If you've never had a blister on your foot from uncomfortable shoes, then please stop what you're doing and share your secrets with the world. But for the rest of us, the experience of painful friction between the skin of our feet and the material of our shoes is an all too common one. (And no matter how fabulous the shoes, an unwelcome one, too.)
Well, it turns out that no matter how helpless a situation it might feel, you probably can fix it (without giving up on the heels, boots, or sandals you love). There are a ton of great DIY hacks to stretch out and manipulate your shoes so they're not so painful—and we found the best ones.
Keep scrolling to for some tried-and-true advice on how to deal when your shoes are rubbing your feet!
Your feet swell up to half a size larger by the end of each day, so if you try on new shoes then, you'll have a better idea of which pairs fit best, and, hence, which to buy.
Fill a couple zip baggies with water, put them inside the toes of the shoes in question, and then pop them in the freezer overnight. As the water freezes into ice, it expands, stretching the shoes.
Another stretching tactic: Put on your thickest pair of socks, and then put the shoes on. Pull out your hair dryer, put it on a relatively hot setting, and aim the air stream at your feet. The heat will loosen the material of the shoes and encourage them to take the shape of the oversized socks.
If freezing and heat-blasting them won't work, try this: Dampen some newspaper and stuff it inside the shoes; then let them sit like that overnight. The combination of moisture and the paper expanding as it dries should help the shoes stretch out.
Another stretching tactic that works: Spray the inside of your shoes with rubbing alcohol, and then put them on your feet. Walk around in them until the alcohol has dried and the fabric has given. Repeat until the shoes feel more comfortable.
If your shoes are particularly stubborn, just break down and buy a shoe stretcher. If it comes with shoe-stretching spray—even better.
How do YOU deal when your shoes rub your feet? Share your hacks in the comments below!