Breaking in shoes w/ damp socks

[Guest]

Anyone tried this? I have some shoes that bascally fit, but they are wing-tips made from really stiff leather. Would dampening the top of your socks and walking around for a while in the shoes do any good?

[Guest]

I have heard of people damping newspaper and letting it try. I have a feeling that this though will damage the shoe. E

[Guest]

Come on - any decent shoe should be able to take a good wetting and survive.

As opposed to water, I'd recommend wearing the shoes for about 30 minutes to warm them up, take them em off and give them a good cream treatment, put them back on and go for a good long walk. The cream will soften the leather and the walking will stretch the leather where they need to be stretched.

Good luck, DDM

[Guest]

I'd agree with DDM - moreover walking around with wet socks inside stiff shoes sounds like a surefire recipe for blisters, corns and bunions.
NJS

[Guest]

Honestly, what is the world coming to? Give them to your man to wear for a couple of weeks and take them back once he has broken them in. That's why you checked he had the same size feet as you when you interviewed for the position. I mean to say, you don't have a dog and then bark yourself do you?

ER

[Guest]

The long accepted method for breaking in cowboy boots is to put them on, stand in a horse trough until they are soaked through, then wear them until they are dry. Don't know why it shouldn't work just a well on a pair of EG suede oxfords I just ordered, substituting a large champagne bucket for the trough, of course.

oldog/oldtrix

[Edward Bainbridge]

Rather than open a new thread, I thought I'd ask a related question here, benefiting from the fact that the valet and footman jokes are already dealt with:

When I went through my wardrobe inventory to see what actually fits and is in a good state, I stumbled over a pair of new shoes I had nearly forgotten. When I tried them on, I remembered why I had never worn them: the size is right, but the leather's really hard, and the rim at the very back cuts into my ankle and then scrapes up at every step. Seems to be curved inwards a bit.

What can I do that won't harm the shoe?

[Costi]

My shoemaker has a way of softening leather (particularly in spots where it needs to yield a bit) by flaming it over a spirit burner (apparently the temperature of the spirit flame is just right to avoid damaging the shoe and it doesn't make smoke). The rim can take the same treatment and then some hammering, possibly a bit of stretching, too (if the thread allows). But you need to take your shoes to a specialized shop, don't try it yourself at home.

[Edward Bainbridge]

Yes, I think that's what I'm going to do, thanks.