Shoe Stretching Tips & Best Shoes

Do you have a pair of shoes that kill your feet, but you can't seem to part ways with? Unfortunately, many of us aren't strangers to painful or uncomfortable shoes. Some of us sacrifice comfort for style, but our feet definitely pay the price. There are a few shoe stretching tips to relieve discomfort, but buying proper fitting shoes is the key to avoiding pain.

COMMON SHOE FIT MISTAKES

Improperly fitted and unsupportive shoes can cause a host of foot issues, including bunions, plantar fasciitis, ball of foot pain, heel pain, blisters, and more. Some of the most common shoe features can contribute to pain or discomfort such as:

• Lack of arch support
• Lack of cushioning
• Incorrect size
• A narrow heel
• A narrow and pointy toe box
• High heels

Here are a few tips on how to help modify your shoes to improve fit and comfort.

HOW TO STRETCH NARROW HEELS

Shoes with a stiff, narrow heel leave feet susceptible to heel pain, irritation, and blisters. To relieve pain and irritation, you will need to stretch the heel of the shoe to loosen the fit and reduce friction.

Shoe Tree:

If your shoes feel tight or rub in your heel, you can stretch them with a shoe stretcher/shoe tree.

1. Insert the shoe stretcher into your shoes and leave it in overnight.
2. Turn the shoe tree's adjustment handle every 8 to 12 hours to keep stretching until you get the desired length and width for your shoe.
3. Try using a shoe stretching liquid to help soften the shoes as they stretch.

HOW TO STRETCH A NARROW, POINTY TOE BOX

Shoes with a pointy or narrow toe box can cause cramping of the feet, particularly in the toes. When toes don't have ample space inside the shoe to sit properly, it can affect gait, as well as cause bunions or overlapping toes. If your shoes feel too narrow or tight in the toes, there are several hacks you can use to help loosen the forefoot of your shoe.

Freezer Hack:

1. Fill a zip-close plastic bag partially with water
2. Placing it inside the shoe
3. Place shoe in the freezer overnight

As water expands during the freezing process, it can help to stretch the toe area of the shoe.

Shoe Tree:

A shoe tree can also be helpful in loosening tight toe boxes. As mentioned above, place the shoe tree in the shoe overnight and continue to adjust until the shoe feels more comfortable.

If you have issues with bunions, you can use a shoe tree with a bunion attachment to help provide additional relief.

HOW TO MAKE HIGH HEELS MORE COMFORTABLE

Shoes with high heels encourage improper alignment in the foot and can cause feet to slide forward, squeezing them into the front of the shoe. As a result, high heels can cause bunions, ball of foot pain, or overlapping toes.

Shoe Tree:

Typically, for high heels, you will need to stretch out the toe area of the shoe to allow your toes more room in the front of the shoe.

Orthotics:

The Aetrex Fashion Orthotics can be a great way to help properly distribute the weight inside your high heels while offering additional arch support and cushioning. These orthotics feature Aetrex Signature Arch Support that helps biomechanically align your body.

1. If possible, remove the footbed in your shoes
2. Replace the insole with the Aetrex Fashion Orthotics
3. Make sure the arch is placed on the inside of the shoe

CHOOSING THE BEST FOOTWEAR

While there are hacks you can use to help make your improperly fitted footwear feel better, it is always better to choose shoes that fit and feel great right out of the box. Aetrex combines high-end materials with state-of-the-art footwear technologies to ensure that your feet feel cushioned and supported, without having to sacrifice style.

Aetrex Signature Arch Support

Each pair of Aetrex footwear has Aetrex Signature Arch Support built-in, along with premium comfort features to relieve pain and offer support. Using these top-of-the-line materials, Aetrex has constructed superior arch support, with an arch placed strategically farther back toward the heel, in the location where the most weight is placed on the foot. This allows for proper weight distribution and removes pressure from the ball of the foot. 

All Aetrex shoes have the Aetrex Signature Arch Support either built into the footbed or with a removable firm, but flexible midsole. This helps restore the natural alignment of your hips, knees, and back while also relieving pressure on your feet.

Superior Cushioning

Memory foam cushioning helps avoid pain in high-pressure areas.

Wide Widths

The extra room helps accommodate wider feet.

Alignment, arch support, and premium cushioning combined help to provide the ultimate pain relief. By properly distributing weight and pressure, cradling the foot in comfort, and offering support, Aetrex shoes are a stylish option for those seeking pain relief. With Aetrex footwear, heel pain, arch pain, plantar fasciitis, and painful pressure is a thing of the past!

DISCLAIMER: The information contained on this guide is not provided by medical professionals and is provided for informational purposes only. The information on this guide is not meant to substitute consulting with your podiatrist, doctor or other health care professional. The information available on our through this guide is in no way intended to diagnose, influence treatment or cure any foot or other health problems nor is it a substitute for the services or advice of a podiatrist, physician, or health professional. You should always consult a physician licensed in your state in all matters relating to your health.