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.

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.

Protect the Soles of Your New Shoes

A relatively recent innovation in the shoe repair industry is the protective sole. This is a very thin rubber sole that is applied over the existing sole of the shoe to make it longer wearing. The rubber is so thin that it doesn't change the feel or the appearance of the shoe. Protective soles make shoes more slip resistant. Anyone who has walked on carpet or tile with brand new leather soled shoes can appreciate that. This is great for safety, but also for wear. You can just keep replacing the protective sole and never wear into the leather sole. This product is great for men and women's shoes

Don't Wait Too Long To Repair Your Shoes

PRACTICE PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE

Repair your shoes before wear turns into damage. Ladies, don't wait for the rubber tips to fall off of your high-heels or flats. Replace them before they get to that point to avoid more significant damage to your heels. The same goes for men's shoes. Replace the heel before it wears into the heel base or the sole before you see a hole develop.

Waiting to long will add cost to the repair that would not have been necessary. EDGEWOOD DRIVE SHOE REPAIR tries to educate our customers on how to look for wear and get it repaired before it leads to damage.

Start a Shoe Care Home Program

Another tip to extend the life of your shoes:

START A SHOE CARE HOME PROGRAM

1. Clean your shoes with a leather cleaner

- We use LEXOL-pH Leather Cleaner. It deep cleans leather safely and thoroughly, without the harsh, damaging effects of alkaline soaps. http://www.lexol.com/

2. Condition the leather to restore oils that are lost through wear

- We use LEXOL Leather Conditioner. It renews and restores the oils originally used in the tanning processes.http://www.lexol.com/

3. Polish your shoes to restore the color and shine to seal out dirt

-We use Lincoln Stain Wax Shoe Polish, it is made with imported Carnauba Wax and a blend of other fine materials to stain, waterproof, nourish and shine all leathers. This is the polish used by the Marine Corp.http://www.lincolnshoepolish.com/

4. Weatherproof your shoes to protect them from water

- We use Punch Active Super Protector. It dries within 3 minutes and requires only 1 application each time you treat your shoes. Water beads up and rolls off, stains stay on top and can be easily cleaned.http://www.punch.ie/

You should repeat this regimen each month. If you would prefer we do it for you bring your shoes in to EDGEWOOD DRIVE SHOE REPAIR for professional cleaning and polishing. We offer a SHINE CLUB CARD where you purchase 4 shines and get the 5th one FREE!!

Tips to Extend the Life of Your Shoes

Here's another important part of extending the life of your shoes.

STORE YOUR SHOES IN CEDAR SHOE TREES

You have 125,000 sweat glands in your feet--all of them pouring moisture into your shoes. That is why it makes sense to rotate your shoes and, on their days off, put cedar shoe trees in them. Cedar's unique wicking action absorbs moisture, acid, and salt, thereby reducing cracking and deterioration of leather. Cedar shoe trees also add comfort by smoothing out linings and insoles, and enhance appearance by maintaining the shape of the shoes.

There are many different brands and styles of cedar shoe trees. The brand we carry here at Edgewood Drive Shoe Repair is Rochester Cedar Shoe Trees. If you are not wearing your shoes, they should have cedar shoe trees in them. Don't forget those golf shoes. Not only will you be extending the life of your shoes but you will have a nice, aromatic closet.

Tips to Extend the Life of Your Shoes

When you need to stretch your dollars, extending the life of shoes makes sense. Your shoes are an investment and you need to get the most from that investment.

BUY QUALITY SHOES

Did you know that the average man will take about 8,000 steps in a day? If he weighs 170 pounds, the daily force that accumulates on his feet is 1,000 tons. It makes sense to spend a few extra dollars for shoes that will give you the support you need. Shoes made with better quality materials are better for your feet. They are longer lasting and with the proper care and maintenance can last for years.

Here at Edgewood Drive Shoe Repair we offer high quality Tauer & Johnson made to order footwear. It is made especially for you. You choose the style, the kind of leather, the color of leather, and the soles. We measure your foot length, width, and girth; have you step into an impression box and send those exact measurements to Tauer & Johnson. They choose the last (the form on which the shoe is made) that best fits those measurements for your left and right foot separately. Check out their website http://www.tauerandjohnson.com/ or call us for a free catalog.