How to Stretch Synthetic Shoes

Co-authored by Moe Draper and Eric McClure

Last Updated: April 16, 2021 References

It’s pretty easy to stretch synthetic plastic and faux leather shoes, but they are probably not going to get more than 1/2 a size bigger than they already are.^{[1]
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Research source} To stretch synthetic plastic shoes, wear them at home with thick socks to break them in. Use a blow dryer while wearing them to shape the shoes to your feet. For faux leather, use a leather-stretching spray or conditioning oil to soften the fabric and stretch them out. Whenever you aren’t wearing plastic or faux leather shoes, use shoe stretchers or boot trees to keep the fabric stretched out.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Stretching Nylon, Vegan, and Plastic-Based Materials

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Inspect the shoe and tags to identify the material. Loosen the laces and pull the tongue up. If there is a label under the tongue, it may list the materials used to make your shoe. If there is no tag or it doesn’t list the materials, look your brand up online to search for the material used to make it. Nylon, PVC, acrylic, polyurethane, and microfiber are all types of plastic that can be stretched using heat, cold, or shoe stretchers.^{[2]
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- There may not be a tag on high-heeled shoes. Some tags may only provide sizing information.
- Plastic-based materials are some of the most popular materials for shoe manufacturers. Even textile and leather shoes typically contain some plastic.
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Wear them with thick socks for 15-30 minutes at a time to break them in. If your shoes are new and you can fit them on your feet, throw on a thick pair of comfy socks. Put your shoes on and tie the laces or strap them. Wear them around your home for 15-30 minutes at a time to begin breaking them in. Once your shoes get used to the shape of your feet, they’ll stretch out to comfortably fit your feet.^{[3]
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- Keep in mind that plastic-based shoes can only stretch half a size or, if you’re lucky, one full size.
- Avoid trying this technique on faux leather, which is a tougher material.
Warning: If your shoes start to hurt your feet, take them off. It’s not worth damaging your toes or feet just to stretch your shoes out. There are plenty of other methods that you can use that don’t involve forcing your feet into small shoes.

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3
Heat the plastic with a blow dryer to shape the shoe to your foot. Put on your shoes, plug in a hair dryer, and turn it to the highest setting. Hold the hair dryer 6–12 in (15–30 cm) away from the fabric of your shoe and turn it on. Move the dryer around your shoe, concentrating on particularly tight areas. Do this for 10-30 minutes at a time to help soften the plastic and stretch your shoes.^{[4]
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- This works on faux leather as well.
- Focus on the tips of your shoes where the toes rest, since this area is the easiest to stretch with heat.
- If your feet start to get too hot, stop. There are other solutions that you can try!
4
Put shoe stretchers in your shoes to relax the material. Get a set of shoe stretchers that are slightly larger than your shoes. Untie the shoe laces and pull the tongues up. Insert the stretchers and tie laces as tight as you can to stretch your footwear out while you aren’t wearing the shoes.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Moe Draper
Shoe Care & Repair Specialist
Expert Interview. 5 April 2021.}
- You may need to apply some force to get the shoe stretchers in at first, but this should get easier over time as you leave the shoe stretchers in.
- Leave your shoe stretchers in your shoes whenever you aren’t wearing them to continue stretching them over time.
- Shoe stretchers are foot-shaped wood models meant for stretching shoes.
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Freeze your shoes overnight in a plastic bag to expand the material. Dampen a few sheets of newspaper, crumple it up, and shove it into each of your shoes. Then, place your shoes inside of the bag and close the zipper 3/4 of the way. Force the excess air out of the bag and seal it. Leave your shoes in the freezer overnight to soften them up and stretch them out.^{[7]
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- Water expands when it freezes. As your shoes freeze, the moisture inside of your shoes will expand, causing the fabric to expand with it.
- This method isn’t great for faux leather, which tends to crack and crease when it gets wet and cold.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Relaxing Synthetic Leather

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Apply leather conditioner to soften the faux leather. Remove the laces from your shoes. Then, use a cotton pad or soft towel to scoop up a pea-sized chunk of conditioner. Work it into the leather using soft, circular motions, reloading the pad or towel as needed. Cover each section of the shoes and let the shoes air dry.^{[8]
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- Get a leather conditioner for faux leather online or from a shoe store.
- You can try coconut oil instead of leather conditioner if you want, but it can make the leather darker.^{[9]
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- Leather conditioner doesn’t technically stretch your shoes, but it does soften the leather up to make stretching easier.
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Spray a leather-stretching product on the surface to loosen faux leather. Read the label on a container of leather-stretching spray to ensure that your spray can be used on faux leather. Then, follow the label’s instructions to apply the spray and stretch the shoes. Typically, you mist the shoes with the spray and wear them or put them in a boot tree to stretch them out.^{[10]
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- Go to a local shoe store and purchase a shoe-stretching spray designed for leather.
- There are shoe-stretching sprays for other types of shoes, but they aren’t great for plastic shoes that are made out of more than one material.
Warning: Many stretching sprays are designed for real leather only. Read the label on a bottle of leather-stretching spray carefully to ensure that you can use it on faux leather.
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Slide a boot tree into a faux leather shoe to reshape it. A boot tree is a type of shoe stretcher with a bigger heel. Get a boot tree that is 1/2 a size bigger than your shoe. Untie the laces and lift the tongue out. Slide the boot tree into the shoe and tie the laces tight.^{[11]
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Expert Source

Moe Draper
Shoe Care & Repair Specialist
Expert Interview. 5 April 2021.}
- Leave the boot trees in your shoes whenever you aren’t wearing them. Over time, the leather will stretch out and your shoes will fit a lot better.