One of my favorite joys in the world is buying a new pair of shoes. That joy quickly fades, however, if my new shoes get dirty or aren’t as comfortable as I thought when I first tried them on. In the following photos, you’ll be taken through the many ways you can keep your shoes both clean and comfortable using just ordinary household products. Don’t let a new pair of shoes get dirty or hurt your feet. Check out these shoe hacks!
14. Use Cornmeal On Suede To Remove Stains
The next time your suede shoes get ruined with a stain, don’t panic. Instead, buy some cornmeal from your local supermarket and rub it onto the shoe. The cornmeal will absorb the oil from the stain, leaving your shoe as if the stain was never there in the first place!
13. Use Petroleum Jelly On Patent Leather Shoes For An Amazing Shine
The great thing about buying a pair of patent leather shoes is that they’re usually very easy to take care of. If you’re looking to give your patent leather shoes a bit of shine without using a commercial cleaner, however, try rubbing some petroleum jelly on your shoes — it can even remove scuff marks!
12. Combat Smelly Shoes With Vinegar
You probably know that vinegar is an effective household product if you want to get rid of odors because of their potent acidity. Does vinegar, however, work for smelly shoes?
Turns out it works really well. If you have a pair of smelly shoes that you need de-odorized, try soaking the shoes in a vinegar solution (two cups of vinegar, two gallons of water). Then, dip your shoes in the solution and place something heavy on top of your shoes to keep them fully submerged. In a couple hours, the odor should almost be completely gone!
11. Use A Nail File To Remove Scratches And Stains
No one likes wearing shoes with scratches or stains on them. Did you know, however, that you can remove scratches and stains from suede shoes using a nail file?
First, try to remove as much of the stain as possible using a soft cloth. Then if the stain still exists, try gently rubbing the area with a nail file (or sandpaper). You’ll find that the stained area with slowly decrease in size. You can do the same thing for scratches too!
10. Keep Shoes Fresh Using Baking Soda
There’s no better way to keep a pair of shoes feeling new than making sure they smell good. That means getting rid of any odors that might be coming from your shoe.
What’s the best way to get rid of odors from your shoe? Baking soda! Try putting some baking soda into your shoes and let it sit overnight. You’ll find that the unique properties of baking soda will effectively remove any smelly odors.
9. Remove Stains From Leather Shoes Using Rubbing Alcohol
Getting rid of stains on leather shoes can be tough, but did you ever try using isopropyl, or rubbing alcohol?
Try dipping a q-tip or cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and gently applying it to the affected area. Let the alcohol sit on the stain for around 30 minutes and you’ll find it gone!
8. Whiten Your Shoes With Toothpaste
Although white shoes look incredible, keeping them clean can be a real pain in the neck. The next time you’re trying to make your white shoes white again, try using toothpaste.
Put some toothpaste on an old toothbrush and scrub vigorously into the dirty spots. If you’re using toothpaste on the fabric and not the rubber, make sure you let the toothpaste sit for a couple minutes before wiping off with a wet towel.
7. Alleviate Foot Pain Using A Tea Soak
If you walk around a lot during the day, your feet are probably extremely sore by the end. If you’re trying to alleviate foot and heel pain, have you ever tried a tea soak before?
Grab a bucket to dip your feet in and fill it with warm water. Then add a black or green tea bag and feel the anti-inflammatory properties of tea go to work!
6. Use Beeswax To Waterproof Your Shoes
No one likes walking around in wet shoes. That’s why if you decide to wear canvas shoes, you should definitely make sure to waterproof them.
Grab some beeswax from a hardware stores and cover the entire shoe with it. Then, use a blowdryer to make sure the wax melts onto the shoe — make sure you don’t miss a spot!
5. Prevent Foot Pain Wearing Heels By Taping Your Toes
If your toes cramp frequently when you wear heels, this hack may be just for you!
Because your toes are usually cramped while wearing heels, it can put significant stress on your nerves, which leads to pain. To alleviate this, try taping your 2nd and 3rd toes together. You’ll find that this will decrease the stress on your individual toes, which will result in less pain in the balls of your feet while you’re walking around in heels.
4. Prevent Blisters By Using Gel Deodorant
Getting a blister while wearing is no fun at all, especially if you’re not done using your shoes. The next time you think you’ll be getting blisters from a new pair of shoes, try rubbing gel deodorant on the areas where you think blisters are most likely to occur. The gel deodorant will serve as a lubricant and will prevent blisters!
3. Add Grip With Sandpaper
If you bought a new pair of shoes, but you seem to be slipping everywhere you go, try adding some grip to your shoes by rubbing the soles with sandpaper. This textured sole will give you a whole lot more traction as you go about your day!
2. Use The Freezer To Loosen Up Your Shoes
There’s no worse feeling than cramped toes in the toe box of your new shoes. To remedy this, try out the following freezer hack.
First, fill up two ziploc bags with water and place a bag in each shoe’s toe box. Put the shoes in the freezer and let the water freeze overnight. Because the water will expand as it turns into ice, it’ll expand your toe box and stretch your shoes without damaging them!
1. Stretch Shoes With A Hairdryer
This shoe stretch hack will work with any type of shoes whether they be boots, flats, or heels!
First, wear thick warm sock and then place your feet in your new shoes. Then, use a blow dryer to apply heat to your shoes to effectively break your shoes in. Say goodbye to uncomfortable feet with new shoes.
What did you think about these shoe hacks? Would you use any of them?
