Tips for Breaking in Your New Pair of Women's Flats!
Did you get a new pair of women's flats and want to make them more comfortable?
You came to the right place, as the team from Oh Hi has years of experience with these shoes. While women's flats at Oh Hi are already comfy at the onset, it pays to know additional tips and tricks for future use.
The proper techniques and patience can transform those snug shoes into a comfy and stylish part of your daily outfits. You'll be pleasantly surprised at some of the tips, because we couldn't believe them at first.
But these steps are easy, and you will have the most cosy women's flat shoes in no time. You can achieve a perfect fit after exploring and applying these valuable tips. If you're ready to start breaking into your women's flats, let's go!
Tip 1—Wear Thick Socks
Breaking in involves walking around the house in your new women's flats. Wear thick socks or several pairs if you don't already have any to protect your feet from rubbing against tight shoes while you're walking.
The socks will act as padding and protection against the women's flats, and the chunkiness will start stretching the shoes.
You must buy your shoes weeks before use to give you enough time to walk them around and break them in. Keep doing this routine—walking around the house with your thick socks and women's flats—daily for ten minutes.
Once you notice the shoe loosening up, you can start reducing the thickness of the socks until you end up with thin or no socks.
Tip 2—Press the Insides with a Spoon
Now you know that spoons have other uses, too. Spoons can help break in a new pair of women's flats by stretching the tight spots.
A spoon works well because the rounded shape does not leave marks of scuffs and mimics the shape of the heel or toes pressing on the soles.
To do this:
- Wear your new flats and take note of the areas that feel tight on your feet.
- After discovering these areas, use the back of a spoon to press gently into the insole or side where it feels tight.
- Press while stretching the fabric of your flats, then try them on after each time to see if they start to fit better.
Tip 3—Expand with Heat
Tight women's flats will expand with some help from your handy hairdryer. Shoe materials usually stretch when exposed to heat. One way of utilising heat to break in your women's flats is by pointing them to tight spots while wearing the shoes.
With socks on, put on your shoes, and hold the hairdryer, at the hottest setting, around 20cm away from the spot, for 30 seconds before moving to the next tight area. Do it all over the women's flats, returning to places that still feel constricted.
After you've hit all the tight spots, walk around the house for 15 minutes while the shoes are still warm.
Tip 4—Bend and Twist
If your women's flats hit your heels and feel tight, you can soften the hard materials by heating and twisting them. You can use a hairdryer or walk them around to warm the shoes before removing and turning them near the areas that hurt.
Grab the front and back of the women's flats and bend them gently. Please do not overdo it. While results are not immediate, the materials of your women's flats will expand and soften over time. You can do this repeatedly.
Tip 5—Freeze Your Shoes
If you don't like dealing with heat, you can do the opposite and achieve the same outcome. Water expands when it freezes, so apply this technique to break into your women's flats.
Fill two sandwich bags halfway with water and seal them tightly, ensuring no leak will go through.
Once done, grab each bag and place one inside each shoe. Afterwards, place the pair of women's flats inside a large sandwich bag that fits both to protect them from moisture.
Seal them and place them inside the freezer for 5-7 hours, allowing the water to freeze and expand the shoes. Thaw the women's flats and try them to see if they work.
Please keep in mind that this method is risky for materials like suede. It's best to use this for water-resistant or waterproof women's flats.
Tip 6—Use Commercial Products
Some products on the market can stretch and expand your flats, like a shoe stretcher, which you can slide inside and leave to do its job. You can also purchase a stretching spray that does the hard work for you.
All that's left for you to do is spray the insides of the flat shoes for women and gently bend them to keep breaking in the material.
Moreover, you can also bring your shoes to a cobbler if you're worried about damaging your footwear. As professionals, they can do the stretching for you.
Tip 7—Protect Your Feet
If you've followed all these tips and there are still persistent areas in your flat shoes that rub your feet, use a bandage to cover your skin.
Doing this will prevent your shoes from pressing against your skin, saving your feet from painful blisters. You can also purchase heel grips from Oh Hi to protect your heels.
Alternatively, rub some petroleum jelly on the spot so it won't create friction against your skin. Deodorants also do the trick if you can't find petroleum jelly at home.
Get One Step Closer to More Comfortable Flat Shoes!
There are more ways to break in your flats. Find the one that's easiest (and appropriate for the shoes) for you to do.
Let us know which one works best for you. And if you're looking for a new pair of women's flats to add to your collection or style with a new dress or outfit for the office, , head to the nearest Oh Hi store or shop online.
Choose from our shoe collection, which includes: ballet flats, flat sandals, black flats (and other classic colours), loafers, and many other styles.