How can I make these shoes less stiff ?

Hi Cassie - thanks for you advice but I’ve been trying that for a while. I need to make the leather less stiff somehow.

I try kicking with them. They get broken in really fast like a baseball glove!

wear them alot your feet arent used to them yet so wear them alot

If they are practical walking shoes and you don’t care so much about maintaining their shiny new appearance, you can soak them in water and then walk in them until they dry out on your feet. I only took that advice one time, a long time ago (and sort of by accident, lol), but it worked pretty well.

Oops, I just saw the photo, and they appear to be suede. Please disregard my advice, lol!

Yes Hayyim, they are suede - would water spoil them? I don’t mind if they look a bit tatty - that goes with the rest of my “look” . . .

My neighbour suggested something similar, ie: wearing them and standing in a bowl of water then letting them dry on my feet.

That sounds like fun - any targets work better than others when it comes to choosing what to kick?

I like the logic Alissa - I just don’t have the courage to get rubbing blisters on my feet. Thank you for your advice.

Depends what you mean by “a bit tatty.” Yes, it will work, and they won’t be functionally damaged. But they’ll be darker, spottily stained, have a sort of rough look, and not be suede any more (no brushable nap).

Ha ha - sounds even more like me, a bit stained but still functioning. I shall do this tomorrow.

Thank you.

Just walk around a lot in your house. They should be good in about an hour. I normally give mine to my little sister because she likes to walk around in other peoples shoes, literally. So, she is happy, as am I :’D

To soften leather you need to give it a good beating. Wrap your shoes in a towel and hit them. Its a bit like hitting a piece of steak to tenderise it.

Other than that, whilst you are watching a film, manipulate them, bending twisting, kneading. It will take a while but they will soften.

Oh, and I washed a pair of suede shoes once.. when they dried they were worse than when I started.

Can I borrow her ? Send her to France for 2 weeks, I’ll teach her French and she can soften my shoes !

Well, I soaked them - and they are still wet - I’ll see what they are like when completely dried out . . . it did keep me nice and cool on a hot day to have my feet in wet shoes !

It all sounds a bit violent - I might try that if they are still too stiff to wear after they dry out from my soaking of them today.

OH, yes. Of course, keep her if you like :’D