HOW TO BREAK IN A NEW PAIR

BOOTS Shoe salespeople often tell you to buy boots that are slightly tight because they’ll stretch with wear – but what they often don’t mention is that stretching them can be a painful process. A good way to speed things up is to combine rubbing alcohol and water in a spray bottle and spray the inside of the boots. Immediately wear them around the house for about 20 minutes. Repeat this a few times and you should soon be walking tall. HIGH HEELS Put on a few pairs of socks, slip on your new heels and blast your feet with a blow-dryer on high heat, concentrating on the stiffest parts of the shoes (think toe box and the back of the heel). This will help to stretch the shoes and make them less of an ordeal to walk in. FLATS They can be stiff, rough or too snug when new. Slip on a few pairs of socks and wear your flats around the house. Another trick for stretching them is to fill two sealable bags with water, squeeze out excess air and place a bag in each shoe. Put the shoes in the freezer overnight and remove the bags once they’ve expanded enough for comfort.