How long to break in shoes?

Old Aug 15th, 2001, 05:51 PM
  #1  
Anna
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
How long to break in shoes?

I finally found some nice causal shoes to wear in Europe - one is an Easy Spirit, and the other is as Hush Puppies shoe. However, I'm going on my trip in mid-september, and I was wondering how long it takes all of you to break in your shoes?
 
Old Aug 15th, 2001, 06:04 PM
  #2  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
A shoe that fits correctly does not need "breaking in". I used to think the same thing until I found a brand of shoe that fits and is right for my foot.
 
Old Aug 15th, 2001, 06:22 PM
  #3  
Anna
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
What type of shoes did you buy?
 
Old Aug 15th, 2001, 09:07 PM
  #4  
Alice the Magyar
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
I bought Easy Spirits for my trip to Hungary, wore them for at least three weeks before I left to go there!!! Guess what?? I still got blisters!!!! And they fit me perfect before I left. You must remember, if it is hot, or you are going to be walking hours on end, your feet will swell! This what my Doctor told me. I even lost weight, so it was not because I gained weight. My Naturalizer shoes were fine there. They have better give I think. Alice
 
Old Aug 15th, 2001, 09:40 PM
  #5  
replytoanna
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Anna,
According to the governemnt-sanctioned European Association of Shoe Break-in Guild, the only way to break in your shoes is for you to lick the soles non-stop for 30 minutes pausing eveyr 5 minutes until the soles absorb sufficient saliva for superior cushioning suitable for European sidewalk walking.
Please let us know how it turns out.
 
Old Aug 15th, 2001, 11:15 PM
  #6  
Donna
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
I agree with the above - shoes should feel like a dream as soon as you put them on if you'll be out and about all day long in them. Any shoes that require "breaking in" won't do. Even wearing the most comfortable shoes you can find, your feet take a beating walking all day if you're not used to this and you may require a band-aid or some moleskin at the end of the day. I've also learned to ignore the "maximum two pairs of shoes" "rule". Alternating shoes gives your feet a break. But, of course, everything depends upon your particular feet. You have to shop and shop until you find those that are perfect for you. The best I've found are Naturalizer Milleniums. One day, I tried on just about every style in the Easy Spirit shop. All looked as though they should be extremely comfortable, but my feet didn't agree. I've found that "breaking in" shoes may make them less uncomfortable, but doesn't make them really comfortable. And, that shoes that can be "broken in" have really just stretched out of shape and no longer fit well. When shopping, you may have better luck if your top priority is comfort rather than looks...
 
Old Aug 16th, 2001, 05:21 AM
  #7  
elaine
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
The breaking-in process may not make a marginally-comfortable shoe perfectly comfortable, but leather does stretch and give.
I've been advised recently both by an orthopedist and a physical therapist that if you are going to be suddenly doing a lot of walking, more than normally, you should start wearing the shoes you'll be taking, new or old, a week or two before, every day, to see how the shoes feel and also to get your feet used to their particular fit and their weight. Especially those of us who have been wearing light sneakers and sandals all summer.
Doing all that walking
is unusual enough for most of our feet and legs; not only do they have to get used to the exercise, but to the particular shoes you're taking with you.
 
Old Aug 16th, 2001, 05:26 AM
  #8  
Cass
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Easy Spirit and Hush Puppies should take very little breaking in, but if you are going to wear them without socks or knee-hi's, etc., and you are prone to blister, you might want to wear them between now and then to "toughen" the skin that might rub.

I agree that shoes should be comfortable from the beginning, but with heavier, more "serious" shoes like Eccos, Clarks, etc., I have found that there is a breaking-in period in which they become just a bit more flexible and they conform just a bit better to the contours of my foot. They are wonderful from the beginning but get better after a month or so.

(PS: Anna, I have filed your funny typo on my list of favorites - does a "causal shoe" have a "metaphysical metatarsal"?! Thanks!)
 
Old Aug 16th, 2001, 05:28 AM
  #9  
Cass
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
PS to the PS: Please don't take offense -- we all missspelll words on these forrums.
 
Old Aug 16th, 2001, 06:17 AM
  #10  
Sheila
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
I walk everyday after work, so I wore my shoes about a month before I went on my recent trip. This is a tip someone gave me and even though it sounds funny I think it really helped. If you will rub deorant on the back of your heels, it helps to reduce blisters. Don't ask me how it works, but it did.
 
Old Aug 16th, 2001, 07:43 AM
  #11  
Miss/Mr X
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Sheila -- I understand what you're saying, but it's not deodorant. It needs to be anti-perspirant. (They're different.)

I know someone who sprays their feet with anti-p before she puts her socks on, to help with her sweating problem.
 
Old Aug 16th, 2001, 10:00 AM
  #12  
geena
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Boy, the things some people worry about. How can you sleep at night worrying thus about your SHOES? It seems incredulous that anyone would concern themselves about this.
 
Old Aug 16th, 2001, 10:29 AM
  #13  
Christina
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
I agree that shoes should not need breaking in if they fit properly. Any shoe that is not comfortable when you try it on is the wrong shoe. I recently bought two pairs of walking shoes for a trip to Europe--black tie Easy Comfort (Sears brand) and beige tie Naturalizer Milleniums. I took both pairs and wore then extensively and did not break them in at all; both were very comfortable because they fit correctly and were comfortable for my feet in the store (I have an odd size and high arch and have trouble finding comfortable shoes). I only wore each pair one day before going just to make sure they did not rub me in some funny place. Sometimes shoes seem a little looser in the store than when wearing them all day, I've noticed, even when I buy them late in the day. I've bought so many shoes over the years that I know what fits and what will be comforable by now. I don't like Easy Spirits and don't think they're very good quality myself, although I know some people have said on here they like them. As I said, I wore both of my pairs all day, walking a lot, partly in a hot area in Europe and they did not hurt a bit and I had nothing approaching rubbing or a blister, and I did not break them in at all. Actually, I had bought the Sears Easy Comfort in desperation as they were on sale and I wanted a black pair of walking shoes (hard to find in summer) and was afraid I wouldn't find anything elsewhere in time, but to my surprise, they ended up being very comfortable and pretty sturdy. I think they are better quality than Easy Spirit, they even look a little more substantial.
 
Old Aug 16th, 2001, 10:47 AM
  #14  
footfetish
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Geena,
You have to remember that this is a public forum. Hence, anybody can post just about anything - be it trivial or life-and-death situations).

I always look to this board to learn new things. Although, I and the rest of the shoe-wearing already have a good idea on how and when to break-in new shoes, some people (very few, I assume) have probably just attained the opportunity to buy new shoes and do not know the intricacies of breaking them in. Perhaps, these people (and I do not fault them, whatsoever) have not had the chance to use new shoes ever/before or that they've been barefootin' it all their lives.
Be easy on them.
 
Old Aug 16th, 2001, 10:55 AM
  #15  
Dr. Scholl
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Come on now, I think it is a legimate question. I like the answer with the anti-perspirant tip. I know alot of us get blisters when being transformed from an office-sitter to a sight-seer.
 
Old Aug 16th, 2001, 11:17 AM
  #16  
janice
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Dear Anna,
Put a pair of shoes on at 6:30 on Saturday morning. Do everything you can possibly do walking and standing up - a day shopping, running errands, and being very active is best. Find some of the most unpleasant surfaces to walk on in your area - rocks, gravel, bad pavement - nothing is too horrible. Climb lots of steps. Don't take them off 'til at least midnight. If you don't want to throw them in the garbage, you should be fine.
 
Old Aug 16th, 2001, 12:39 PM
  #17  
Massey
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Christina, your lecture suggests you are either young, or have fairly "average" shaped feet, or are lucky enough to have the sort of foot that a lot of manufacturers design for -- or all three. Your rule that a shoe should need breaking in is silly, esp. regarding walking shoes.

Of course it would be stupid and foolish to buy a shoe that felt wrong to begin with. But that tends to happen mainly with dressy shoes one knows one shouldn't buy but can't resist. With walking shoes, it's a different deal.

When I was in my 20s and 30s, I could wear 2" heels, thong sandals, loafers, Capezio shells, Etienne Aigner, and certain Italian shoes -- as long as I got a decent fit initially, they worked out fine, generally, because I wore them for only one season, had a job that didn't involve much walking, and my feet never bothered me because they were strong and so was I.

Now things are rather different, and I'm grateful that one can wear Nikes in a lot of places in the US. Over MY years of trying on and wearing shoes, I have had to learn which sorts of shoes are going to do what after I've worn them for a while.

Frankly, a leather shoe that fits perfectly in the store may very well loosen up and be too loose after a month or two. Sometimes you need a crystal ball to figure out whether a shoe will ease in the toe-box or not, whether a strap will stretch, whether a heel will get too loose.

Easy Spirits do not suit me -- if toe-box has enough room, then the heel is too wide, and after a certain number of miles, the sole is just too soft and provides no cushioning from the pavement. However, my mother swears by them. She hates Clarks because she thinks the sole is too rigid, but I find after wearing them for a little while, they are exactly right for me.

I'm glad you've found what works for you. Doesn't mean it works for everyone, or will continue to work for you in 20 yrs.
 
Old Aug 16th, 2001, 07:21 PM
  #18  
Anna
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
to the top please for more tips
 
Old Aug 17th, 2001, 11:36 AM
  #19  
Christina
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Massey -- I have no idea what you are talking about as almost every point you've made is the opposite of what I said (unless there is another Christina on here). I am not young at all and, as I said, my foot is hard to fit and few shoes are comfortable. I'll bet anything I'm a lot older than you, I'm around 50. I did not make any rule that a shoe should need breaking in, my entire post was the exact opposite position. I said a high-quality shoe that fits should NOT need breaking in. I have never owned Nikes and do not wear high heeled shoes are hardly. I do not care what anyone else does and never told anyone they should do what I do, I was merely expressing my opinion. Why you are threatened by my opinion on shoes to the point that you need to address me by name to tell me I'm wrong is beyond me -- a lot of people in this thread have different opinions from mine and I am not bothered by it in the slightest.
 
Old Aug 17th, 2001, 12:42 PM
  #20  
concernedlurker
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Yes! It was only a matter of time before new messages are posted indicating hurt feelings and accusations. A great thread! On with the soap opera!
To the top!
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -