You walk into Gucci confidently knowing exactly what pair of shoes you want to buy to spice up your winter wardrobe. You have done your research and fallen in love with a pair of red velvet loafers. Only, the sales assistant comes back with the pair you were destined to buy, a size 38 1/2 dream shoes to fit your size 40 feet. Any fashion loving girl who has a knack for designer shoes and is above a size 37 (and doesn’t live in NYC) is all too familiar with this scenario. Regardless, you try your dream shoes on and surprisingly they FIT! You take a walk around the store and although you know that after walking for a while in these shoes they will feel perhaps a bit uncomfortably snug you buy them. Fashion and beauty is pain, right?
You have carefully calculated the day that you first start to break your brand new shoes in — you know the distance from your car to your office and know that you will not have to walk any further throughout the day apart from your several trips to the coffee shop to get your daily dosage of joe (both the cup and the flirty barista). However, as may come as no surprise to many of you, days rarely go as planned and you find yourself frantically walking all around the city for last minute meetings and errands. I have always found breaking in new shoes painful, however, no shoe is ever so painful as a brand new pair of loafers which (in all honesty) are a close fit. Never have I ever in my life found so much clarity in the phrase ‘death by one thousand cuts’ as I did at the moment my concealable discomfort developed into a very noticeable limp.
It is for this reason I have developed an easy to follow six step guide on how to minimise pain when breaking in new your shoes.
- Always start the process off on a day that is entirely dictated by you – NOT by your boss
Why? In my personal experience, days rarely go according to plan. However, on your day off you have a little more leeway to call the shots! Here are just two of the many different places I would recommend wearing your new shoes when you first start to break them in;
The grocery store – It may sound rather Stepford Wives-esq BUT it sure works. Even if an unexpected situation arises you have no choice but to go home after you have picked up all of your refrigerated goods (and change your shoes). A solid 45 minutes of shoe time never goes astray.
Vacuuming at home – while wearing your new pumps, mules, loafers or stilettos not only will you make your house nice and tidy but get some solid walking distance in your new best friends. Trust me, housework will have never looked so good!
2. Ease into extended wear at new shoe friendly events and environments
By this I mean choose wisely where you will wear them when you will not be able to easily change at the first sign of discomfort. For example, a sit-down dinner with your girlfriends, a trip to the theatre or perhaps a movie night with your partner — always remember baby steps.
3. Always, always, ALWAYS have a pair of back up shoes in the early days!
I cannot stress this enough. Trust me, I know how difficult this can be. As a girl who adores small bags and detests mismatched flats or sneakers with an outfit (work or social) I had to learn this the hard way. The key thing to remember here ladies is compromise. For me, this meant not wearing flats or sneakers as backups but always having my most comfortable pair of slingbacks or slightly heeled sandals ready to go. Every woman is different so remember to embrace your personal style and wear what YOU feel comfortable in (both figuratively and literally).
4. The early bird gets the worm
I’m sure we are all well rehearsed when it comes to expression. I recommend applying it when it comes to blister bandaids and new shoes. By the time the back of your new shoe has broken skin or caused a blister, it is too late and there is only so much you can do to reduce discomfort. These amazing little inventions will become your most intimate friend and I highly recommend using them as a preemptive measure!
5. Hairdryers; a girl’s best friend in ALMOST every scenario
While I would recommend the old hairdryer trick for leather, unfortunately, this method is not compatible with many fabrics and materials, resulting in permanent damage and potential over expansion (make the shoe too big – an irreversible mistake). However, for those of you looking for a ‘quick fix’ and unafraid of the possible consequences (such as ruining your new pair Manolo Blahniks) the Alan Henry at LifeHacker.au gives an excellent break down on how to break in a pair of shoes in minutes with a hairdryer.
6. Fake it until you make it
My final words of advice are that it is impossible not to experience a little discomfort when breaking in a new pair of shoes but please do not let this discourage you. Confidence and fashion is power so put your best Miranda Priestly face on and start walking with confidence. I promise you will start to feel better with each step you take.
I found myself in Wonderland 