quote:
Originally posted by rip
quote:Originally posted by stuman
Siggy, I've used a product called Premier Shoe Stretch and it works, especially on softer leathers. I have a pair of AE Bruzzanos which were tight. I used it along with a shoe stretcher and left it overnight. It did the job.
What color were the shoes? I've had concerns that the chemicals might stain a light tan shoe. Anyone?
Train your eye! Then train your brain to trust your eye.
I've stretched approximately 6 pairs of shoes, since I got orthotics not long after beginning to purchase good leather shoes. You should always spray whatever shoe stretch solution you use on the *inside* of the shoes or it could take off the finish and/or cause discoloration. I've had both happen and it meant more work to restore the shoes. The solution didn't stain the shoes, but it did cause the original color to run. This was a problem with a pair of my brown shoes, but not with black. If your shoes are leather lined, as mine are, spraying the solution inside still works, but the process is slower and you may want to spray the outside as well as the inside.
I bought a shoe stretcher on ebay (complete with spacers to stretch specific parts of the shoes, for people with bunions and the like). I initially tried an alcohol/water mix, but it didn't work. So I went to a local cobbler and bought shoe stretch solution. I sprayed the solution inside the shoe, inserted the stretcher, and expanded it to stretch the shoe. I proceeded fairly carefully at first, so I went through multiple rounds of stretching without any problems. With patience, I finally stretched my shoes to about one extra width measurement (about 3mm).
If I'd had only one pair of shoes to stretch, I would have taken them to a cobbler.
Best regards,
thinman
