Here are 4 simple steps to stretch your leather shoes

Do your feet hurt a little in your new shoes? When you buy a pair of leather shoes, you may feel some pressure on your feet due to friction. And it's normal for the leather to feel stiff when you first put them on, because a shoe needs a few days to adjust to the wearer before it becomes comfortable. But that's no reason to send your pair of shoes back or experiment with them by hook or by crook to make them softer!

So yes, some will tell you to use methods that involve water, cold or heat. We recommend other methods that are just as effective and much gentler on the leather, especially if it's vegetable tanned like most of our models. Here you will find all the techniques to soften and enlarge your leather shoes. Of course, all these methods complement each other: you can try several methods to gently stretch your shoes and soften them easily.

⁰¹ How to stretch leather shoes with shoe trees?

We can't tell you enough, there are many reasons why it is essential to have cedar shoe trees. In addition to preventing creases and cracking in the leather, shoe trees allow you to stretch leather shoes in both length and width. At first leave the shoe trees in place for several days, then place them after each use of the shoes.

⁰² How to use moisturiser to soften the leather?

To soften leather shoes, take a good example from your skin! Applying a good moisturising cream at the beginning of the treatment, in addition to acting as a make-up remover and removing old layers of shoe polish, will soften and relax the leather to help it to adapt to the foot. And it is in any case an essential step in the care of your leather shoes, whether they are new or not, this is where the care starts.
A particularly effective method is to apply a thick, highly moisturising cream, such as Nivea, to your feet. Apply it all over the foot and then put on your shoes without socks. Moisturising will soften the leather shoe from the inside, the previous method moisturised the outside already.

⁰³ Comfort comes with walking

A shoe needs time to get used to its new owner. And it will only happen, of course, if you wear your shoe as often as possible. Nevertheless, it's better not to rush into anything! It's best to start by "breaking in" your latest conquest at home with one or even two pairs of thick socks on top of each other. It is also important to move your toes regularly to check whether the leather is already yielding slightly. And even if it may feel a bit strange at first to walk around in shoes at home, the effort will be rewarded! Afterwards, you can take your new pair with you on short trips, for example to your local bakery. If you do this regularly, you and your shoes will become best friends in no time!

⁰⁴ Wet socks to the rescue

The very last technique to stretch leather shoes is the well-known trick with wet socks. But be careful here! To do this, take a wooden (not metal!) shoe tree, put a damp sock over it and then slip it into your shoe and let it dry overnight. The shoe tree will absorb the moisture from the sock and swell a little, which will stretch a bit the leather.