life hacks

How to Pack Shoes for Moving?

February 6, 2020 by Annet

So your life is slowly taking shape. You’re ready for a big move, and you want to make sure that everything goes smoothly. Maybe you’re a big fan of shoes and making sure that they stay in tip-top shape. If so, this little guide is for you. Find out ways to protect your shoes during the process of moving and just how to pack shoes for moving. Most folks know to take extra precaution with their dishes and other sensitive items, but shoes can be very vulnerable during moving, too. Show them some TLC.

A Few Hacks for Packing Shoes for Moving

Ready to make moving with a large shoe collection easier? Get started with these handy tips on how to pack shoes for moving.

1. Toss older shoes out: Yes, it hurts to part with things we’re attached to, and God knows there may be a pair or two of shoes you can’t bear to see disappear. If so, that’s okay. Go through your collection and see if there might be a few sets of shoes that can go to the old dust heap in shoe heaven. If so, you’ll make your packing job much easier.

2. Pack expensive shoes in individual boxes: Your trusty high heels that have been treated with extra care over the years don’t need to suffer during your move. Ensure that they’re well taken care of by buying some empty shoe boxes and packing them with soft, flexible packing paper. Your dressier shoes will thank you.

3. Stuff those shoes: During any move, you should make sure that you have plenty of packing paper to go around for everything. I’ts more flexible and delicate than normal types of paper, so your shoes and other valuable items will thank you. Stuff your shoes with either packing paper or socks to make sure that they don’t get crushed during the move or bent out of shape.

4. Mass move less important shoes: If you have a collection of shoes that are meant for everyday mauling, that’s perfectly normal, and it’s going to make moving those shoes much easier. Your dirty old work shoes and other shoes you wear just to have something to throw on can be thrown in baskets or buckets and mass-moved for an easier job. These baskets or buckets will be much easier to handle, and it’ll give you the chance to move a lot of shoes at one time.

5. Organize before you begin: Moving can be a monster task if you’re not prepared for it or don’t have a great plan in place before you start moving items. Before you even think of throwing the first shoe away or in baskets, make sure that you’ve got them organized by what type of container you’ll be moving them in. Put the individually boxed up shoes that you can’t afford to snuff in one location, and your everyday old ratty shoes in their own pile. By separating all of your shoes and having them organized beforehand, you’ll thank yourself later on once you really begin packing.

Shoes are universally recognized as both fashionable, practical, and indispensable. We love our shoes, and who can blame us? Moving smaller items like shoes can be a real beast if you don’t have a well thought out plan and have all of the tools you need to pack and move handy beforehand. Make a list of all the things included here, get those items, and then get down to business. You’ll thank yourself for keeping your shoes safe, sound, and cared for.

How to Make Shoes Non Slip?

February 6, 2020 by Annet

Wearing slippery shoes is dangerous, especially if you’re at work and have a fast-paced job. Slips and falls are the top reasons why people end up in the emergency room and it’s usually for incidents that could have been prevented. Something like slippery shoes can result in lifelong hip, back or neck pain. This is why you should learn how to make shoes non slip. Check out the simple and helpful tips below.

1. Non-Slip Adhesives

Perhaps the easiest way to make shoes non-slip is by using adhesives that are designed for placement on the soles of both shoes. These small pads should be placed on the bottom of your shoes before you wear them and they can last for a long time. In addition to creating traction so that you don’t slip, adhesives can provide a new level of comfort when walking and make your shoes a lot quieter. Yet another benefit is they can extend the life of your shoes. When learning how to make shoes non slip, adhesives are often preferred because they’re affordable and easy to use.

2. Sandpaper

Sandpaper was invented to make smooth surfaces rough. This is precisely what’s needed to keep you from slipping when you wear new shoes. By using sandpaper on the soles of your shoes, they’ll grip the floor much easier, which adds traction when walking. You can have the benefits of nice new shoes without the slip and fall danger when walking on surfaces that are slippery. You should start out with minimal use of the sandpaper and continue to scuff your shoe soles until you feel stable when walking on slippery surfaces.

It’s important to take your time and be careful not to damage your shoes by overuse of the sandpaper. If you don’t have sandpaper, consider using a nail file because it can serve the same purpose. In fact, some nail files are made using the same materials as sand paper.

3. Shoe Scoring

To score the soles of your slippery shoes, you simply need to use a razor blade to carve horizontal and vertical lines across the entire sole of each shoe. These are not deep lines and they’re only for the purpose of causing friction. The scoring should be done evenly and carefully since you’re using a razor blade. If you make the marks too deep, there’s a chance that it will ruin your shoes. The best part is you don’t have to pay anything if you already have a razor blade.

4. Rubber Glue

If you want another solution using what you may already have at home, consider rubber glue. For this to work, you’ll need to add a small amount of salt to the glue for soles with much more traction. This is a fast solution, but you’ll need to make sure you choose a quality rubber glue.

5. Shoe Adhesive Spray

A simple solution that doesn’t require a lot of time and effort is shoe adhesive spray, which is also called traction spray. This is a spray that creates a rough surface on the soles of your shoes. You will typically only need to use it the first time you wear the shoes. When learning how to make shoes non slip, this is one of the easiest methods because all you have to do is spray the adhesive and give it enough time to dry.

Ensuring all of your shoes are non-slip should be a priority for your own safety. Fortunately, you can use these tips to quickly achieve that goal even if you’ve never learned how to make your shoes non-slip before.

How to Soften Leather Shoes?

February 6, 2020 by Annet

Leather shoes are among the most expensive shoes in the world, and it’s for a good reason. We all know they look elegant, but there are practical advantages to leather shoes as well. The leather material has a naturally cooling effect on your feet, meaning that you can wear leather in very warm temperatures and never break a sweat. Once leather shoes are broke in and mold to your feet, they’re comfortable, but before then, things can be a challenge. If you’re suffering right now from blisters or other leather shoe related problems, pay attention. There are natural ways on how to soften leather shoes to prevent foot aches and blisters.

Tips on How to Soften Leather Shoes

How can you keep leather shoes from harming your feet before they’re completely broke in?

Using Oil to Soften Leather Shoes

The first recommended way to soften leather shoes is to use some type of oil that’s suitable for leather. It’ll loosen the leathery materials and make your shoes more comfortable.

1. Oil softens leather shoes

You’ll need to clean your leather shoes very well before beginning this process. Never apply oil to leather shoes before you’ve thoroughly cleaned the shoes. You can clean leather shoes with just a lightly dampened cloth.

2. Grab your oil

The first question will be which kind of oil. People report terrific results with coconut oil, saddle soap, and mink oil, among many others. If you’re confused as to which kind of oil might be best, just try one of those three most commonly used oils and see your results. Eventually you’ll find your perfect oil for your leather shoes.

Use rubbing alcohol

A second popular way to soften leather is to use plain old rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol is an indispensable household item, one that most of us wouldn’t live without, but there are people who don’t know just how great it is for softening leather shoes.

1. Grab plain rubbing alcohol

Isopropyl alcohol is what you’re looking for. The kind of alcohol that you drink doesn’t work.

2. Use a cotton ball

Saturate a cotton ball in some rubbing alcohol and get to softening those leather shoes. Your shoes will need about 30 minutes to dry after this treatment. Remember to remove your laces if you’re going to reach every little crevice of your leather shoes. Tongues can be hard to reach if the laces are kept in, and this can really affect your results.

3. Apply Vaseline

After your shoes are dry, use a brush to apply Vaseline to your leather shoes. You need just a thin layer! Don’t go overboard with it.

4. Touch your shoes and test them out

If you’re comfortable with the level of softness, then you’re done! If the leather is more inflexible than you’d like, you can repeat this process starting with the rubbing alcohol until you reach the desired level of softness.

Try it Out

Everyone has a different level of comfort they’re seeking for their leather shoes. Some folks don’t react badly at all to leather shoes and never develop blisters or experience discomfort. Other people find that their leather shoes drastically cause problems with their feet. If you’re one of those people, please give the techniques in this brief overview a try. Softening your leather shoes should relieve a lot of the foot pain or blisters you’re experiencing from weather leather shoes. Leather shoes, especially new ones, frequently cause this kind of reaction, so you’re not alone. Thankfully, people just like you find a lot of relief in applying the aforementioned techniques, and by using these strategies, you can be the next lucky person with an elegant, soft pair of leather shoes.

How to Make Big Shoes Fit?

February 6, 2020 by Annet

Sometimes you might find yourself in a situation where you need to wear a pair of shoes that don’t quite fit. Maybe you’re going to a fancy event and you’re borrowing a pair of expensive shoes from a friend, but their feet are a little bit bigger than yours. Maybe you found a great deal on a pair of nice shoes, but they only come in a half size bigger than you wear. In these situations, you’ll need to figure out how to make big shoes fit. Luckily, there are a few tricks you can use.

If you’re wearing close-toed shoes or boots, the simplest solution is to wear thick socks. If you live in a colder climate, you might already own a nice pair of thick, wool socks to keep your feet warm on those wet winter days. Try wearing those with the big shoes to see if they give you a snugger fit. If you don’t already own thick socks, you can double up on your regular socks instead. Wearing an extra layer or two of socks should add some extra width to your feet and make the shoes fit better.

For close-toed shoes, another simple solution you might be able to accomplish with items you already have around the house is to stuff the toes of the shoes. This solution works especially well if you’re wearing high heels and your feet keep sliding down uncomfortably when you walk. You can use almost any soft, thick material to comfortably stuff the toes of your shoes: cotton balls, toilet paper, paper towels, or any kind of fabric you have lying around. Stuff whatever material you’re using into the toes and it will provide padding that gives the shoe a tighter fit.

There are also some products you can buy especially to put inside your shoes. These products should fit into almost all shoes whether they are open or close-toed. One product you can try is insoles. Insoles are soft pads that you place in the sole of your shoe. Their main purpose is providing comfort and support, but if your shoes are too big, they’ll also provide the additional benefit of taking up extra space.

Similarly, ball-of-foot pads and heel strips will take up extra space in your shoes to make them fit tighter around your feed. Both are cushioning devices that go in a specific part of the shoe’s sole to provide comfort in their given areas, but both work in the same manner as the insole to make your shoes fit appropriately.

If these techniques aren’t quite cutting it, you could try some more involved methods to actually make the shoes smaller. You could attempt to wet the shoes and hope they’ll shrink as they dry, just like when you accidentally put your favorite cotton shirt in the dryer. Another method is to sew elastics into the insides of your shoe. The idea is that if you sew the elastic in tightly, it’ll constrict and pull the shoe tighter around your foot.

If you found a perfect pair of shoes and want to buy them, but they don’t come in your size, as a last resort you could bring them to a cobbler. A cobbler might be able to reconstruct the shoe so it fits you perfectly, although their services can get expensive.

Of course, it’s always best for your feet to wear shoes that fit you right, but if you find yourself in a jam, one of these methods should help you fit into that great pair of shoes, even if they’re a size too big.

How to Make Shoes Smaller?

February 6, 2020 by Annet

Shoe size woes typically begin from the time a person is too young to even remember their first baby booties. Parents are well aware of it, though. One day a shoe fits; the next day it’s two sizes too small. The opposite problem happens, too. One day you’re rocking a new pair of heels, the next it seems like you can barely get your foot into the heels without cutting off your circulation. Then there are those unfortunate instances where we really love a shoe that we can’t get anywhere else, and we find out that it’s only available in a size that’s too big. Whatever your circumstances, the great news is that there are an abundance of ways on how to make your shoes smaller.

Tips on How to Make Shoes Smaller

How does this magic happen? If you’ve discovered that a pair of shoes you love needs to fit smaller, try a few of these helpful hacks.

1. Heel liners: Whoever invented heel liners is definitely going to heaven. These 3” liners fit into the back of your shoe and effectively make it smaller. The great thing is that they’re completely invisible, so you don’t sacrifice the look of your shoe at all. You just get the amazing benefit of suddenly having a seemingly smaller shoe.

2. Fillers: Shoe fillers work just like liners, but they fit into the toe of your shoe. They take up that space, and can very quickly make a shoe that’s too big suddenly fit. So which one should you use? Well, it depends on how comfortable one or the other is. Some people are more comfortable with a filler in the toe area, and others find their feet are more comfortable with the liner in the back of the shoe. Both will decrease the space your foot has to fill inside the shoe.

3. Tongue pads: Maybe your issue isn’t length. Maybe it’s that the shoe is too wide. If so, tongue pads can be an excellent way to make a too wide shoe fit just right by becoming narrower. They’re made of felt and should be adhered to the inside of your shoe’s tongue. Naturally this only works if you are wearing sneakers or a type of shoe that has a tongue. Skip this one if you’re wearing a non-tongue shoe!

4. Socks: This one might seem like a no-brainer, but if you’re used to wearing very thin socks, it might not occur to you that very thick socks are a terrific way to make a shoe fit smaller. Get the biggest, fuzziest socks you can think of and knock down your shoe down to size. It’s quick, easy, and socks feel great on your feet.

5. Tissue paper: We’re throwing this one in as a desperation measure and not a permanent solution. If you don’t have time to grab a filler or liner, though, you can easily use a little tissue paper to help a smaller foot fit into a bigger shoe. You would not be the first person to resort to this trick in a pinch.

Shoe sizing problems are one of the most common problems people encounter with shoes, so having to make your shoe smaller is something millions of people will try to do this year. Why not just get another pair of smaller shoes? Well, we love our shoes, and you don’t throw them out just because there’s a little difference in size. If you follow these few tips, you can keep your beloved shoes and still be comfy.