Do Shoe Stretchers Work?- The Solution to Kids With Wide and Extra Wide Feet
Have you tried every single shoe in an extra wide width and your child still complains that they feel too tight? I suggest that you keep the shoe that came close to fitting your child’s extra wide feet and use a shoe stretcher to make some extra room for your child’s toes. However, before you invest in a shoe stretcher let’s first make sure that you already tried the widest shoes for kids.
What Are the Best Shoes for Kids with Extra Wide Feet?
Fitting the shape of a child with extra wide feet takes more than just choosing a shoe that is labeled as extra wide (XW). You need to look for shoes that are also deep and come with a round toe-box. There is a different resource I created that has a list of the best extra wide shoes for children. If those shoes feel too tight, then it’s time to find a shoe stretcher to stretch the shoes where the widest part of the foot. This helps relieve some of the pressure from the shoes.
How Can a Shoe Stretcher Help Your Kids’ Extra Wide Feet?
A shoe stretcher is a device that can be used to stretch a portion of your shoes. They can be used to stretch a shoe that might not be wide enough. You can stretch any specific area of the shoe where your child may be experiencing discomfort. For example, let’s say that your kids developed a foot issue such as a corn, bunion, or they simply just need extra space around the toe-box for their toes to move around comfortably.
Do Shoe Stretchers Work in All Shoes?
Before using a shoe stretcher, it is advisable to consider the type of material that the shoes are made since there are types of materials that simply are not compatible with any shoe stretcher. One good example of a shoe material that may not work with these products is vinyl since there is a major limitation in the flexibility of this material.
The good news is that the majority of types of shoe materials can be used with the shoe stretcher device. These materials include many different types of suede, leather, canvas, and linens. There are a large variety of shoe stretchers in the market today, and it can be confusing to choose the best one. I will show you the one I use at the kids’ shoe store where I work and that has proven to provide the best results.
The Best Shoe Stretchers for Kids with Wide or Extra Wide Feet
One product I have personally tested and used many times while working at the children’s shoe store is a liquid shoe stretcher; which is ideal for stretching your kids’ tight-fitting sneakers, dress shoes and boots. It has all it takes to give your child the comfort their feet need when they are playing or running around.
This product has the best reviews from all over the world and parents are amazed by the excellent results it delivers. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.
- Order the shoe stretcher spray by FOOTMATTERS on Amazon
- Leather conditioner that is formulated to soften and stretch tight-fitting shoes
- Safe to use as the spray will go on clear and will never cause discoloration
- Works on a wide variety of materials including: Leather, Suede, Canvas, Synthetics, Linens, Nubuck and Patent leather
When using this product, you should be extra careful not to stretch the shoes too much, since that will end up ruining the shoes. Only ease into the stretching process and consistently test the shoes. Keep asking your kids about how the shoes feel and once you reach the point where they don’t feel tight anymore, you must stop applying the product.
How to Apply the Shoe Stretcher Spray On Your Kids’ Shoes?
The directions are quite easy to follow:
1️⃣ Simply spray on your kids’ shoes and make sure you wear them to stretch to proper fit.
2️⃣ If the shoe still feels tight after applying the product, spray it again until your child reaches a comfortable fit.
3️⃣ The product comes in an easy-to-spray bottle and it is formulated to clean and stretch tight-fitting shoes or boots!
Children with wide and extra wide feet always struggle to find a pair of shoes that they can comfortably wear, and in most cases, they have to end up choosing a style that they didn’t really love to begin with. This shoe stretcher can help kids wear those shoes that would have been avoided because of their wide and extra wide feet.
3 Important Questions Parents Have About This Product!
1️⃣ If sprayed on the outside of the shoe, will it stain the shoe at all?
This product will not stain leather shoes and you can spray it on the inside or the outside of the shoes.
2️⃣ Can I use it on all of my kids’ sneakers?
It will depend on the material. It works on most kids’ shoes.
3️⃣ Can I use this product on patent shoes?
Yes. It actually works great on patent shoes.
Socks for Kids with Wide/Extra Wide Feet – Seamless and Breathable!
I almost forgot to tell you about the importance of socks. If your child has wide feet, certain socks are seamless and breathable that will allow your kids’ toes to freely move and prevent them from getting cramped. While I can’t get into too much detail about the best socks for kids with wide feet in this article, I wrote another post where I describe the best socks for kids with wide feet.
Let us know in the comments section below if you have found a particular shoe or shoe stretcher that has worked well for your child’s wide or extra wide feet.
Yes, it works. I have been using it for my kids’ school shoes 2-3 times.
Thanks for sharing!
I ordered the shoe stretcher you recommended and it works wonders! My son who has the widest feet ALWAYS said that the shoes were too tight! Life saver! Thank you
I am glad it worked out!
I had not heard of these devices before. Wish I had of!! My son has big feet and wide and I have spent many hours going from shop to shop to find shoes that fit. Because he wears a size 14/15 it makes it difficult to find shoes at all.I am getting one of this shoe stretcher to have for the whole family.
Shoe stretchers come handy when you have children with really wide feet. You will really get some good use out of it!
Hello Juan,
My niece has wide feet and she always has some trouble in finding a comfortable pair of shoes. We never used any kind of shoe stretchers so far thinking that it might not help.
After reading your post i realized that the shoe stretches do help kids with wider feet. Also, the “Professional Boot and Shoe Leather Stretch” seems to be a wonderful product and easy to use (just spray it). I’m getting this product for my niece! Thank you!
Hello,
You should probably read this post since it describes the best shoes for wide feet: Extra Wide Shoes for Girls – The Best Shoe Style for Girls with Extra Wide Feet! I use shoe stretchers when I fit a child in a shoe that is already wide, but still not wide enough for the child’s foot.
My family has thrown many kids shoes away due to their children having wide feet and complaining about the shoes feeling too tight. I didn’t know that kids shoes could be stretched. I still remember my niece shoes being thrown away after wearing for 1 month as she complained about them feeling too tight on her feet.
I think this article will save tons of money for our family in the future. The last part of the article answered all my questions. Thanks for the info here.
Maxx,
Remember that shoes come in wide, and extra wide widths. It might be possible that your family is not getting the right shoe width to start with. However, if you are getting an extra wide width shoe and it still feels tight, a shoe stretcher will definitely help!
My son has the widest feet, and even when I get him wide shoes he complains of them feeling too tight. I am definitely getting a pair of this! I never knew something like a shoe stretcher even existed until now. I like how you included the types on shoes it will work best on also. Gives a good idea to your readers on the expectations of using this on certain types of shoes.
Props to the person that invented a shoe stretching spray!
Nate,Let me know how it works out! What type of shoes are you getting for your child? I wrote a post about the widest shoes for kids that you might want to give it a read: Extra Wide Shoes for Kids
I had never heard of shoe stretching spray before, or a shoe stretcher either for that matter. Interesting. I know this article is about kid’s shoes, but I have always had a problem with shoes being too narrow. Now I know what to do!
I appreciated you going over some frequently asked questions at the end. That cleared up a few questions I had.
Elisa,
I started learning everything I know about shoes when I started working at a children shoe store 6 years ago. I write about kids’ shoes, and parents find the information to be extremely valuable. I wrote a post you can definitely benefit from depending on what women shoe size you wear and it’s called: Women and Kids Shoe Size Conversion Chart – Save Big Buying Kids’ Shoes!