Boots that chaffe...

[Tigress]

I bought some swede boots from TK Maxx on Monday, and I walked around the shop for a good 10 minutes to make sure they were ok and was very happy with them etc. Anyway, I walked around town with them on, but when I got home, and my right heel was blistered up all ready. I have the age old problem with one foot a tiny bit bigger than the other, and I was wondering how I go about expanding them with shoe horns etc. Would it be advisable to put them in the warm, airing cupboard to soften the leather or will this damage them? The trouble is, I can't take them back because I've worn them for an hour or so (and the soles do look like it with bits of chewing gum etc), but I do love them, and I can't be doing with walking around in flip-flops for much longer!!!

[cheries]

Have you tried putting an insole in them to shift the place where your heel meets the boot?
When I was a student everyone used to wear Doc Martins and they were agony at first...someone told me to wee on them to soften them up. Suffice to say they rubbed me for an awful while longer as I wasn't prepared to sacrifice my dignity in the name of fashion!!!!

[glenis]

i used to stuff shoes with wet newspaper to stretch them -just pack them tightly with scrunched up balls of wet newspaper and leave them overnight

[cheries]

See that's a much more sensible suggestion. Why weren't you around when I had my Doc Martins??!!!

[Tigress]

Oh thank goodness!! My daughter's got her eye on them as she's only a foot size smaller then me (even though she's only 13) but I'm gonna try all of those things. I hadn't thought about the insole thing, when I was a teenager it was hell with school shoes and one day my dad put an insole thing inside and I do remember instant relief. I will try the newspaper thing too, although I did chuckle at the wee bit, I might soak the newpaper with it for optimum results!!!

[arwenant]

a good thing to prevent blisters is to rub your feet with vaseline before putting your shoes on

[Tigress]

Hmmm, yes, never thought of that!!

[ruthiebabie]

Can't offer any advice on the boots themselves but Compeed blister plasters are very good.