Making Normal Shoes Fit Wide Feet

By Staff Report
- Tweet
- Pin It
Updated: February 10, 2020

Pxhere/Labeled For Reuse

As we age, our feet change and they become longer and wider. Long after you have stopped growing, you could find yourself outgrowing your shoes. When you buy shoes, a good rule of thumb is to ensure that there is a space the width of your thumb between the front of the shoe and your toes. If your shoes are too tight, there are a few ways that you can make them fit more comfortably.

Break In The Shoes With Heavy Socks

Over a few days, you need to break in your shoes while wearing heavy socks. Before you put the shoes on, you should heat them with a hairdryer and bend them. If your shoes are still too tight, you need to dampen some socks and stuff them into the shoes. Leave these socks there until they are dry then try the shoes on again. If there are parts of the shoes that are too tight, you can try adding rubbing alcohol on the inside.

Cut Into The Toe Area For Soft Leather And Cloth Shoes

To widen shoes made of soft leather and cloth, you need to cut a triangle that points toward the middle toes. Try the shoes and keep enlarging the triangle until the shoes fit perfectly. You can then glue the cut edges to seal the area. To hide the triangle, you can use an embellishment such as a bow or clip-on.

Choose Larger Shoes

When you look at shoes, you should choose ones that are medium width and a size larger than your regular shoe size. As long as the shoes do not fall off your heels and are comfortable, they will work. There are a lot of different styles that can be purchased in larger sizes. Take a look at The Orthotic Shop’s guide to shopping for extra wide shoes.

Tie The Laces Comfortably

When you have shoes of medium width, the laces can offer you some extra width when you loosen them. As you lace your shoes, the eyelets should be around 5/8 inch apart. If the top eyelets of the shoe touch, the shoe will be too wide. The shoe is too narrow if the eyelets are further apart than the recommended 5/8 inch.

Wear Shoes With Stretch Material

Instead of wearing shoes made of hard and unforgiving materials, look for ones with stretchy material. Real leather will be more flexible than synthetic materials such as plastic.

Stretch The Shoe With A Shoehorn

To widen the shoes, you can stretch them with a shoehorn. You should combine this process with oil or a stretching spray. These items can be purchased at your local shoe store.

Visit A Shoe Shop

A shoe shop will be able to stretch your shoes for you and do this in a manner that does not damage the material. Shoe stores will also be able to measure the length and width of your foot to ensure you get the right shoes. This eliminates the need to widen your shoes after you have purchased them.

Even if you are buying from a shoe store, you need to try on the shoes before you buy them. The measurements of shoes vary depending on the manufacturer and model. You will only get the right shoes when you do this.