Deals to Keep Your Toes Fantastic

Deal of the Day

Joann: Okay, not strictly shoes, but you get 50% off one regularly priced item. And I’m gaga for shoe baubles, so I’m looking forward to a crafty Saturday thanks to this deal.

Sierra Trading Post: Extra 15% off shoes with code ALAPRIL9. Through May 6.

Collective Wisdom Files: DC Diva’s post on how to bargain down the price of a pedicure brings a little sun into my day

How to Stretch Shoes

I’m wearing a pair of adorable heels today. They have a herringbone pattern with a little dash of blue for kick. They are, unfortunately, tight as heck. I’m just asking for foot problems wearing these things. What I need to do is stretch them, just a tad. I could take them to my shoe repairman, but I’m feeling experimental. Home shoe-stretching it is!

Scanning the internet, several solutions present themselves:

1. Purchase a stretching solution and wear the shoes until they widen. But this may cause dyes to bleed, and I really like the color of my shoes. Next!
2. Buy a wooden shoe stretcher. A shoe stretcher looks a bit like a shoe tree, but allows you the expand its size once in your shoe. You could also purchase a shoe tree a size up from your foot. Sounds promising!
3. Put a sealed baggy of water in your shoes. As the water expands, your shoes stretch. Magic!

Being thrifty, I tried the free version first. A little love, but my big toe still hurt at the end of the day. On to the shoe stretcher. My mom had one with buttons I could place for specific spots. Perfect. I still wouldn’t call these shoes comfortable, but after a little stretch, I don’t feel like I’m tempting foot problems.

For optimum shoe health, buy shoes that aren’t tight. But if you have a gorgeous pair of kicky heels you love, a little stretch goes a long way.