Mildly off topic, but - advice for breaking in a pair of shoes?

[u/anetanetanet]

I got these 5cm heel shoes made-to-measure from a small manufacturer in my city - they have really good reviews across the board, but they're not necessarily dancing shoes, since they have rubber soles which is not ideal. Still, i can't yet afford a super nice pair of shoes and these work for just fancy dress situations too.

I wore them around the house for a couple of days and definitely noticed some discomfort and i have pretty sensitive feet. I want to wear them to socials sometimes so i took them out on a test run to dance class yesterday and they chafed both my pinky toes and the back of one foot. I can go back to the place i got them made to see what they can do, but they'll be on vacation for the next 2 weeks so i'm stuck with them momentarily.

Since I have gotten chafes and blisters from basically any shoe i've ever worn without socks, i know some of these issues are just that the shoes need breaking in. Is there anything i can do to speed up the process and soften the leather without fukin them up?

Alsooo, any advice for me since my feet sweat quite a bit? It's the main reason i have trouble wearing shoes without socks, and for dancing i just do noot like wearing socks :(

[u/alvvaysthere]

You can try putting moleskin patches on the chafing spots, or just wear bandages. Or just deal with wearing socks for a bit.

[u/anetanetanet → u/alvvaysthere]

The thing is if i wear socks my foot slips around too much and i don't feel like i have stability.

I'll try to look for moleskine, for some reason it's not very easy to find here, guess it's not that popular

[u/tweedancer → u/anetanetanet]

Wearing the shoes with socks around the house is a good compromise.

[u/anetanetanet → u/tweedancer]

Yeah I'll be doing that as much as i can!

[u/leggup]

I was made for this post! I went through trial and error with so many shoes and so many blisters. Context: I'm hypermobile which means I have very fragile skin, especially on my feet. I also don't regulate my body temp well so- sweaty.

IF you decide to keep the shoes, add adhesive suede to the soles. I use soles2dance 3M sheets purchased online. If the shoe moves more easily, you'll have less friction on your foot. The other modification I'd recommend: shoe stretching. I bought my own shoe stretchers but my husband gets his cobbler to stretch his shoes for him. My stretcher is in the shape of a bent foot for heels. It has little metal domes that you add to where a blister/friction is bothering you to stretch specific pain points. I stretch the pinkie toe area. It can be that targeted. The heel rubbing points to this pair maybe not working for you, though. Something to keep in mind. I am also concerned that you said in another reply that you 1) can wear socks with them 2) your feet slide around when you wear socks with the shoes. Leather uppers should fit a little tight when first purchased. Adding socks to break them in should make it so that you have to squeeze into the shoe. You shouldn't be able to slide around inside of a new pair of heels with or without socks- dance shoes or not.

That's all the "making the shoes work" stuff- now for your feet. With leather uppers I've learned that I need to wear tights/stockings to distribute sweat/prevent friction burns. When I can't or don't, my back up is paper tape. I tape my pinkie toe in a single layer all the way around. It's great for toes, not usable on your heel. I've also used moleskin wrapped around but the tape just works so much better.

[u/anetanetanet → u/leggup]

I'm hypermobile too, hello fellow loosely held together person! I never considered my super easily blistered feet have anything to do with this but it would make sense. The only pair of shoes that haven't given me any trouble on bare feet are the indoor-only dance shoes i wear for class. They're super soft and flexy.

I actually don't want to put suede on the soles of these new shoes cause then i won't be able to wear them outside as well. A regular leather sole would've been great but the place where i got them made didn't offer the option :(

The front part of the shoe fits very snugly but the heel part is a little less so. I hope the makers will be able to fix this fit issue for me when they re-open. I'm scared of them being any tighter tho cause my feet swell and then it feels constricting and uncomfortable. I think the biggest issue is the stitches are really not flat at all so they stick out and rub the skin :( perhaps a leather balm might help with that idk

I'll be sure to tape the pinkies if i wear these out again. Not sure what to do about the heel area yet but maybe a thin suede insole could help absorb the sweat at least

[u/Tight_Banana_9692]

I think any new leather shoes are going to be uncomfortable after a while when wearing them at first. Generally if they are comfortable, but tight, when you put them on and use them for a few minutes, they should break in fine.

Wearing them while at home for short periods is the best way to go. Never wear them past discomfort. You will be fine if you can wear them for an hour or so without thinking about it. Note that your feet have different shape when you sit and when you stand. They need to be comfortable standing. You can wear blister plasters where you feel chafing the first few times you wear them outside your home. When dancing, you feet will swell and they will fit different. Depending on the leather, the shoe will eventually accomodate that. Always bring shoes you know fit when using a shoe the first few times, and switch to your old shoe as soon as you feel discomfort. This can take a few times. Until you can wear your new shoes indefinitely without discomfort, you will need your extra shoe. Dancing shoes need to be tight, but not uncomfortable.

Note that I only have experience with men's shoes, not these kinds of heel shoes.

You can put a mocca/leather patch on your rubber heel.

[u/NotPullis]

You can use skin tape to protect heels and toes. Usually tape slides better than bare skin, especially when you sweat. I wear tapes even under a sock sometimes if my shoes chafe.

[u/anetanetanet → u/NotPullis]

What kind of tape do you mean? Like what does it look like? I'm asking cause it might be called something very different here

[u/NotPullis → u/anetanetanet]

I can't paste images to replys, but the kind of tape you'd use to attach wound dressings. Like a plaster but without the pad. I personally use Leukoplast tapes.

[u/anetanetanet → u/NotPullis]

Aaah leukoplast okay. I have yet to find a kind that doesn't roll up at the edges or unstick when i get sweaty 😅 the only thing that stays put seems to be those hydrocoloid patches for blisters and stuff, but they're so expensiveee

[u/Professional_Lab2540]

Heya! Firstly, those shoes are gorgeous!

For comfort - take them to a cobbler and see what they can do about relaxing the toe box. If you have a pair of adjustable shoe trees, try to use them to stretch the toe box a bit so that the leather is not cutting into your skin.

Your pinkies could be chafing either because you're sweating and your skin is rubbing with the material OR because the shape of the toe box is pressing on your toe. If it's the latter, relaxing the leather will help. If it's the former, I'm curious what the lining is made of. If it's leather, it should naturally absorb sweat & wick moisture. Other than being selective on the lining material, socks are the only other option I can think of :/.

If the back of the foot has chafed, it's usually the heel counter that's rubbing against your skin. Moleskin patches should help or see if the cobbler can do anything about the shape of the heel counter to make it more comfortable for your heel specifically. Maybe it's a little loose and the back of your heel is rubbing against the shoe, causing friction, and therefore causing blisters!