# Breaking in new shoes



## AndTun1 (Jul 22, 2005)

I just bought a new pair of loafers, nice shoes but they need some breaking in. What advice do you have for breaking in new shoes as painlessly as possible?


----------



## bengal-stripe (May 10, 2003)

Put one foot in front of the other foot. It's called: 'walking'.


----------



## AndTun1 (Jul 22, 2005)

"Put one foot in front of the other foot. It's called: 'walking'." - Funny, funny. Anybody else have suggestions on breaking new shoes with a few blisters as possible?


----------



## Cornellian (Dec 11, 2006)

Yes, walk on carpet so you don't scuff the soles. Otherwise you may have a hell of time returning them.


----------



## bengal-stripe (May 10, 2003)

You shouldn't get any blisters at all.
New shoes should be snug, but they should not be painful.


----------



## Panzeraxe (Jan 11, 2004)

bengal-stripe said:


> You shouldn't get any blisters at all.
> New shoes should be snug, but they should not be painful.


Well, unless they're new EGs - definitely painful on the first day.


----------



## Hobson (Mar 13, 2007)

Always break new shoes in at home. That way if they are slow to mold to your feet, and become uncomfortable, you can take them off and try again tomorrow. If you happen to leave home, you might be wearing a very painful pair of shoes with no recourse but to tolerate the discomfort until you return.


----------



## AndTun1 (Jul 22, 2005)

What is EG?


----------



## iammatt (Sep 17, 2005)

I just made the mistake of taking two pairs of new shoes on a ten day long trip to cities much hotter and more humid than my own. Normally I would agree that you should not get blisters, but some things are inevitable. Best to wear them just a few hours the first couple of times unlike the idiot posting this message.


----------



## Holdfast (Oct 30, 2005)

iammatt said:


> I just made the mistake of taking two pairs of new shoes on a ten day long trip to cities much hotter and more humid than my own. Normally I would agree that you should not get blisters, but some things are inevitable. Best to wear them just a few hours the first couple of times unlike the idiot posting this message.


We've all done it at some point... and what's worse, I still do it occasionally even when I know better. Believe me, I empathise.

Thankfully if the OP does as we say not as we do, and wears them the first couple of times for a just few hours at a time, new well-fitting shoes should not cause blisters.


----------



## Panzeraxe (Jan 11, 2004)

AndTun1 said:


> What is EG?


Edward Green


----------



## JDC (Dec 2, 2006)

I've always worn a thick pair of socks (or two) until the leather stretches out a bit. Should only take a day or two.


----------



## sia (Apr 27, 2007)

Wow, either you haven't been buying the right size shoes, or I've been lucky. I've never had a painful experience breaking in new shoes. Occasionally (depending on brand) the soles are a bit stiffer than I'd like them, but I've never gotten blisters or had pain from a properly fitted pair of shoes.


----------



## Andy (Aug 25, 2002)

Panzeraxe said:


> Edward Green





AndTun1 said:


> What is EG?


Panzeraxe is right!: Edward Green

Read all of jcusey's shoe reviews in the Tutorials linked from the Home Page:

https://askandyaboutclothes.com/Tutorials/JCuseyOnShoes.htm

_Maker of the second most sublime RTW shoe available (Dover) and user of some wonderfully elegant lasts (82, 808, 888, etc.). EG doesn't make an equivalent to JL Paris's bevelled bootmaker shoes, but their shoes are made to standards equal to or better than JL's regular line shoes. EG is known for the antiquing that they apply to their shoes; they get their skins in a "crust" state, without much if any pigment applied. That allows them to apply a wonderful variegated finish to all of their non-black shoes. I think it's beautiful, but others aren't so enthusiastic._ ​


----------



## Brian13 (Aug 9, 2006)

you should not need to 'break in' shoes if they are of good quality. they should FIT and wear comfortable right out of the box.

all my premium quality shoes are this way. never need to break in.

however, for *cheaper* shoes, like skechers, KC, J&M, cole haans and so forth, back then i would get blisters and Aches the first few days of wearing such shoes.
but then my feet got used to them. so in essence, it is not that the shoes break in, but actually , you are breaking-in your feet (adapting them) to the shoes.


----------



## ice (Sep 2, 2005)

When I was in the army we used to break in a new pair of combat boots by putting on a soaking wet pair of thick wool socks, lacing up the boots tightly, and wearing them around the house for a day. I don't know how much good it actually did, because everyone dreaded the first ruck march with a new pair of boots. Wearing out a pair of combat boots without a properly broken-in spare was a big mistake you only ever made once. 

I haven't tried that since I left the military so I don't know how effective it would be on dress shoes.


----------



## vwguy (Jul 23, 2004)

A thick pair of socks and wear them around the house for a few hours at a time at first.

Brian


----------



## bigCat (Jun 10, 2005)

I also make sure I do not drive in new shoes for several initial wears.


----------



## kitonbrioni (Sep 30, 2004)

Thick socks are always a good idea.
Also, the only pair of shoes I've had trouble breaking in are a pair of Grenson shoes which give me blisters. They seem to have a thick, stiff leather--not unlike Doc Martens. Maybe I need to put a lot of leather treatment used for baseball gloves or saddles on them. I've not had any problems of higher quality shoes breaking in.


----------



## sia (Apr 27, 2007)

Brian13 said:


> you should not need to 'break in' shoes if they are of good quality. they should FIT and wear comfortable right out of the box.
> 
> all my premium quality shoes are this way. never need to break in.
> 
> ...


Sounds like a good reason not to buy cheap shoes...


----------



## upnorth (Jun 18, 2007)

Depending on the thickness of the leather, it is best to wear a pair of socks with your new shoes 1 hour in and around the house and gradually increasing it by another hour everyday for a week. 

This is the advice for breaking into hiking boots and I don't see the harm in adopting a similar approach to dress shoes. The wet socks breaking in method are not meant to be used with dress shoes.

My concern is that you mentioned loafers, which in my mind, hardly requires any breaking in if it's the correct fit.


----------



## qasimkhan (Sep 24, 2003)

I find it depends not on price but on how well the last fits your foot. I've bought several Allen-Edmonds (8 last) that require no break-in, but I bought a beautiful pair of loafers (9 last) still rub blisters. I've also had cheap shoes that required little break-in.

Another factor is the stiffness of the leather. Ecco shoes have very soft leather and my pair needed no break-in, but alas it did not wear well.



Brian13 said:


> you should not need to 'break in' shoes if they are of good quality. they should FIT and wear comfortable right out of the box.
> 
> all my premium quality shoes are this way. never need to break in.
> 
> ...


----------



## iammatt (Sep 17, 2005)

Brian13 said:


> you should not need to 'break in' shoes if they are of good quality. they should FIT and wear comfortable right out of the box.


This is simply not true. I have several Vass that have given me fits breaking in and they are certainly the right size.


----------



## sia (Apr 27, 2007)

iammatt said:


> This is simply not true. I have several Vass that have given me fits breaking in and they are certainly the right size.


Well, just curious as to what would make you say "they are certainly the right size" if they don't quite fit comfortably right out of the box? Or another way of asking, if it fits right, what needs "breaking in?" (I am truly curious, not meaning to be confrontational...)


----------



## iammatt (Sep 17, 2005)

sia said:


> Well, just curious as to what would make you say "they are certainly the right size" if they don't quite fit comfortably right out of the box? Or another way of asking, if it fits right, what needs "breaking in?" (I am truly curious, not meaning to be confrontational...)


They fit perfectly right out of the box, but after walking a few miles in the heat with relatively stiff leather, any new shoes are uncomfortable. They need to learn your feet and your feet need to learn them.


----------



## sia (Apr 27, 2007)

iammatt said:


> They fit perfectly right out of the box, but after walking a few miles in the heat with relatively stiff leather, any new shoes are uncomfortable. They need to learn your feet and your feet need to learn them.


Ok, that makes sense. I've heard horror stories of people developing blisters, and talking about stretching the leather...these sound like people who purchased the wrong size shoes.

Personally, I've never had a comfort problem with any new shoe of the correct size...


----------



## Rich (Jul 10, 2005)

If the shoes fit, are all-leather and of good quality, wear them around the house for a day or so, just to get them used to your feet. That should be enough.


----------



## Sator (Jan 13, 2006)

Panzeraxe said:


> Well, unless they're new EGs - definitely painful on the first day.


I've not had this pleasure yet. I wear mine in a UK size so much larger than my usual one it's scarcely funny (although the stamped US size is only a 1/2 size over my usual one). The end result is that high end shoe and blister are words I scarcely associate with one another - irrespective of the maker.


----------



## RichardS (Nov 20, 2004)

I never wear a pair of new shoes longer than a few hours in a row. Usually I wear them 3 or 4 times for an hour or so while watching television or reading the newspapers in the evening. Afterwards I try to wear them half a day. 

Even if the fit is near perfect your feet will probably hurt if you wear them for a whole day the first few times.


----------



## Cantabrigian (Aug 29, 2005)

iammatt said:


> This is simply not true. I have several Vass that have given me fits breaking in and they are certainly the right size.


U last?

Even on shoes that fit very well and that are very comfortable will, in my experience, cause blisters or aching after a few miles of walking when you first start wear them. I don't pretend to know why that is but I can tell you that in every instance where that has happened, I'd be worse off with a different size.


----------



## Holdfast (Oct 30, 2005)

Cantabrigian said:


> Even on shoes that fit very well and that are very comfortable will, in my experience, cause blisters or aching after a few miles of walking when you first start wear them. I don't pretend to know why that is but I can tell you that in every instance where that has happened, I'd be worse off with a different size.


Exactly. This is the same thing matt mentioned and I echoed earlier. The shoes are the right size. But almost all new shoes need a few hours gentle use first, or they're going to be painful.

I have no experience with bespoke shoes, so cannot speak for whether the same is true there. But for RTW, regardless of how perfectly fitting and comfortable the shoes may be on day two, there will be some stiffness _somewhere_ in the shoe on day one that will be uncomfortable if worn all day long and walked long distances in.

However that day one uncomfortable should not result in genuine pain or blisters, provided they're only being worn for a few hours at first or it's a sedentary day. If there's true pain or blisters despite those precautions, the shoes probably don't fit.


----------



## MarkusH (Dec 10, 2004)

Wear them for a couple of hours at home one night.

Then sleep barefoot in them for one night when your wife is not around.

That way, your shoes will adapt to your feet.


----------



## Holdfast (Oct 30, 2005)

MarkusH said:


> Wear them for a couple of hours at home one night.
> 
> Then sleep barefoot in them for one night when your wife is not around.
> 
> That way, your shoes will adapt to your feet.


I know some people really love their shoes, but isn't taking them to bed with you going too far? :icon_smile_big:


----------



## Nick V (May 8, 2007)

Most shoe stores/departments have heavily padded carpets. That makes the shoes more comfortable when you're trying them on. However, you won't get the true feeling of the shoe until you wear it on a hard surface.
Try applying masking tape to the bottom of the soles and wearing them on hard surfaces (hardwood, tile, marble). If you do this at home or in the office for a few hours you'll have the chance to see how they really feel. If they turn out to very uncomfortable you can just peel off the tape and return the shoes.


----------



## upnorth (Jun 18, 2007)

MarkusH said:


> Wear them for a couple of hours at home one night.
> 
> Then sleep barefoot in them for one night when your wife is not around.
> 
> That way, your shoes will adapt to your feet.


With english not being my first language, can someone explain to me what does sleeping barefoot in shoes mean? I thought it's either you have your shoes on or you're barefoot?


----------



## DocHolliday (Apr 11, 2005)

upnorth said:


> With english not being my first language, can someone explain to me what does sleeping barefoot in shoes mean? I thought it's either you have your shoes on or you're barefoot?


I think he's suggesting that you wear the shoes without socks while you sleep. I'm not that dedicated.


----------



## MarkusH (Dec 10, 2004)

DocHolliday said:


> I think he's suggesting that you wear the shoes without socks while you sleep.


Yeah, that is what I mean. It gives a little extra room and better heat transfer to the shoes.


----------



## MarkusH (Dec 10, 2004)

Holdfast said:


> I know some people really love their shoes, but isn't taking them to bed with you going too far? :icon_smile_big:


It is. I would say it is way over the top.

That is why you should do it when your wife is not around.


----------



## Holdfast (Oct 30, 2005)

MarkusH said:


> It is. I would say it is way over the top.
> 
> That is why you should do it when your wife is not around.


I see. So while she's away, instead of sleeping with the au-pair, you prefer the shoe-pair. :icon_smile_big:


----------



## DocD (Jun 2, 2007)

Please forgive me if I have repeated this several times, but I earn my income by performing surgery on the foot & ankle. Therefore, I have significant experience treating various pathologies of the foot. Additionally, I often field complaints regarding ill fitting shoes or shoes that are initially uncomfortable. Unfortunately, the majority of the patients that I see with shoes that are uncomfortable following their purchase, continue to have pain following the "break in" period. 

Therefore, I highly recommend that if a shoe is not comfortable at the time of purchase, you find another pair of shoes. I do not believe that a quality shoe should require a "break in" period. I do recommend that you should purchase shoes later in the day to accommodate for any possible edema (swelling) that is common in most adults. Purchasing shoes early in the day often results in shoes that are too tight due to mild swelling later in the day, even in the "healthy" population. 

You can attempt all the various recommendations to make your new shoes feel comfortable, but my suggestion is simply to make sure they are completely comfortable at the time of purchase.


----------



## Leather man (Mar 11, 2007)

Rich said:


> If the shoes fit, are all-leather and of good quality, wear them around the house for a day or so, just to get them used to your feet. That should be enough.


Totally agree - this is my experience too:aportnoy:


----------



## riveroaks (Jan 1, 2007)

^ Thanks DocD for the good advice. Consistent with my experiences with dress and athletic shoes. Although in running shoes, I take a about 1.5 to 2 sizes larger.


----------



## Panzeraxe (Jan 11, 2004)

I should point out that my EGs fit perfectly after the first day or two. Just the initial break-in period is tough, which is something, suprisingly, that EG believes to be a good indicator of a correct size.


----------



## kolecho (Nov 15, 2004)

My EGs and Carmina cordovans require some break-in also, more so the EGs. I wear them for 2-3 half days in the office before wearing them for full days. EGs stretch quite a bit to mold to the feet, just like cordovan which becomes butter soft after break-in.


----------

