Are you tired of your feet slipping out of your shoes or your toes painfully sliding ahead into the toe box? Ill-fitting shoes can cause blisters, bunions, and arch pain, making it difficult to enjoy your favorite footwear. If you are facing similar questions and wondering how to fix your too-big shoes, then you are in the right place.
In this guide, we will provide you with some great solutions and shoe hacks for big shoes to help you out. Whether you have bought bigger shoes for your feet and the date to exchange them has expired or you simply need a 'shoes too big hack', we have got you covered. So, read on to learn how to enjoy your amazing shoes bought with much love without any painful issues.
8 Too Big Shoes Hacks
1. Shrink Shoes with Water
If you have shoes that are too big, you can try shrinking them with water. However, before attempting this hack, make sure to check the do's and don'ts on the box, especially if your shoes are made of leather. Here's what you'll need: water, spray bottle or empty bucket, socks, and hair dryer.
The process is simple: wet the shoes, if leather use spray, else if canvas, dip them in a bucket of water for an hour. Then either dry them using a hairdryer or dry them in the sun (hair dryer for leather shoes please). After drying, try them out. Repeat the shoes slightly too big hack if the shoe didn't fit. Once it fits, properly polish it up/conditioner the shoe, especially if leather.
Pro Tips:
- Leather shoes if dried post wearing on the feet give better results of a snugger fit with these shoes too big hack.
2. Wear Thick Socks
If your shoes are one size too big, try wearing thicker socks. This is probably the least demanding method for wearing huge shoes. You can trade a dainty/thin pair of dress socks with crew socks. Assuming it's a colder time of year or cold outside, then you could even combine a few pairs of socks for additional filling. Notwithstanding, know that this might finish up the length, yet the width can likewise feel snugger.
Pro Tips
This wearing trick works for fitting athletic boots/shoes and not dress shoes.
If it is hot outside, avoid this hack as it will make you uncomfortable.
3. Try Insoles
Insoles can be used not only to correct foot issues or any kind of discomfort on the inside of the shoes but also to deal with bigger shoes. There are various types of insoles that are also a cost-effective option. You can even use two-three foam-based insoles for a tighter fit.
Pro-Tips
Try the insole before purchase with the bigger shoes, for a proper fitting.
Dress shoes, Heeled shoes and Open toed-shoes with a bigger size fit well using insoles.
4. Use Stuffing
If you don't have the socks or insole option available and need a quick solution, then cotton, toilet paper, thin rags, or tissue paper can be used around the foot or at the toed section in a manner that the footwear fits comfortably. This also will keep the foot from sliding back and forth.
Pro-Tips
Stuffing is a typical boots too big hack that also works great with flats and closed-toe heeled shoes.
Avoid stuffing for long walks or exercises.
5. Use Balls of Footpads
The balls of footpads are as great as insoles and much more comfortable to wear. Plus, they are less expensive and readily available.
Pro-Tips
Ball-of-foot pads are excellent to fit bigger sized heels and flats.
Since these are available in various colors, they can be easily blended with the color of your bigger size shoe.
6. Add Elastic Band Inside
Stitching elastic bands to the back of the shoe will help gather the whole footwear tighter to your feet if it is too wide. For elastic to be sewed to the sides, you will need a strong elastic.
Pro-Tips
- Shrinking the shoes hacks can be combined with elastic hacks for shoes that are too big. This can be ideal as sneakers too big hack and as boots too big hack, especially for Ankle-Length Chukka/Derby boots.
7. Use Shoe Fillers
A wide variety of shoe fillers are available in silicone, polyurethane, etc., to be inserted in the toe box. This shortens the length by a few centimeters.
Pro Tips
Pairing fillers with heel liners make this bigger shoe size hack, a very comfortable one.
Can be used with any kind of shoe.
Most cost-effective too big shoes hack.
8. Seek Professional Advice
If none of these hacks for shoes that are too big is working for you, then seek professional advice from either a cobbler nearby or the best online shoe shop that you buy your regular shoes from. This will keep you away from beating about the bush for shoe hacks for bigger footwear.
