Put Your Shoes in the Freezer. No, Really.

by corals + cognacs on January 21, 2013

in miscellaneous

The other day, I Instagram’ed about freezing my shoes, which solicited a handful of WTF’s in response from many of you.

Here’s an explanation — as well as step-by-step on how to stretch your shoes with ice into a more comfortable fit.


What: Freezing your shoes. | Why: They’re too small or need to be broken in around the toe. | How:

  • Fill two zip-lock bags ~1/3 full of water (don’t stress over exact measurement; just don’t go more than half-way).
  • Make sure the bags are sealed and that you remove any excess air from them.
  • Ease them each into the toe of your shoe.
  • Place in the freezer over night.

… Yep, that’s it. There isn’t much of an art to it, as you can see from my effort below:

In the morning, remove your shoes and let them sit for 20-30 minutes. If you forget, don’t worry. I’ve left a pair of pumps in the freezer over the course of an entire weekend on accident.

Imagine my date’s surprise when he went to grab a glass of water in the morning. (“What the hell happened last night?!“) Another story, another time, ladies… Wink.
If they still feel too snug, repeat this process with bit more water until they’re just right.
The reason this works is because water expands as it freezes. Your shoes will naturally expand with wear, so don’t go overboard (1/2 size up is usually what I’d suggest).

Lastly, if  you’re trying this on faux leather, you may have to repeat the process a few times. Reason being, faux leather tends to shrink back to its normal size.

Here’s a more visual instruction of how to stretch your shoes with ice, if you need it. Have you tried the freeze-your-shoes trick? What tips and tricks do you have for making your shoes fit more comfortably?

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