How to Break in Shoes That Rub Your Heel? | Fun Hacks

If you have a pair of shoes or you get a new pair that rub on your heel, it can be frustrating. It can even be painful. However, if you love those shoes and you don’t want to get rid of them, there are some ways that you can break in shoes that rub your heel. The way that you do this might depend on the material the shoe is made out of or the style of shoe, as well. 

If you want to break in shoes that rub your heel, you can try using petroleum jelly, antiperspirant, paper surgical tape, rubbing alcohol, or a blow dryer. You can also try using shoe-stretching spray such as FootMatters Professional Boot & Shoe stretch spray.

How to break in tennis shoes that rub your heel?

Do you have a pair of tennis shoes that have been sitting in the back of your closet because they rub on your heel? You don’t want to get rid of these shoes because you really like them, but they are just too uncomfortable to wear. You can keep them and start wearing them again. All you have to do is break them in. 

One of the first things that you can try to get your tennis shoes to fit you better is to use petroleum jelly. You will put the petroleum jelly on the spots that cause friction against your heel. This can make it more comfortable to wear your tennis shoes. 

Another thing that you can try using is antiperspirant. This is often most effective during the hotter months of the year. The reason for this is because, sometimes, shoes will rub against a person’s heel when they are sweating.

If you put antiperspirant on your feet and directly onto your heel, it can reduce sweating. This way, your tennis shoes aren’t sticking to and rubbing against your heel. 

Paper surgical tape is another great idea for fixing a pair of tennis shoes that rub against your heel. This method isn’t used as often as the others, but it usually works very well. You will put the paper surgical tape onto your heel. The paper surgical tape can prevent blisters. 

This is especially helpful for runners who are trying to break in a pair of tennis shoes. This type of tape is smooth and thin. If you do happen to get a blister, taking the tape off won’t hurt. Another great thing about this method is that it is very inexpensive. You can get paper surgical tape for under $1. 

How to break in new shoes that rub your heel?

Do you have a pair of new shoes that rub against your heel? If so, there are two different options that work very well for breaking in new shoes. You can try using a blow dryer or using rubbing alcohol. 

If you have a pair of new shoes that are rubbing your heel while you are breaking them in, you can try using a blow dryer. The blow dryer is effective in stretching out fabric. Of course, this depends on the type of shoe that you have.

The blow dryer will work best if you are trying to stretch out leather shoes. All you need to do is to put on a thick pair of socks and your new shoes. Then, turn on your hairdryer. You will blow dry around the area that is tight. 

This should be done for between 20 to 30 seconds. Be sure you don’t have the hairdryer too close to your feet. After you have finished this process, walk around in your new shoes for a bit. This can help to loosen them up a bit more. 

You can also try to use rubbing alcohol to stretch out the new shoes that rub against your heel. You will spray the rubbing alcohol on the outer part of your new shoes.

Then, you will wear your shoes while the rubbing alcohol is drying. This can stretch shoes out a bit. Usually, this method is most effective for new boots that rub against the heel. Rubbing alcohol has also been effective on suede and leather shoes. 

While rubbing alcohol is generally safe to put on most materials, you may want to look up how rubbing alcohol will affect the shoes that you have. If you do go with this method, it won’t cost much, as rubbing alcohol is fairly inexpensive. 

You can get shoe-stretching spray, as well. There are many different types of these sprays sold online and in shoe stores, such as Cadillac shoe-stretch spray.

Sometimes, you can even find shoe-stretching spray in local grocery stores. This method works best when trying to stretch out a pair of leather shoes. However, the shoe-stretching spray has worked on some tennis shoes and other types of shoes, as well. 

All you need to do is to apply the spray onto the back of your shoes. Then, you will put a thick pair of socks on and put your feet into your shoes. After you do this, you will start walking around as much as you can.

When the shoe-stretching spray starts drying and your feet are moving around in the shoes, the shoes will start conforming to the size and shape of your feet.

How to break in new dress shoes that rub your ankle? 

Do you have new dress shoes that rub your ankle? If so, this can be quite painful. The good news is there are ways to break in new dress shoes that rub on the ankle. 

The first thing that you may want to try is wearing thicker socks with these shoes while walking around your home for a day. This can help to stretch the shoes out a bit. You can also try wearing insoles. Your ankle may just need to be up a bit higher in the shoe.

Some other things that you can try to break in new dress shoes that rub your ankle are pulling on the back of the shoe for a bit or softening the leather with shoe-stretching spray. 

Sometimes, however, dress shoes just don’t fit the same way as tennis shoes and other types of shoes. So, if you wear a size 7 tennis shoe, you might need a bigger size dress shoe. 

How to break in shoes for wide feet?

Have you recently purchased a pair of shoes, only to find out they don’t fit your wide feet? Sometimes, even if you buy a pair of shoes that are made for wide feet, they still don’t fit quite right. There are some ways that you can break in shoes for wide feet.

You can start by wearing the shoes around your house for a few days. Sometimes, this will work to stretch out the shoes enough, so they are more comfortable. 

Another way that you can stretch out shoes for wide feet is by wearing thick socks and putting on the shoes. You will turn a hairdryer on and hold it about 6 inches away from your shoes.

This should be done for about 20 to 30 seconds at a time. Then, walk around in the shoes a bit more. You can try this process a few times. 

You can also fill a freezer Ziploc bag with water and put it inside the shoe. Make sure the water bag is pushing on the areas that need to be stretched out the most. You will then put the shoes in the freezer overnight.

Related Questions

How to break in shoes that are too small?

Do you have a pair of shoes that are too small? If so, there are numerous ways that you can try to break in your shoes. You can try to use a blow dryer or shoe-stretching spray on them. You can also wear them around your house during the evening.

Sometimes, the more you wear a pair of shoes, the more stretched out they will get. You can place an adjustable shoe tree into your shoes overnight. There are also many shoe repair professionals that may be able to safely stretch out your shoes, as well. 

How to break in shoes that give you blisters?

Do you have a pair of shoes that are giving you blisters? If this is the case, it is likely because the shoes are too small or they just don’t fit you quite right. You might think that you need to get a new pair of shoes.

However, in many cases, you can stretch out the shoes just enough, so they no longer give you blisters. There are different ways that this can be done. 

You can start by trying to use band-aids. If you have a pair of shoes that is giving you blisters, band-aids are going to be so comfortable for you. You will just place the band-aid on the area of your feet or ankle that the shoes are rubbing against.

If you already have a blister, you will put the band-aid over that blister. This will prevent the shoes from rubbing anymore against that area. The band-aids can be great to prevent more blisters while you are stretching out your shoes. 

The best way to break in shoes that are giving you blisters is to moisturize your feet and the shoes. If you already have blisters, you need to make sure those heal up. You can use creams to moisturize the area to help your feet heal quicker.

In addition, if you are going to keep those shoes, you will need to stretch them out. There are numerous products that can be used to moisturize the shoe material, so they can fit your feet better. You can use shoe-stretching spray, rubbing alcohol, and petroleum jelly. You may be interested in our guide on how to break in steel toe boots.