Moving around in your shoes and the normal action of putting them on, taking them off, and walking around all day naturally causes your shoes to bend and fold a bit and will always cause creases after a while. The good news is you can usually take some simple steps to remove most wrinkles and repair the creases fairly easily.
Note that shoes that fit properly are less likely to crease. They’ll always crease eventually but it is definitely more difficult to remove creases when your shoes are too large. That’s because the empty space between your foot and your shoe allows the shoe material to bend more easily.
Methods to Uncrease Shoes
There are a few different ways that you can stretch out your shoes, but it basically comes down to two approaches. Either you use heat to help relax and uncrease the shoe material, or you stretch out the shoe using shoes trees. We’ll cover both approaches below.
Approaches Using Heat to Remove Creases
One popular method is to use hot water. This method works best on leather or canvas shoes. Simply fill up a pot with boiling water or boil water in the microwave. You can then carefully dip a small towel into the water. Use the damp towel to apply hot water all across the surface of your shoe. Using a damp cloth or towel is preferable because you typically don’t want to soak your whole shoe in the hot water.
If the toe box is stubborn, you can hold the shoe by the heel, dip the toe box of the shoe into the water for just a few seconds. Be careful not to leave the shoe in the water for too long, as this can damage the material and glue that holds the shoe together.
After a few seconds, remove the shoe from the water and immediately put it on your foot (if it’s a safe temperature). Wear the shoe around until it dries. The heat from the water will help to stretch out the material of the shoe.
Getting Rid of Shoe Creases Using Stretching/Conditioning
Use a Shoe Tree or Shoe Stretcher
Another way to stretch out your shoes is to use a shoe stretcher. This is a tool that you insert into the shoe and then turn, which stretches out the material. Shoe stretchers are available for purchase online or at some shoe stores.
If you don’t have access to a shoe stretcher, you can try using socks.
Another way to stretch out your shoes is to stuff them with newspaper. This method works best on leather or synthetic shoes. Simply crumple up some newspaper into balls and stuff them into the toe of the shoe. Make sure that you stuff the newspaper all the way to the top of the shoe so that it stretches out the material as much as possible.
Recommended Tools To Uncrease Your Shoes
A shoe stretcher
You can find a shoe stretcher at most shoe stores, or online.
Here is How To Uncrease Your Shoes Using A Shoe Stretcher
1. Insert the shoe stretcher into the shoe.
2. Turn the shoe stretcher until you feel resistance.
3. Leave the shoe stretcher in the shoe overnight.
4. In the morning, remove the shoe stretcher and your shoes should become more enjoyable to fit in.
Note: This method is best for leather or synthetic shoes.
How To Uncrease Your Shoes Using Boiling Water
1. Fill a pot with boiling water.
2. gripping the shoe tightly, sink the toe of the shoe into the boiling water for a few seconds.
3. Remove the shoe from the water and immediately put it on your foot.
4. Wear the shoe around until it dries.
Note: This method is best for leather or canvas shoes.
How To Uncrease Your Shoes Using Newspaper
1. Crumple up some newspaper into balls.
2. Stuff the newspaper into the toe of the shoe.
3. Leave the shoes stuffed overnight.
4. The next day, remove the newspaper and your shoes should be easier to wear.
Note: This method is best for leather or synthetic shoes because natural fibers like cotton can absorb too much water and become misshapen
How To Uncrease Your Shoes Using Socks
Wearing socks will help to stretch out the shoes.
1. Put on a pair of socks.
2. Insert your foot into the shoe.
3. Wear the shoes around until they stretch out and are more congenial to wear.
You can also try using a shoe horn to help get your foot into the shoe without damaging the material.
A shoe horn is a tool that is inserted into the back of the shoe to help guide your foot in without stretching out the material.
Note: This method is best for shoes made of natural fibers like cotton or wool because they will stretch more easily.
How Not To Crease Shoes
- Do not leave shoes in direct sunlight as this can cause the material to weaken and break down.
- Do not use a hair dryer on shoes as this can damage the material.
- Do not put shoes in the dryer as this can also damage the material.
- Do not twist or bend shoes as this can permanently damage the shape of the shoe.
- Do not wear shoes that are too tight as this can cause blisters and pain.
- Do not throw shoes across the room as this can damage the material.
Uncrease Your Shoes Using Shoe Trees (optional)
1. Place shoe trees into your shoes overnight.
2. This will help to stretch out the shoes and keep them in good condition.
3. In the morning, remove the shoe tree and try shoes again
Uncrease Your Shoes Using A Spray Bottle
1. Fill a spray bottle with water.
2. Spray the inside of the shoe with water.
3. Put on a pair of socks and wear the shoes around until they are dry.
4. The shoes should now be easier to wear.
Note: This method is best for leather or synthetic shoes because natural fibers like cotton can absorb too much water and become misshapen.
Uncrease Your Shoes Using A Hair Dryer (optional)
1. Turn on the hair dryer to the lowest setting.
2. Hold the hair dryer about six inches away from the shoe and move it around so that the heat evenly distributes.
3. Do not hold the hair dryer in one spot for too long as this can damage the shoe.
4. After a few minutes, try the shoes on to see if they have stretched out.
Note: This method is best for leather or synthetic shoes. Moreover, brands like Sperry have a warranty that can be voided if you use this method.
Uncrease Your Shoes Using Wax Paper
1. Cut a piece of wax paper to fit inside the toe of the shoe.
2. Stuff the wax paper into the toe of the shoe.
3. Leave the shoes stuffed overnight.
4. In the morning, you will see shoes are more restful to put on
This method is used if your shoes feel a little bit snug. It is best for leather or synthetic shoes.
Freezing Your Shoes
1. Fill two zip-lock bags with water and seal them shut.
2. Place the bags of water into the toe of your shoe.
3. Put the shoes in the freezer overnight.
4. The next day, take the shoes out of the freezer and let them thaw out at room temperature.
5. Once they are thawed, try the shoes on to see if they fit better.
Note: This method is best for shoe brands like Ugg and Sorel because they are made of natural fibers that will stretch when frozen.
Heat-Up Your Shoes
In spite of freezing your shoes, you can also heat them up to make them more comfortable. This is a good method to use for leather or synthetic shoes.
Hence, there are many methods that you can use to uncrease your shoes and make them more comfortable to wear. With just a little bit of effort, you can easily make your shoes larger and more pleasant to have on.
FAQ’s
Q. How Do I Stop My Shoes From Creasing?
To stop your shoes from creasing, the number one tip is to buy shoes that fit your foot properly. You can also try using a shoehorn to help get your foot into the shoe without damaging the material. You can also try using a clean spray bottle to wet the shoe with water and then dry it with a hot blow dryer. This should generally work for leather shoes including suede shoes in addition to sneakers.
Q. Why Do New Shoes Crease?
New shoes crease due to natural movement of your foot when walking. This is exacerbated if the shoe is too large leaving extra space between your foot and your shoe.
Q. How Do You Uncrease Shoes That Aren’t Leather?
If your shoes are not leather, you can use shoe trees or try using a spray bottle of water and hot hair dryer to heat the shoe fabric.
Q. Can You Stretch Plastic Shoes?
Yes, you can stretch plastic shoes. One method is to use a hair dryer to heat up the material and make it more pliable.
