Shrinking Leather

sscotty727 · 9th March 2006, 21:21

I have a pair of Steve Madden shoes that I've tried to use inserts in to raise the heel height. I've finally given up on the project and decided to just wear them as is. The problem is that the leather has stretched over time and my foot is too loose. I've added some inserts to take up the slack, but they are no longer as comfortable as a new pair of the same shoe I have (I bought an extra pair when I first found them).

Is there anyway of shrinking and hardening the leather back to more of the original way they were, or are they forever stretched out of shape? I can live with the stretched ones being evening/weekend shoes and the new ones being work shoes, but if I can fix them, the older ones do look like they have alot more like still in them.

It is the same as my current avatar, but incase I change that again sometime, here is a picture of the shoes.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...rk_aviator.jpg

The inside says Upper Leather, Lining Synthetic, Sole Synthetic.

Thanks,

Scotty

hoverfly · 9th March 2006, 21:26

Leather will streach over time from wear, try some thicker socks or wet down the leather and let it compleatly dry. If you have use some streaching fluid, your out of luck.

sscotty727 · 9th March 2006, 21:29

The leather stretched over time because of the inserts in the heels. In addition, since my heel was higher in the shoe, the backs of the shoes (the part that normally goes around the back of the foot) is also stretched and soft, not rigid. If I could shrink or harden that, it would be great. If not, I can use inserts to raise my foot to take up the slack, just not something I want to wear around at work. I might just make them weekend/evening shoes.

I never used any kind of stetching fliud BTW.

hoverfly · 9th March 2006, 21:33

Try the water first, than find out if some kind of glue will stiffen the leather by applying it on the inside, give doc shoe buzz he most likly know.

Dr. Shoe · 10th March 2006, 17:28

What you could try is to cut a piece of stiff leather like hide for example shorter than the area you want to shorten and the length you desire. You can either glue this to the outside or the inside but importantly it must be the shape you want the shoe to be. First, glue the new piece and then the area you want to shrink and allow it to dry (you're using bostik or evostik- contact adhesive). Next you heat both parts up so the glue is now tacky.

Place the ends of the new piece on the old peice where you want the two pieces to meet and you will have the new bit cutting across the void created when you stretched in the first place leaving a pocket. Next take a sharp implement like an awl and press the middle bits together so you have two pockets of equal size. Next you press the middle of these two pockets together until you have four pockets and repeat this process until the pockets are so small they're non-existant. You should have a lot of tiny pleats which can now be flattened with a hammer and then after polishing the shoe should be as good as new.

Try to ensure that the pleats are no more than half a millimetre high and no more than about 1.5 mm apart otherwise they'll just fold over and not look as good.

sscotty727 · 10th March 2006, 18:34

Hmmmmmm, maybe I will have to find someone who can do this. Sounds complex.

I was looking at them again this morning. There is elastic over the top of the foot and I noticed this got stretched out of shape. I am considering getting elastic thread and sewing it back and forth a few times. Am thinking this will hold the shoes on my foot better.

hoverfly · 10th March 2006, 20:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by sscotty727

Hmmmmmm, maybe I will have to find someone who can do this. Sounds complex.

Hay the way I see it, if you got the money, it's some times better to get some else to do it. You should have no problems finding some one in DC.

sscotty727 · 10th March 2006, 20:19

In the DC area, I am sure I could find one. In Waldorf Maryland where I live, yes I will have issues finding one. We basically have two shoe repair shops in the area (anyone in the DC area that wants to make money, open a shoe repair shop in Waldorf!).

The one in the mall "fixed" my boots a few years ago and did a so/so job. They ended up ripping in the same area and are worse. Basically they just sewed over the tear in the leather.

Another one outside the mall, I took my wife's boots to get fixed. She couldn't zip them up to her calves. They measured it and was going to cut a V shape in the sides and sew in elastic material. Over 4 weeks later and hearing "We are just about to start on them", we decided to go retrieve the boots before said boots no longer "existed" if you catch my drift. I have zero confidence in their abilities either.

SO, I have to find a reputable shoe repair shop somewhere outside the local area of where I live and that isn't easy.

So again, any of you in the DC area want to make lots of $$, open a shoe repair shop in Waldorf Maryland! (BTW, we have the only local mall in our area and EVERYONE comes there to shop so I know you would get business!).

Scotty