How To Make Big Shoes Fit? 8 Easy Ways To Do At Home

Wearing oversized shoes might seem harmless, but there are some serious problems with your feet, your whole body, and your overall physical health.

If they can’t be exchanged or returned, then it’s good to know how to make big shoes fit your feet. Luckily, you can do this at home without hiring a professional.

How To Make Big Shoes Fit By Using Insoles?

Wearing insoles is the easiest way to modify the shoe’s fit without affecting its shape or durability.

Insoles are soft pad inserts that are tucked inside your shoes. It is to make big shoe heels fit smaller. Also, it adds support, warmth, and cushioning for your feet.

Make sure that you pick up the best insoles. There are 5 types of them:

• Foam insoles are great for all snug-fit shoes.
• Gel insoles can relieve your joints and evenly distribute pressure from toes to heel, thanks to their shock-absorbing and cushioning.
• Leather insoles ensure your feet are moisture-free and odor-free. Leather insoles with charcoal are great for daily essentials.
• Odor-destroying insoles are ideal for hard-working feet or feet with annoying odors. It also makes your feet feel more comfortable at the same time.
• Thermal insoles can be worn in winter to feel warmer. These insoles are made of padded foam and a soft wool blend, which is great for insulation in cold weather.

8 Ways To Make Big Shoes Fit Without Insoles

Make The Shoes Smaller

Shrinking the shoes is the best way to make big shoes fit without adding various things inside them.

But you should be careful not to damage the shoes.

Make sure that your shoes are safe with water. So, you should check their material first (for example, suede or leather shoes are water-sensitive).

Here is how to do it.

1. Get the shoes wet by soaking them in water. If your shoes are made of sensitive fabrics like leather or suede, you can use a spray bottle instead.
2. Dry the shoes. You can leave them out under the sun if it’s sunny. If not, you can use a hairdryer on the lowest heat setting to wick moisture away. Keep the hairdryer not too close to the shoes to avoid damage.
3. After the shoes are totally dry, see if they fit better yet. If not, repeat the above steps until your feet fit perfectly. You can make this process faster and more effective by drying the shoes while wearing them. Wet shoes will mold to your feet’s shape.
4. Use a shoe condition and soft cloth to condition them, if the shoes are made of leather or suede.

Tighten The Laces

Another simple way to make oversized shoes fit better is to tighten the shoe laces.

Wear the shoes and tighten the laces until your feet are correctly positioned inside without slipping.

Check more: What Does RETRO Mean In Shoes?

Make The Shoes Tighter With Elastic Bands

You can sew strong elastic bands inside the shoes’ back. These bands will pull the material together and give you a better fit.

How to do:

1. Stretch the elastic band to keep it tight. Then, use safety pins to secure it in place.
2. Sew all the bands in place, then remove all safety pins.
3. The elastic bands will be back to their original form and pull the shoe’s material together.

Use Cushioned Socks

You can use socks to make your shoes fit better.

• Wear a pair of thick socks or a couple of thin pairs, then put the shoes on.
• Try until you feel comfortable.
• The thicker the socks, the more tightly your feet will be in the shoe.

However, this method might not be a great option for open-toe heels, sandals, or shoes that don’t require wearing socks.

And, wearing too many socks can make you uncomfortable in hot weather.

Check more: 12 Best Shoe Brands For Wide Feet

Use Toe Inserts

Toe inserts (or shoe fillers) are small cushioning devices that are more comfortable and durable than toilet paper.

Get them on the shoe’s front to make the shoes fit snugly.

Use Foot Cushions

Wearing a full insole sometimes can be uncomfortable. Instead of making the shoes fit better with you, it can make them too small.

Foot cushions are a better alternative to full-length insoles. These special cushions are placed at the ball of your foot for better fitting.

They have wide choices in shapes and colors. They are great to go for high heels or ill-fitting flats.

Insert Heel Strips Or Heel Cups

You can modify the fit of your shoes by inserting heel cups or heel strips.

A heel cup is a large cushioning pad placed under your heel. It’s to push your foot to the shoe’s front for more space inside the shoe. This pad is often made from a gel-like material.

Depending on your needs, you can choose heel cups for casual wear or ones that are shock-absorbent.

Apart from fitting function, heel cups are also supportive for those who suffer from heel pains or plantar fasciitis, since they reduce the pressure on heels.

Unlike a heel cup, a heel strip is stuck in the back of your shoe and makes the shoe’s inner length shorter.

It enhances the comfort of your shoe, keeps your foot from slipping, and also prevents blisters.

You can use heel strips on various kinds of shoes, or even on open-toe slip-on.

Choose Shoes Made Of Stretchy Fabrics

Another way to guarantee a good fit for those who are between sizes is to look for shoes that are made of stretchy fabrics.

These shoes are designed to fit any foot’s shape like a glove and don’t require a perfect fit to feel painless.

Moreover, they are also eco-friendly and breathable. Some flexible materials for shoemaking are faux suede, algae, and cork.

What Happens If Your Shoes Are Too Big?

There are some consequences if you are wearing shoes that are too big.

First, your natural stride and posture can be badly affected. You can walk in an unnatural or dysfunctional way if your heel isn’t in its corrected position inside the shoes. Also, your toes can suffer from hammertoes or bunions.

Second, shoes with an overgenerous heel space can trigger foot corn or a type of callus resulting from excessive pressure on the toes. Your toes can even be damaged, and your toenails can be lost.

Third, metatarsalgia (pain and inflammation in the foot’s ball) also results from wearing shoes that are too big, snug-fitted shoes, and unsupportive shoes. If resting untreated, this pain can lead to Morton’s toe syndrome.

Fourth, you will likely fall due to the lack of support on your feet. When going upstairs/downstairs, your feet can glide around inside the shoes.

Fifth, choosing the wrong shoe size can affect your performance if you are a runner or an athlete. Too much pressure on the calves can lower the propulsive forward force. Plus, you can’t kick, run, climb, or move at your optimum ability.

Lastly, your whole body can suffer from pain, including your back, knees, and neck. And other painful syndromes like Achilles tendonitis, neuromas, and arch pain.

If the shoes are brand new or eligible for exchange or return, you can ask the store to replace the pair.

FAQs

1. How Big Is Too Big For A Shoe?

You know that your shoe is too big when there is more than one finger’s width of space between your longest toe and the shoe’s end.

Similarly, if your finger can move freely between the heel of your foot and the heel of your shoe, this shoe might be too big.

2. Do Feet Get Bigger With Age?

Our feet can get bigger as we are aging due to some reasons. For example, obesity, pregnancy, mileage of running or walking on your feet, foot deformities, diseases (like rheumatoid arthritis or diabetes), etc.

3. At What Age Do Feet Stop Growing?

Feet usually stop growing at age 20. In some people, their feet might continue to get bigger slowly in their early 20s.

4. Does Walking A Lot Make Your Feet Bigger?

Walking a lot makes your feet bigger. Your body puts weight on your feet with every step.

The ligaments maintain the arch can get stretched over time while you walk, thus allowing the arch to flatten and maybe get your feet wider.

5. Do Feet Get Bigger With Weight?

The heavier you are, the more chance your feet become bigger. Adding extra weight means that your feet can become wider.

Plus, the ligaments that support the arch can be stretched, making the feet longer.

According to some reports, the average shoe size for women and men has increased for years. This is a result of the rising percentage of people with obesity.

6. Should Your Toe Touch The End Of The Shoe?

For a proper shoe fit, there should be approximately 3/8 to ½ inches of space between your longest toe’s tip to the shoe’s end.

Otherwise, your toe touches the shoe’s end means that the shoe is too short for your foot.

Final Words

In sum, picking up the wrong shoes can bring more harm than good to your feet and your health. Therefore, you should carefully check the shoes before purchasing them.

Never try to get shoes that are too small or too big. If you are between sizes, you can choose shoes that are slightly bigger or slightly smaller.

Knowing how to make shoes fit if they are too big by these simple methods will help you save money on the wrong shoes.

If all else fails, you should ask a shoe repair professional or a cobbler to get loose shoes that better fit you.