How to (Correctly) Break in Heels!

What is the one problem that every female who wears heels has?  (No, it's not what the next pair she should buy is!)  It's how to make them wearable!

It is the most tragic of tales... girl sees shoe, falls in love with shoe, wears shoe once, gets horrible blisters, and the shoe sits in the closet never to be worn again.  

Annoyed by this cycle one too many times I determined that for my Christian Louboutin graduation heels this would NOT be the case.  I also decided that I would not be in pain the day of graduation and that I would correctly break in my heels so they would be ready for me to wear on my big day.  

When I began to break in my heels I did what anyone would do- I went to Google for help.  I found a couple of sites that gave me tips, but there did not seem to be a step-by-step process for breaking heels in.  I decided to make my own step-by-step process and hope you find it helpful... Let me know if you have any other secrets that should be here!   

Step 1:  Wear Your Heels With Socks Whenever Possible.   

I wore my heels with socks for 3 days and it was incredibly helpful.  The socks help break in the leather and get the shoes accustomed to your foot's shape while preventing painful blisters from forming.  Make sure you are wearing cotton socks that are not too thick or too thin.  (Too thick of socks will stretch out your heels too much, and too thin of socks will do nothing.)  

It is important to spend time walking around in your sock/heel ensamble, but it is ok to sit in them as well.  Sitting helps your foot get used to the arch and helps stretch the sides of the shoes out.

To make walking in your heels easier "rough up" the bottom of the toe box.  You can use sandpaper to do this, or you can buy non slip pads that stick to your heel.  I used stickies because I couldn't bear to hurt my red soles.  

Non-slip pads to make walking easier

I took this step a step further (haha) and decided to walk on an inside track with my heels.  I walked 1/2 mile in my heels and socks and attribute the readiness of my heels to this process.  The track was rubber and made walking easier which helped me get used to walking in the heels-meanwhile breaking them in hardcore.  I don't have a picture of me walking on the track because no one would come with me to take a picture, but I do have a picture of one of my feet after.  (OWIE)

My foot after walking 1/2 mile in my heels and socks. Owie. 

Walking in your heels this much WILL hurt but it DOES help!  Basically the more you wear your heels, the better they will be broken in. (I know we've heard it before but it is the best advice.) Wear your heels with socks as much as possible to make the experience less painful.    

Step 2: Stretch Your Shoes Out. 

I have this as Step 2 and not Step 1 because I think it is important for you to know where your shoes are painful before you stretch them out with a tool.  (It would be awful to do it first and overstretch your shoes!) 

For this step I purchased my own stretcher from +Zappos.com but you can always get your shoes stretched at the store you bought them from.  ( +Nordstrom, Inc is especially good at offering this free service.)  I HIGHLY recommend buying the following stretcher from Zappos, especially if you wear heels often.  

This specific stretcher is the Foot Petals Stiletto Stretcher sold for $29.95 (+ free shipping) from Zappos.  It comes with little plastic bumps to put where your toes are however I'm using it without them.  

I used the stretcher to stretch out the sides and toe box of my heels. I left the stretcher in each heel overnight and felt a significant difference the next day.  I am SO happy with this product.  

Make sure the stretcher is pushed all the way into the toe box!

Use the crank to widen the block to stretch your heels. 

If you dont want to buy the product, like I mentioned before, you can have your shoes stretched.  Make sure to tell the person to stretch them in increments  as you don't want overstretched shoes. When you go to someone else they do not usually keep your shoes overnight, they do it while you wait in the store.  

(It only takes 5 minutes.)   

Step 3: Wear Your Heels With Moleskin.

It is time to take off the socks!  After stretching your heels and walking in them with socks the heels should be pretty well stretched out.  Wearing the heels with moleskin helps get your bare foot used to the heel while preventing blisters in the spots that continue to rub.

What is moleskin?  Moleskin is very similar to a bandaid, however it comes in large sheets and you can cut it in whatever shape you like.  There is a sticky side that you stick to your skin and it stays incredibly well.  (Do NOT stick it to your shoe as a "permanent" solution... it WILL rub off and leave a sticky mess on your shoe.  Trust me, I've done it.) Here is a picture of what moleskin looks like in the store- I shopped at +Walgreens but you should be able to find it anywhere. 

 Below are pictures of the moleskin on my feet and then how they look in the heels. If you are not concerned about how it looks, you can continue to wear the moleskin to protect your feet when you are wearing your heels normally. This prevents blisters and makes heels so much more comfortable. (Secret- I do this ALL the time. Shhhh!)

Step 4: Wear Your Heels! 

Your heels should now be good-to-go for day-to-day wear!  If you are still feeling them pinch repeat the steps focusing on whichever step seemed to work the best for you.  

I will continue to research and try new ways to break in heels and I promise to share any secrets I find.  In the meantime please post any secrets you have and give me feedback on any of mine!  

Follow me on Twitter at @amandamclernon for more pictures, information, and random tweets about shoes, stilettos, and heels! 

Tags: How to break in heels, comfortable heels, breaking in, sore feet, moleskin, tricks to break shoes in, shoes, stilettos , heels, stretching shoes, breaking in Louboutins, socks, tips

Brian Atwood Death Heels

Ok, so they aren't really called "Death Heels" however after walking in them for one evening I have christened them with this new name.  These Brian Atwood heels are a beautiful rose gold and are truly fabulous heels.  They easily complimented my outfit and if I had not needed to walk, they would have been the best going out shoes in my closet.  Unfortunately, this was not the case.

Before I go any further, here are some pictures of the beautiful disasters and my outfit I wore them with.  Photo credit to Saks Fifth Ave for the first picture. The second picture is a friend and I out in Miami.  (Excuse the truck and poor quality pic- picture taking opportunities were limited and I was using my iPhone.)

Aren't they fabulous!  They are truly jewelry for the foot.  When I first got them I knew I needed to have them for two reasons.  

1) They were on sale.  2) They would look amazing in a club. 

I quickly purchased them and decided I didn't care if they were comfortable or not.  Looking back I wish I had taken comfort into consideration more, however, I know I still would have purchased them even if I had known their discomfort level at the point of purchase.  

Immediately after purchasing the shoes I got them stretched.  The strap going over the toebox was WAY too tight and I knew no amount of breaking in was going to fix that.  The people who stretched my shoes said they stretched the shoes about 5 times focusing most of the stretching on the seams of the strap.  Stretching shoes is not something you should be afraid of, especially if you take your shoes to someone you trust.  Nordstrom stretched mine but it's because I have a great relationship with my personal shopper.  (If you buy your shoes there they will always do this for free.)  Stretching your shoes will also not ruin your shoes, especially if they are made well.  Lesson: Stretch your shoes!  It will help break them in.  

Unfortunately even after stretched the shoes were still very difficult to wear.  The strap over the toebox was still too tight and gave me blisters.  Also, although I classify myself as a "pro" at walking in heels I felt a little like Bambi in these.  The shoe was great for standing, sitting, and looking pretty, but when it came to walking I knew these would not be my "go to" going out heels.  Tragic!  

I think these heels could be improved a couple of ways.  First, the strap over the toebox could have been more loose.  Although I know it was tight to keep the foot in the shoe it was too tight and resulted in blisters.  Second, the shoe could have had a higher platform.  A higher platform would have made the arch a bit smaller and I wouldn't have felt so much like Bambi.  

Lessons Learned: 1) Always get shoes stretched.  2)Take cabs everywhere when wearing adorable shoes. 3) Carry a clutch that can fit flats in them.  

Next post I'll talk about my Christian Louboutins I'm wearing for graduation.  (Oh, that's right.... I GRADUATE on Saturday!)  It will be a fun post because I've been trying multiple interesting ways to break them in and have pictures of me doing it.  We'll see how successful I am and if I can last the entire ceremony in them!

Jimmy Choo and Cameron have (already) stolen my heart.

Hello!!

Life has been treating me wonderfully since the last post- I made a "major life decision" that may affect my shoe budget.... I'm getting a puppy!!!!

Cream long hair miniature dachshunds are equal on my love list to shoes and I am finally in the position to be able to own one.  The puppies are due in August and I will be getting a male in October.  I'm going to name him Cameron because my favorite movie is Ferris Bueller's Day Off and my last dog's name was Bueller.  Now I will have Bueller's best friend! (and mine too!) Here are pics of me and the mom, who is pregnant now.  I am so excited!!

Now for shoes-  I need to talk about two pairs of fabulous shoes that I am blessed to own.  It may sound silly but I am so glad to have these shoes in my life- if I didn't have them I don't know WHAT I would wear to work most days.

I'm talking about my Jimmy Choo Mary Jane's.  Simply put,  I adore them.  Take a peek:

Brand New-  Here they are from Saks, where I got them.  The nude are no longer available, but I'm sure similar styles will come out soon.

I apologize for them being a little worn in, but I wear the nude ones on average 3 times a week.  I love these shoes for multiple reasons- reasons that go far behind the name.  The design of these shoes are perfect for work- they're attractive and fabulous but not too sexy.  (I don't want that at work.)  They are also extraordinarily comfortable.  I can wear the shoes for 8 hours and although my arch will be sore (what heels won't do that?) there are no areas that rub.  Surprisingly enough they didn't rub when brand new either.

When thinking about why these shoes are comfortable I am drawn first to the heel height.  The heel is 4 1/4 inches on both pairs - a height I define as perfect.  They are just high enough to be beautiful but the arch isn't painful and hard to walk in.

Comfortability also has a lot to do with the material a shoe is made of - which to many people is a "duh" statement but I find when people are complaining about their shoes a lot of it comes down to the material that is rubbing against their feet.  The Jimmy Choo's that I own are made out of leather- the lining and the sole.  The leather is wonderful- it is comfortable and conforms to the foot after a few wears like a baseball glove.  If you look at the above pictures you will notice two pairs, slightly different.  The nude pair is patent which is a leather given a a permanent polish finish.  While patent looks amazing it is a bit less comfortable than leather without the polish finish.

All in all the heels are fabulous and I'll be looking for more pairs similar to these.  For now, here are some pairs that I believe would feel/fit similarly.

Vince Camuto- These are a bit different because they have the chunky heel, however it is still a 4 inch height.  The material is a leather outer, but a synthetic lining, which is alright, but leather is always more comfortable.  (However there is a price tag that comes with it!)

Valentino- I am salivating over these.  I need these!!!!! Found them for this post and now I've found my next purchase.  (I wish.)  4 3/4 height heel and made out of leather.  YUM!


I'll look for a few more when I have more time and post some in the comments section.  

Next week I'm going on vacation to Miami and can't wait to see fabulous pairs of shoes on everyone and to debut a pair of my own...Brian Atwood!  When I get back I will analyze them... Hope they don't murder my feet!

The First Step

Hello!  


I'm about to begin a new adventure- writing about my love (and sometimes hate) of shoes! I'm new to blogging so bear with me as I figure this out.  

I'll introduce myself first because if there is a right time to do it I guess it would be the first post.  My name is Amanda.  Currently I am a senior in college at the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater majoring in marketing and will graduate in December.  This summer I am interning in the financial services industry (my second summer doing this!) and work in marketing segmentation.  I travel quite a bit because I live in a couple of cities- I am from Appleton, WI, go to school in Whitewater, WI, and currently live in San Antonio, TX .  I am hoping to move to San Antonio after graduation.  My boyfriend, Erik, is from San Antonio and works at the same company as I do.  I enjoy going out to eat, experimenting in Erik's kitchen, wine tasting, working, traveling, and shopping for shoes.  (Lots of other stuff too, I just don't want to bore you.) 


I'm starting a blog because someone once told me that if I love something enough to try to make a career out of it then I should start by blogging about it.  Well, my number one hobby/passion/obsession is shoes.  I prefer stilettos because of the elegance and sex appeal that they immediately bring to the foot and leg when worn.   I don't know any woman who can say they DON'T feel fabulous in a pair of heels, and I can't think of anything better than feeling fabulous.  


Although I know that women might not disagree with wanting to feel fabulous I do know that woman can say  "Sure, I feel beautiful in heels, but my feet hurt like hell!" 


 What do we make of this?  


Is it "ok" that the article of clothing that makes us feel the sexiest also has the capability to make us feel the worst?  I don't think so.  


I also don't think that it is "ok" that women collectively accept that shoes will hurt.  Really?! I'm going to buy a $100 pair of shoes (at least!) and EXPECT them to hurt?! 


When it is said like that you might think "Oh, I wouldn't buy a pair of shoes that hurt." but be honest with yourself... how many pairs of brand new or gently used shoes do you have in your closet that you love but hurt too badly to wear? 


 I have 6 pairs.  Frustrating.  


Read this article... Christian Louboutin on painful shoes 


 "I have been misquoted," he told us. "People say I am the king of painful shoes. I don't want to create painful shoes, but it is not my job to create something comfortable. I try to make high heels as comfortable as they can be, but my priority is design, beauty and sexiness. I'm not against them, but comfort is not my focus." - Christian Louboutin from the article above.  


What?! It's not your job to create something comfortable?!  Well my job is to work in a corporate office that is .5 miles long and look amazing while do it.  Guess what?  I WANT COMFORTABLE SHOES! So if it's not your job to do that then I will (someday) pick up the slack and do it for every woman who wants this done.  


 I  have a huge issue with the way designers create shoes like this.  I also have an issue with the fact that many of these designers are men- and have never had to work an 8 hour day in stilettos.  Don't get me wrong, I don't mind that men are making my shoes (in my mind a man who loves shoes is the perfect man) but I wish they understood how painful their shoes can be. Why can't I have sexy heels that are comfortable at the same time?  Don't they know I want to have my cake and eat it too??  


 I want to do research to see if any designers have women walk in their shoes before they distribute them (like a sample).  Wouldn't that make sense?  I would highly respect a designer who did this.  


The purpose of this blog is to look at shoes and look at how they are designed.  Are they comfy? Why?  Do they rub your feet raw? Where?  I will write about the shoes I own, and shoes I want to own.  I want to learn all about shoes and writing this blog will help me.  If one of my readers (you) want me to write about a pair of your shoes and feature you- I will.  If you want me to research something about a shoe- I will.  If you want me to research a designer- I will.  I want to hear from everyone about their shoes and what they think of them.  


Comment below and I'll start a conversation with you.