Do shoe stretchers work to make shoes bigger at home? My honest review (with video demo + before & after pics)

Shoe stretcher video demo & review

Here's a video demo showing my shoe stretchers kit, how to use them step by step, and my real world results. There's also written instructions below if you prefer.

My Shoe Stretcher Kit

While the exact Wavraging shoe stretcher kit I bought in 2022 from Amazon is no longer available, similar shoe stretchers seem to be sold under several different brand names & Amazon have good deals on a whole bunch of different plastic and wooden shoe stretchers:

• Amazon US: This Eachway shoe stretcher on Amazon US looks the same as mine. It comes in 3 sizes - small (women's size 5.5-10), medium (women's 10-13.5, men's 6.5-10) and large (men's 10-13.5).
  
• Amazon UK: These Halcent shoe stretcher (sizes 7-12 uk) and shoe stretcher (size 5-7) kits look very similar to mine too.

I didn't even know shoe stretchers existed until I saw these. They did ring a bell with old wooden contraptions I'd seen back in the day, like shoe trees to keep shoes in shape. So they're not a new invention. When I think of all the cute nearly new shoes I've given away over the years: where have shoe stretchers been all my life? Readily available from Amazon it seems!

I'll admit I was very skeptical. These cheap brands on Amazon can be hit and miss. But I figured they were well worth a try because if they worked they might just change my life.

My kit came in a handy storage bag. The pair of shoe stretchers are heavy enough (about 1lb (500g) each) but quite jangly and noisy. You also get little plastic bags with various bits and bobs. There are flat pieces to stretch shoe tops and small round bits to make shoes extra wide for bunions.

Oddly, there's a free shoe horn included too, which you should no longer need if the shoe stretchers fix your tight shoes. Finally, there's an instruction leaflet which explains how to use them well enough (with a few dodgy translations).

How do 2 way shoe stretchers work?

2 way shoe stretchers let you stretch shoes length-wise, width-wise or both ways at once.

The main foot shaped part goes into your shoe. The long handle has a heel piece midway down it. To make shoes longer, you put the heel piece inside the back of your shoe & turn the knob to move it backwards. This applies pressure to the back of your shoe, stretching it to make it longer.

The large foot shaped part has a left and right half joined together. To make shoes wider you turn the long handle to move these front pieces apart. This puts pressure across the front and sides of your shoe, stretching to to make it wider.

The Amazon shoe stretcher kit I bought in 2022 was marketed as a 4 way shoe stretcher then because it also caters for bunions and stretching the top opening or vamp of your shoe. But to me it's a standard 2 way length & width shoe stretcher with some additional features.

My shoe stretching results (before & after pics)

I've tested these shoe stretchers with 4 pairs of shoes to date as of April 2023. All 4 pairs of shoes felt bigger after stretching, but I found:

• stretching works best for making shoes wider rather than longer
• stretching leather and suede shoes is easiest
• you may need to repeat the shoe stretching process, especially if you don't wear the shoes regularly

Making suede ankle boots wider

My suede boots feel much wider and more comfortable to wear thanks to these shoe stretchers. I'm amazed at the result & can finally wear them regularly after 5 years at the back of my closet.

I'd tried wearing these boots several times over the years, hoping they would get a little wider by breaking them in. That never worked but just leaving them to stretch overnight worked like magic. Happy days!

The width difference is hard to see with the naked eye, even though shoe stretchers work best for making shoes wider. The measurement across the widest part of my boots increased by 5mm (.2 in) approx, from 15.5 to 16 cm. This sounds tiny, but medium and wide shoes are only slightly different in width and this makes a huge difference to how they feel.

Stretching Skechers to make them wider

I nearly cried when my new cute stretch fit Skechers hurt my feet. The length was fine but they were not quite wide enough and pinched the sides of my feet.

I thought they would stretch with wear, because I've had several pairs of Skechers before & always found them super comfy. But the more I wore these, the worse my feet felt.

So I tried my trusty shoe stretchers. I didn't hold out much hope because these Skechers are slip on sock sneakers designed to cling to the foot. But guess what? They worked a treat!

After stretching my Skechers for about 36 hours, they felt significantly wider & much more comfy to wear. But a few days later they did not feel quite as good. So I repeated the stretching process for another 48 hours and have worn them several times a week since (February - April 2023).

I can walk all day in my Skechers now they're just a bit wider, all thanks to my shoe stretchers.

Note 18 April 2023: Sadly the back heel of one of my Skechers got a hole after just over 2 months' wear. My local Skechers store gave me a full refund & I hope to find another pair in my size soon because I love them so much. But a heads up that these particular Skechers Arch Fit Bright Stride (149565) might not last long if you walk a lot like me.

Stretching Veja Sneakers

My sister made her Veja Campo sneakers more comfortable using my shoe stretcher. While one of her size 40 shoes felt just right, the other was slightly too tight and she couldn't wear her pretty Vejas much at all.

So she stretched the tight Veja Campo shoe for about 24 hours and that did the trick and it has stayed bigger since too. It didn't increase the length by much. My sister thinks it feels about a half euro size bigger which is only about 3mm longer. But tiny amounts make a big difference to how your shoes feel.

She wears her Vejas much more often now they both feel the right size. If you're curious about Campos, read my in-depth review of my Vejas after 6 months wear here.

Making TOMS fabric shoes longer

My TOMS were already wide enough, but they were very snug at my heel. I only kept them because TOMS advise they stretch a half size with wear. Mine didn't budge one bit!

I didn't expect stretching the TOMS to work, because they feel like they are made of upholstery fabric. When I first tried just making them longer it seemed to work but they soon felt too tight again.

So then I stretched the width a bit as well as the length. This made a noticeable difference at first. They felt more roomy & I could wear sock liners with them.

However, I don't wear my TOMS regularly, and I found they tightened back up without wear. So the result was temporary & I've needed to stretch them repeatedly.

I'm putting this down to a combination of the shoes being made of fabric and me not wearing the shoes often enough to maintain the result.

Stretching old leather shoes (general testing)

I also tested these shoe stretchers with a well worn pair of leather shoes I no longer need. Leather shoes are easiest to stretch. I could hear and see the leather stretch instantly.

These old shoes already fit me well. Post stretching just the length, they felt half a size larger & a bit too big on me. Stretching them width-wise made the shoes feel much wider too.

So overall, the shoe stretchers performed well in all 3 tests. Impressive stuff!

Do shoe stretchers make shoes longer?

Shoe stretchers can make shoes slightly longer but don't expect miracles. The shoes I stretched length-wise feel about half a size larger.

Shoe stretchers work best for lengthening leather shoes, due to their natural elasticity. I also found that stretching the width slightly as well as the length helps make shoes longer. When I only stretched the length, the result was not as good and did not last as well.

So if you only stretch your shoes length-wise and find it makes no real difference, stretching them again both length-wise and width-wise may work. Go easy with width stretching though, because you can overdo it and end up making your shoes too big and wide.

Do shoe stretchers work to make shoes wider at home?

Yes, shoe stretchers work best for making shoes wider, especially leather shoes. You start to see the shoe widen instantly as you turn the handle. Once you leave the stretcher long enough to work, your shoes should stay wider too.

I was amazed at how easy it was to stretch the width of my suede ankle boots. The measurement across the front of the boots has increased by 5mm (.2 in) approx. That sounds tiny, but it makes a huge difference to how they feel. No more tight pinching feeling at the sides of my foot. Finally, these boots are made for walking.

While it's always best to only buy the right size shoes in the first place, it's extra hard finding wide shoes in big sizes. So, if you need wide shoes & the leather shoes you love only come in medium width, you may be able to widen them to fit.

TIP: Experiment first with stretching tight shoes you already own, or failing that worn shoes you no longer need. That way you can judge how much wider you can make shoes, before you spend your hard earned money on new shoes that are too narrow for you.

Do shoe stretchers work with boots?

One limitation with these shoe stretchers is you can't use them for most boots, because they won't fit inside them.

But they do work with low boots once you can open them enough to get the stretcher in. If you just want to make boots wider, you only need to get the front foot part in. The heel piece does not need to go at the back of the shoe - you can just forget about it which helps.

I was able to make my suede ankle boots wider & much more comfy to wear, even though the manufacturer is up front that these shoe stretchers don't work with boots. I'm so glad I gave it a go!

How long does it take to stretch shoes?

Shoe stretchers don't work instantly unfortunately. You need to leave them for at least 24 hours, but the longer the better really. I left my shoes to stretch for 36-48 hours in my tests to give them plenty of time to work.

If you rarely wear your stretched shoes, you might need to stretch them again before you wear them too.

Are shoe stretchers effective?

These shoe stretchers worked well for me & I'm really pleased with the results. I only wish I'd known they existed sooner. I could have been wearing my tight suede boots 5 years ago!

Shoe stretchers work best for:

• making minor size adjustments
• making shoes wider (rather than longer)
• shoes made from leather, suede or other materials with natural stretch

They won't work miracles. Stretching won't increase shoes by a whole size. But they work well for making small adjustments that can make a big difference to how your feet feel.

So if your new shoes are way too small, don't mess about with shoe stretchers: just return them & get your money back.

But if your closet is full of cute shoes that are too tight, shoe stretchers could be the solution.

PS If you have the opposite problem & your shoes are too loose, here are 3 easy ways to make shoes smaller.

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