Can You Stretch Shoes?

A Question I often hear...



Can you stretch shoes?


Yes, we can!!


Now, let's talk about what shoes stretch best and the areas we can stretch.


The material your shoes are made of will result in varying degrees of success.

1. Leather- stretches and holds the stretch the best
2. Fabric- will stretch fairly well, but not as well as leather
3. Man-made materials (vinyl, plastics)- do not stretch well, they are very elastic and want to return to their original shape.


Most people who have tight or snug shoes would just like them loosened up through the width. A Wooden Stretcher with Stretch fluid will do the job. Stretch fluid is sprayed on the leather upper. This opens the pores and allows the leather to relax and take a good stretch. The correct sized stretcher is inserted and then cranked out. As you crank, the two halves of the stretcher spread out. Crank it out until you feel good pressure on each side. There is a little metal piece, which I call a bunyonette, that you can place where needed on the stretcher for a little extra stretch in a specific area.


You can stretch most any area of the shoe: width, vamp, length. If a customer is complaining that their toes are rubbing the end of the shoe, can we give them a half size more length. Not likely. It's much easier to get more width than more length.

Can you stretch steel toed boots?

Sorry, but no. When purchasing steel toed boots always make sure your toes have plenty of wiggle room. That may mean going up a half size or a width. If your toes rub the steel in the beginning of that first day, you will be hurting at the end of the day and you will also be out a pair of boots!

Here at Edgewood Drive Shoe Repair we try to guarantee stretches. If you need more we will re-stretch your shoes at no charge. We will make sure you understand what to expect, and note any specific areas that are troublesome.

We recommend that if you have 3 or more pair of shoes that need some attention, go ahead and invest in your own stretcher and stretch fluid. They are built to last many, many years.

TIME TO GET YOUR LEATHER JACKET OUT OF THE CLOSET

AHHHHH! October in Florida means cooler weather. It's the time of year I really look forward to after a long summer. It's also the time to start pulling the winter clothes out of the attic and putting your leather jacket to good use.
Did you know we clean, repair, and alter leather garments? We send this work out to Leather-Rich, in my opinion one of the best leather cleaners and repairers on the planet. Look at this list of repairs we have had done in the last few months:
1. Main Zipper Replacement
2. A customer had a jacket that the sleeves were too long. We had the sleeves shortened.
3. Repaired a torn pocket that got caught on a door knob.
4. A customer caught his soft leather coat on a nail that made an L-shaped tear on the back. It was repaired to almost perfection.
5. This most recent repair was amazing. This customer borrowed a leather jacket from her friend to go motorcycle riding. She laid the jacket across the bike and the sleeve rested against the hot exhaust. Before she realized what happened it had melted, leaving a nasty burn mark. Imagine what your skin would look like if it had rested against a glowing hot exhaust! This was a lined jacket. Leather-rich replaced the sleeve and lining and the jacket came back looking as if nothing ever happened. I have to admit I was impressed.
If you have any leather garments that you love but haven't been wearing because of a stain, damage, or broken zipper, bring it in or mail it to us and let us give you an estimate. Many times the investment is much less than purchasing a new one.

COLORFUL CREATIONS DYEABLE SHOES

As the calendar turns to fall and winter, the number of holiday parties seems to increase. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas may find the ladies looking for shoes to go with their party dress. Here are some suggestions to make your shoes match your dress as closely as possible.

1. If your dress is satin, pick satin shoes. If your dress has more of a matte finish, pick shoes with luxe fabric(more textured material).

2. Is your event outside or inside? The material reflects the color differently depending on the lighting and the angle in which you are viewing it.

3. Give your Dye-man plenty of time to match your color and dye the shoes properly. 2 weeks lead time is much nicer than the day before the event. It is important to have a swatch of material from the dress, since most people aren't willing to leave the dress .

We have a book with over 500 formulas for different colors to match your dress. If the color is not perfect we can alter the formula to get as close to perfect as possible. After the color is approved the shoes are dyed, allowed to dry completely, then sprayed with water & stain resistant spray to protect the dye from running if you happen to spill something or get caught in the rain.

Edgewood Drive Shoe Repair sells http://www.colorfulcreations.com/ . We have a few popular styles in stock and can get most any pair of shoes by the next business day.

We know that once the shoes are dyed and used for the event, most people may never wear them again. To help you get the most from your purchase, we will dye your shoes black for free after your event, which allows for much more use.

Special Week of 10/13 - 10/18/2008

SAVE THIS WEEK ON THESE SPECIALS...

CHECK OUT OUR 50% OFF RACK!!!

ALL OUR BRAZO WALKING STICKS AND CANES ARE 20% OFF!!!

ALL INSOLES ARE BUY 1 GET 2ND FOR 20% OFF!!!

PRINT OUT THIS BLOG OR MENTION IT FOR THE DISCOUNTS.

THANKS FOR YOUR BUSINESS!!

Do You Wear Your Heels Down Quickly?

My heels wear down quickly on the outside edge, is there anything you can do about that?

This is a frequent question and there is a solution to this problem . Most shoes I see show the most wear on the outside heel. This is just the normal walking motion for a high percentage of people, a small number walk the inside heel down first.

Wear is slower or more rapid depending on several of the following variables:

1. The surface your walking on (carpet, concrete)

2. Your height and weight

3. The gait of your stride(do you drag you feet?)

4. The heel material (crepe, urethane, rubber, leather)

5. The frequency you wear your shoes

A product called a Heel Plate can be installed over the wear area to extend the life of your heels. The Heel Plate can then be replaced as you go through it rather then replace your heels. A great idea for people who know they always have extensive heel wear is to have Heel Plates put on their shoes when they are brand new.

Heel Plates come in many different shapes and sizes to fit most any shoes. Heel Plates are made in two materials; polyurethane, which are quiet, and metal, which wear very well but make you sound like a tap dancer.

Heel Plates are a repair job that we normally do WHILE U WAIT. Extend the life of your shoes today.

Do your shoes slip on the heel?

This is a question that I often hear asked, What can you do for my shoes that slip on the heel?

There are several fitting aids that can solve this problem. I approach the problem differently depending on the style of shoe.

For Men:

I will often suggest a TONGUE PAD. This is a piece of self-adhesive backed felt that is place under the tongue of the shoe. It helps hold the foot back in the shoe and usually solves the problem.

For Women:

- High heel closed shoe: This type of shoe has no room for a tongue pad, so I will use a HEEL GRIP instead. This is a contoured shaped sponge-rubber or Suede leather, self-adhesive back piece that fits into the upper portion of the heel counter. It helps take up space and solves the slipping problem. The only draw back to the HEEL GRIP is sometimes they roll down when the shoe is put on. It's important to use a shoe horn!!

- Sling Backs or Strappy Shoes: The problem I sometimes see with this type of shoe is the strap falls off the back of the heel when the customer walks. This is because the foot is sliding forward in the shoe. A HALTER / FOOT CUSHION just under the ball of the foot will stop this sliding, hold the foot in place, and the back strap stays in place.

We use the J.T.FOOTE product line of fitting aids. Stop by and get a better fit from your favorite shoes.