tutorial video on Youtube by Michelle Phan
#3 BLAST WITH HAIRDRYER TO STRETCH YOUR AVARCAS
Socks and a hairdryer, who knew? Pop on a couple of pairs of socks, put your shoes on and then blast with the hairdryer on medium heat for around 30 seconds. Make sure you keep the hairdryer moving to prevent overheating any one area and give your feet a wiggle back and forth to help loosen the leather. Be sure to let them cool with your feet still in them, and a good condition won’t go astray to keep them from drying out.
Check out this great tutorial video on Youtube by Lisa Pullano
#4 USE A GOOD SHOE STRETCH SPRAY
There are numerous shoe stretching sprays available providing an alternative to breaking in shoes. You spray the inside on each shoe with the shoe stretch spray which helps to relax the fibres for easy stretching, then wear the shoes around the house for approximately 30 minutes. The process can also be repeated.
You can pick up various brands from places like your local shoe repairer for around $10 or large department stores such as Myer and David Jones
#5 INVEST IN A SHOE STRETCHER TO USE WITH YOUR AVARCAS
If you have a few pairs of shoes that are on the tight side, investing in a quality shoe stretcher might be the way to go. Shaped like a foot and usually made of wood, you can stretch the length and width of your shoes to the desired size. For faster results spray with a shoe stretching spray before placing the stretcher inside
#6 STRETCH YOUR LEATHER AVARCAS WITH DAMP NEWSPAPER
This one is from my Grandma! Some crumpled up newspaper made slightly damp stuffed well into the shoes overnight.
And If you’re not confident in stretching your new purchase yourself pop in and say hi to your local shoe repair shop, they’ll safely stretch your shoes to the required size.