How To Break In New Shoes Like A Queen

2 min read
How To Break In New Shoes
London Fashion Week AW18/19 street style

Here’s how you can avoid the rubbing and blistering of new shoes

It was recently revealed that the Queen of England employs someone to break in her shoes before she wears them. There’s no word on who actually wears the shoes or for how long, but according to Stewart Parvin, who designed the Queen’s wardrobe for over 11 years, there is someone on staff who breaks in every single pair of shoes that the Queen owns. The idea is that she should be comfortable at all times, no matter what. “The shoes have to be immediately comfortable,” Parvin said. “She does get someone to wear them. The Queen can never say ‘I’m uncomfortable, I can’t walk any more.”

While Her Majesty might not have to suffer the cruel indignity of having a blister, the rest of us sadly don’t have a royal shoe wearer to help us out so here are some tips on how to avoid the rubbing and blistering of new shoes.

Short bursts are best: To begin with, you should only wear your shoes for a short period of time and then gradually increase the amount of time you wear them for.

Try double socks: Put on two pairs of socks and wear your new shoes around the house to help stretch them out a bit.

How To Break In New Shoes

Milan Fashion Week AW18/19 street style

Use Moleskin: Moleskin is a durable, adhesive cotton fabric that you can purchase in most pharmacies. Cut a piece of the moleskin to size and adhere it to the heel of your shoe to improve fit and reduce rubbing.

Add a little heat: Try blasting a hairdryer onto the parts of the shoes that hurt the most to soften the material.

Invest in shoe stretchers: Less useful for heels, but flats can easily be stretched using metal or wooden stretchers.

They say you can tell a lot about a person by looking at their shoes, but what about their socks?  The runways have transformed this practical everyday item into the latest status symbol.