Lady-wearing-avarcas

HOW TO STRETCH YOUR LEATHER

I know once you receive your beautifully handcrafted Bennys you will want to quickly go out and show off them off. But unfortunately, leather shoes tend to be a bit stiff sometimes until you break them in.
Below are some ways to stretch your new Avarcas so that you can comfortably enjoy your new shoes. (These tips are meant to give shoes a bit more room without distorting their shape or overall fit.) If, however you just can’t wait to wear your new shoes, I have found in the past with some shoes, that wearing little gel toe covers to be very effective in protecting a toe or two from rubbing against the leather. 
 Do the walk test
Walking around in your shoes for short periods of time will help to naturally stretch the leather, gradually building up from a few minutes at a time to longer periods.
Warm them up
Put on a nice pair of thick socks and squeeze into your shoes. Then use a hair dryer to apply heat at approximately 30 second intervals to the area that needs stretching, bending the shoe in the process. Be careful not to apply direct heath in one spot for to long and it could damage the leather.
Use Ice
This is a quick method and is free. Fill a plastic bag with water and push it into the narrowest part of the shoe. Put the shoe into the freezer until the water freezes. Remove from the freezer and test shoes. Repeat if needed.
Spray and go
There are several shoe stretch sprays on the market, these work by being absorbed by the leather and relaxing the fibres for ease of stretching.
Use a Two-way stretcher
These are made of either wood or plastic. Spray with shoe stretch spray on the inside and outside. Insert the stretcher into the shoe and twist the handle to begin stretching the shoe and keep turning it until you feel resistance and leave in for 6-8hrs and check for fit. Repeat if necessary.
(Sourced from footwearnews.com)
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