How to Break in Shoes that Rub your Heel: 9 Tips for You

We don’t know about you but shopping for new shoes can be a form of therapy – retail therapy. The thrill of getting a brand-new pair of shoes to match that outfit in your wardrobe is incomparable.

The worst that can happen is for that joy to be short-lived because your shoes hurt whenever you wear them. Well, we can give you some useful tips on how to break in shoes that rub your heel.

You do not have to give up your favorite pair of shoes and neither do you have to walk around like your feet are on fire.

By the time you finish reading this article, you should have a concrete solution to your problem.

 

Tips on How to Break in Shoes That Rub Your Heel

If you are keen on having a pain-free experience with your shoes, you will find the following tips particularly useful.

 

1. Get the Right Pair

A pair of shoes may look good and irresistible to you but going ahead and buying it even though it doesn’t fit is simply setting yourself up for failure. Your feet are never going to grow smaller.

Did you know that most foot problems are caused by ill-fitting shoes? Do the right thing and get shoes that fit you to avoid such.

 

2. Beware of the Hot Spots

One thing you need to keep in mind is that breaking into new shoes will be a tad harsh on your feet. The good news is that you can prevent some of the common blisters by identifying where to look.

As much as we are giving you tips on how to break in shoes that rub your heel, you want to keep in mind that the sides and tops of your toes are susceptible as well. If you are unsure about where your feet hurt, wear your shoes for a while and walk in them. You will certainly get your answer.

Once you identify the hotspots, you can cushion and protect them. You can use paper surgical tapes to do that and although they are an unusual choice, they work wonders in preventing blisters.

The tape is smooth and thin so even with blisters, removing it will not be as painful. The best part is that the tape is available and readily available.

 

3. Moisturized Feet Work Better

Friction causes blisters so it makes sense for you to ensure that your feet are properly moisturized before wearing your shoes.

Use petroleum jelly or lotion on your heels or wherever else where there is dry skin to reduce friction.

You can also use antiperspirant especially when the weather is hot and humid. Unlike deodorant, antiperspirant reduces sweating so applying it on your feet can prevent blisters from worsening and your feet from sweating too much.

 

4. Insoles to the Rescue

You want to reduce the area in contact with your heel as much as possible and insoles do a good job of giving your feet a slight lift.

Sure, the insoles will make the shoes fit tighter but they can help diminish the movement between your shoe and skin which then makes it less likely for you to develop blisters.

Moreover, the insoles can make your general experience with your shoes more comfortable and supportive.

 

5. Moleskin Never Disappoint

Moleskin is an adhesive cotton fabric available in drug stores and is used to prevent cutting, blisters, and scraping on your heels. Simply stick bits of it inside your shoes.

Cut a part of the moleskin that will be big enough to adhere over the area on your shoes you want to be covered.

Alternatively, you can apply moleskin directly to your heels to prevent blisters. Just ensure that your skin is clean and dry when doing that. To keep it in place, you can wear thin socks over it.

 

6. Try Some Thick, Plushy Socks

Even after trying most of the tips we have given, sometimes the blisters will simply not go away. So, instead of trying to protect your fit, you should think about stretching the shoes so that they provide more room for your feet.

As such, you can wear a thick pair of socks while having the shoes on. You can even get a shoe shaper and put the thick socks on it and leave it overnight inside your shoes.

Instead of walking around in pain, you can gradually stretch your shoes using thick socks.

 

7. The Blow Drying Hack

It doesn’t have to get to the point where you have painful blisters. As soon as you realize that your shoes are not the right size, you can stretch them out so that when you are ready to wear them, they will be much more comfortable and not cause any blisters.

Get a hairdryer and put on the thick socks that we mentioned. Put your shoes on and blow-dry over the area where the shoe pinches for about 30 seconds. Just ensure that the dryer is far enough from your feet not to burn them.

Once you do that, take a walk in the shoes to help loosen the material while it is still hot and flexible. When you feel that the shoes have stretched adequately, you can take your feet out.

 

8. Use a Bag of Ice

If heat fails to work as far as stretching your shoes you can use an ice bag to stretch them as long as they are not made of leather.

All you have to do is fill two fill water into plastic bags and put them inside your shoes. After that, place the shoes inside the freezer overnight. As the water freezes, the shoes will expand.

You want to note though that this method requires you to be patient as it involves a bit of trial and error.

The aim is not to overstretch your shoes so you will need to fill them with just enough water to create the stretch difference you need.  By the time it is morning, you should have well-fitting shoes that will also keep your feet cool.

 

9. Dip the Shoes in Water

In case your shoes fail to mold your feet, you are likely to suffer agonizing pain anytime you wear your shoes. Another trick that can work to prevent that pain is to wear your shoes and dunk them in a bucketful of water.

Take them out and tap them with a towel to prevent discoloration ensure that you leave them a bit damp. After that, you want to walk in them for a few hours when they are wet.

The dampness works to soften the material of the feet so that they can easily mold to your feet.

 

Final Thoughts

That friend is how to break in shoes that rub your heel. All the tips in this guide are likely to take up a significant amount of your time and some of them may even be unpleasant.

Nevertheless, breaking into your shoes correctly will make the difference in you enjoying comfort and being pain-free.

We believe all the tips we have given you in this guide will help you avoid painful heels and blisters. Go ahead and try one or two – you could even try all of them and see how that works for you.

All we can say now is that nothing beats walking in your lovely shoes without having to deal with pain and blisters.

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