How to change the size of shrunken felt boots. How to stretch shoes at home How to increase the size of felt boots at home

Today, when the choice of modern winter shoes amazes with its variety, felt boots also remain popular - after all, they are comfortable and cozy (and the modern design makes them very stylish), but it happens that after purchasing felt boots they feel a little tight, and therefore the question arises - how to stretch felt boots ?

You can just spread them apart, you might think, but you don’t need to do this, since you will immediately rub your foot in narrow places. And under no circumstances should you use a spray to stretch felt boots; it is only suitable for leather and suede shoes.

How to stretch felt boots at home?

It is possible to use such simple means at hand.

The most effective option for stretching felt boots is to make special blocks from wood, thanks to which you can then give the necessary parameters. The pads need to be made one size larger than the felt boots. Place the pads in wet felt boots and leave them to dry completely. In this method, 4-5 applications are enough. If your boots are too narrow, you can insert wooden blocks into the pre-moistened boots and let the boots dry completely.

Thick plastic bags need to be filled with water. After that, place them in felt boots and put them in the cold. After a few hours, bring them into a warm room and change the water. Repeat these steps several times. And then the felt boots are bound to stretch.
You can also use another method. You will need a large container that needs to be filled with hot water. Place felt boots in it for 4-5 hours. Then, wring out the felt boots a little and place foam plastic shoe lasts in them of the required size, they are sold with the shoes. In this position, it is necessary for the felt boots to dry. They will certainly increase in volume.
Another option for stretching felt boots. They need to be moistened with water, then put the soccer ball bladder in them and inflate it to the desired size. You need to leave the felt boots in this position until they dry completely. This must be repeated more than once, until the felted boots reach the desired size.
This method is also effective. Felted shoes that rub should be “steamed” - held over water vapor. To do this, you should create a kind of steam bath. And place the shoes on top. Then, after 4-5 hours have passed, the felt boots are removed. Stuff them with as much newspaper as possible so that the paper absorbs all the moisture and the felt boots are completely dry. But in order for the felt boots to stretch, you should do 4-5 similar procedures.

If the indicated methods for stretching felt boots did not help you, you need to go to a shoe workshop for help.
This is an instructive story about how the remnants of natural science knowledge acquired in a technical university, miraculously preserved in the head, can be useful in everyday life.

How to stretch felt boots

Changing the size of felt boots

So, on a frosty, sunny winter day, a young man with a completed higher technical education gathered with friends in the forest: to take a walk, sit by the fire, and breathe in the smoke. I took out my felt boots from the storage room, which had been lying there inactive for three years, and prepared them for a walk. On the way to the forest I felt as if the size of my felt boots had become smaller. When the felt boots were bought, they were spacious and comfortable, but now they are too small. I thought that my legs had gotten fat and that my felt boots were getting worn out during the walk. However, this did not happen. The young man barely dragged himself home, rubbing several very painful calluses along the way.

The caring wife said that rather than wear such harmful felt boots, it would be better to buy new ones. But it’s a pity to throw away the thing, and, besides, it’s not the felt boots’ fault that their owner left them unattended for a long time (that’s why they shrank from boredom).

Therefore, the decision was made not to throw away the felt boots, but to stretch them and mold them to fit the leg. But how? The late village great-grandfather would have solved the problem in some simple way, but here you have to think for yourself.

It turned out that it was useful to think: I remembered a picture from a cheat sheet on theoretical mechanics with an image of a sine crank-slider mechanism:

In this mechanism, rotation of the crank R causes translational movement of the slider A from the axis of rotation of the crank. The greater the angle of rotation "phi", the greater the force F developed by this mechanism. So this is exactly what you need: the felt boots can be stretched according to the principle of a sinus crank-slider mechanism!

It is necessary to place a mechanism made of planks with a crank R and a slider A inside the felt boots:

No sooner said than done. Two cranks in the form of insoles are cut out of scraps of an inch board with a hacksaw and a knife. Insoles from rubber boots are used as a template for them, since there are no complaints about their size: they are quite spacious and can be worn with warm foot wraps.

The backs of the semicircular shaped pads are sawed off. Two holes are drilled in the corners of the shortened tail, ropes are threaded into these holes, the ends of which are tied. Now blocks 1 (Fig. below) are equipped with rope handles.

Next, a round pine block of wood is split in half, and two half-cylinder stops 2 (sliders) are obtained. To influence the crank-slider mechanism, take a block (log) 3 longer than the top of the felt boot by 20-25 cm.

You can start stretching your felt boots. Felt socks are pre-soaked in hot water (over the sink) for a few seconds. Insole pads are inserted into the felt boots (which should fit there under sufficient force).

Then the backs of the shoes are lifted using the rope handles and semi-cylinder sliders are pushed along the back walls of the felt boots to the very soles. All that remains is to tap the end of the log on the insoles and hammer them down to the soles, as shown in the figure.

In this state, the felt boots are placed next to the radiator to dry. The next morning, all the pieces of wood are removed from the felt boots and the owner’s legs are inserted in their place - the legs turn out to be just like at home!

Since felt boots have become an integral attribute of winter, people are increasingly asking the question: “How to soften felt boots at home?”

Not so long ago, felt boots were worn exclusively in villages or dachas, but today the popularity of these practical shoes has grown significantly. Many fashionistas now wear felt boots both on city streets and at celebrations. Since nowadays these shoes are not always comfortable, information on how to soften new felt boots is becoming more and more relevant.

Methods for softening felt boots

Having collected everything you need, we will try all options to obtain a positive result.
Method 1

Felt boots, if they are not too hard, you can try to wear them out. For this we need wool socks. You should wear them under problematic shoes and walk like this in the snow for a week. Perhaps this will help and you will feel much more comfortable walking.

Method 2

One of the most effective is steaming. Steam the felt shoes until they become slightly damp. Then stuff the inside with paper and cover the top with a piece of natural fabric. After this, gently tap the boot with a rubber hammer.

Method 3

Saturate wooden blocks similar to the size of your feet with drying oil and carefully wrap them in polyethylene. Then put them in felt boots, and stretch the tops with slats.

Place the shoes in a bowl of hot water for 4 hours. Tap all places with a hammer. Dry the felt boots and repeat the operation 3 times, and then, without removing anything, set aside until completely dry.

Important! Never dry felt items on heating radiators; in this case, they will shrink in size and become rough.

Instructions for softening felt boots

Before you start manipulating your felt boots, pay attention to what material they are made of. The hardest felt boots are factory-made, and those felted by hand are always the softest and most comfortable. In addition, many modern felt boots are equipped by manufacturers with rubber soles, so it is almost impossible to soften them significantly and make them more comfortable.

To soften felt boots, you will need:

Wool socks
Newspaper
Hot water and steam
Rubber mallet (Rolling pin or wooden block)
Wooden blocks
Reiki
Drying oil
Polyethylene

How to make felt boots soft

Armed with the necessary props, proceed to active actions:

Method 1

Felt boots that are not made from very coarse felt can simply be carried around. Wear thick woolen socks and walk in the cold and snow in them every day. Over time they will become softer and more comfortable.

Method 2

The fastest way is to steam the felt boots. Hold felt shoes over hot steam until their surface becomes damp. Then quickly and tightly stuff the boots with newspaper, cover with a piece of fabric and gently tap the feet, instep and tops of the boots with a rubber mallet.

Method 3

Saturate the pads, planed from soft wood and matching the size of your feet, with drying oil and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Place the pads in the felt boots, and insert the slats as spacers into the boot tops. Soak the felt boots in a bowl of hot water (about 50 degrees) and leave them for 3-4 hours. Using a hammer, beat off those areas of the shoe that are not adjacent to the lasts. Dry the felt boots and repeat the above steps 4 more times, and then, without removing the spacers and pads, leave the felt boots to dry at room temperature.

Attention: In order not to wonder in the future how to make felt boots soft, never dry felt shoes on heating partings. This is how felt boots lose their shape, decrease in size and become rougher.

After a many-year break, old Russian shoes - felt boots - are coming back into fashion. Unfortunately, they have one not very pleasant feature. Over time, felt boots shrink and decrease in size. Therefore, after a year or two, their lucky owners begin to look for tips on how to stretch felt boots at home. It turns out there are many simple options.

How to stretch felt boots at home?

felt boots sit in the dryer

Thick polyethylene bags must be filled with water. Then put them in felt boots and put them in the cold. After a couple of hours, bring them into a warm room and change the water. Repeat these steps several times. And then the felt boots must stretch.
Another option can also be used. You will need a large container that needs to be filled with hot water. Place felt boots in it for 4-5 hours. Afterwards, squeeze out the felt boots a little and place foam plastic shoe lasts in them of the required size
, they are sold with the shoes. In this position, you need to let the felt boots dry. They definitely become larger in volume.
Another option for stretching felt boots. They need to be wetted with water, then the soccer ball bladder should be placed in them and inflated to the desired size. You must leave the felt boots in this position until they dry completely. This must be repeated more than once, until the felted boots reach the desired size.
This option is also productive. Felted shoes that rub must be “steamed” - held over superheated steam. To do this, you need to create a kind of steam bath. And place shoes on top. After 4-5 hours have passed, the felt boots are removed. Stuff them with as much newspaper as possible so that the paper absorbs all the moisture and the felt boots are completely dry. But in order for the felt boots
to stretch, it is necessary to perform 4-5 similar procedures.

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If the indicated methods, how to stretch

felt boots didn’t help you, you need to go to a shoe workshop for help.

Increasing the size of felt boots

Before you start stretching, you need to familiarize yourself with some important rules that may help you avoid mistakes in the future. When dealing with such fragile natural shoes, it is worth studying this topic in more detail.

You cannot wear felt boots on your feet like regular shoes. Due to their rigidity, they can cause serious harm to the feet and fingers, but it will still not be possible to spread them in this way.
Often the procedure is required for people who have no idea how to stretch felt boots at home. If you decide to do this for the first time and do not have the appropriate tools at hand, you should not “reinvent the wheel” by solving the problem with improvised means. The nearest shoe shop won’t charge you a lot of money for stretching, but the result is guaranteed to be positive.
Particular attention should be paid to drying felt boots. They often become smaller due to moisture. When drying them on the radiator, it is necessary to place bottles of water in the toe and boot, then the shoes will not lose their original shape.

Stretching the felt boots

If your felt boots have become one size smaller and it has become impossible to wear them without pain, it’s time to start stretching.

The simplest option One of the helpers can be an ordinary double balloon, which should be filled with water and placed inside felt boots. Next, they should be taken out into the cold for 30-40 minutes and then defrosted. Alternately freezing and thawing felt boots will help both expand the felt boots and stretch them.

For more professional stretching, you need to make a sliding block from soft wood. With its help, felt boots need to be stretched for several days, however, if made correctly (see pictures), the result is guaranteed to be positive.

To stretch the pads faster, you can wrap them in polyethylene and soak them in drying oil.

Since it is impossible to wear felt boots at home due to their increased rigidity, many resort to soaking, which often helps not only to stretch, but also to soften the shoes. Soaking in warm (not hot) water lasts 3-4 hours, and then each boot is tapped with a mallet, as far from the shoe as possible. Next, re-soaking occurs for 30-40 minutes, after which the procedure is repeated.

More tips on how to expand felt boots at home on our website!

Despite the large number of types of winter and demi-season shoes, felt boots do not lose their relevance. These are very warm, comfortable and practical products that will keep you warm in any frost. These shoes are made from felted sheep wool. Children's felt boots are especially popular, because in such shoes a child’s feet are always warm. At the same time, they do not sweat and remain comfortable.

During use and wear, the shoes gradually stretch on their own, but sometimes this does not happen, or the felt boots shrink completely due to improper care and use. If the products are shrunk or shrinking, you should not distribute them in the usual way. Traditional ones using special sprays and aerosols will not work either.

Classic stretching agents are only suitable for leather or suede shoes. And for felt boots, they will not bring results, but they can spoil and deform products made from natural wool, and will also bring discomfort during wear and use. Let's find out how to stretch felt boots at home without harming the material.

How to stretch felt boots

During use and wear, the shoes gradually stretch on their own, but sometimes this does not happen, or the felt boots shrink completely due to improper care and use. If the products are shrunk or shrinking, you should not distribute them in the usual way. Traditional methods of stretching shoes using special sprays and aerosols will not work either.

Five ways to stretch felt boots

Take two thick plastic bags and fill them no more than halfway with water. Place a bag in each product and put it away in the frost. If you need to stretch both the heel and toe, place a bag in each part. And to expand the boot, put the bag there too. Leave for a few hours and then bring back into a warm place. Replace the water and repeat the procedure until the shoes stretch to the desired size;
Place the pair in a container of hot water for three to four hours, then squeeze it out lightly and put special plastic shoe lasts of the desired size inside. Leave the products at room temperature until completely dry. After this, you will notice an increase in felt boots in volume;
Small felt boots are moistened evenly inside and out, then a deflated football ball or balloon is placed inside each product and inflated to the desired size. Leave the shoes at room temperature until completely dry. Repeat the procedure if necessary;
Steaming is another effective way to enlarge felt boots if they are or have become smaller than necessary. Pour boiling water into the container, and place and secure the steam on top. You can hang your shoes using clothespins. After three to four hours, remove the products and fill them inside with folded newspapers or paper, leave to dry completely at room temperature. In this case, you will also need to do three or four procedures. By the way, steaming will not only increase the size of felt boots, but will also make the products soft and comfortable;
Make or buy special wooden lasts one size larger than your shoes. Wet the pads and evenly moisten the material of the products, place them inside the pads and leave until completely dry. To make shoes larger, three to four procedures will be required.

Five options for stretching felt boots

Take two thick plastic bags and fill them no more than partially with water. Place the bag in any product and remove it to the frost. If you need to stretch both the heel and toe, place a bag in each part. And to increase the size of the boot, put the bag there too. Leave it for a couple of hours and then bring it back into the warmth. Change the water and repeat the procedure until the shoes stretch to the required size;
Place the pair in a container of hot water for three to four hours, then squeeze it out lightly and place special plastic shoe lasts of the required size inside. Leave the products at a temperature of 20 degrees until completely dry. Then you will see the boots increase in volume;
Small felt boots are moistened equally on the outside and inside, after which the deflated chamber of a soccer ball or a balloon is placed inside any product and inflated to the required size. Leave the shoes at a temperature of 20 degrees until completely dry
. If necessary, the procedure must be repeated;
Steaming is another real way to make more felt boots
if they are or have become smaller than necessary.
Pour boiling water into the container, place the steam on top and fix it. You can hang your shoes using clothespins. After three to four hours, remove the products and fill them in the middle with folded newspapers or paper, leave until completely dry
at a temperature of 20 degrees. In this case, you will also need to do three or four procedures. By the way, steaming will not only increase the size of felt boots, but will also make the products soft and comfortable;
Make or purchase special wooden lasts that are a size larger than your shoes. Wet the pads and moisten the material of the products equally, put them inside the pads and then leave them until they dry completely
. To complete a much larger shoe, three to four treatments will be required.

A master felter from the Ulyanovsk region has developed the ideal down composition for felt boots - Russia 24

How to properly clean felt boots

Felt boots should never be washed and it is not recommended to wash them in water too often, otherwise you will irreversibly damage the appearance and shape of the products. In addition, they can shrink several sizes at once, after which you will not be able to widen the shoes. After wearing the felt boots, remove snow, dirt, sand and salt using a stiff or metal brush.

The shoes are then dried in a warm and dry place. You can put the products on a warm radiator, but you cannot put shoes on a hot surface. You can dry a pair of shoes at room temperature by filling each item with dry newspaper or paper. This is the most gentle and safe drying method, which is suitable for every type of shoe. Read more about how to dry shoes properly and quickly.

After drying, brush the items again to remove any remaining dirt and sand. If stains remain on the surface, dissolve the washing powder with water in a ratio of 1 to 2. Using the prepared mixture and a brush with stiff bristles, clean the dirty areas.

The foam that has formed on the surface of the products is washed off under a light stream of cold water. Then the shoes are dried only under natural conditions at room temperature, away from sunlight, batteries and electrical appliances. By the way, large lumps of dirt can be vacuumed.

Soap foam is suitable for cleaning dark and light felt boots. On dark products, stains can also be removed with a dry crust of black bread. In addition, this treatment will return the shoes to their former attractive appearance. The remaining crumbs are removed with a brush.

To clean white or light felt boots, take flour, starch, tooth powder or semolina. Sprinkle the selected composition evenly over the material and rub in using circular movements. Remove any remaining product with a brush.

In addition, white felt boots can be wiped with a sponge soaked in carpet care product. Vanish is perfect. To prevent felt boots from becoming deformed and shrinking, you need to choose the right products and organize proper shoe care.

How to properly clean felt boots

Felt boots should not be washed under any circumstances and it is not recommended to wash them very often in water, otherwise you will irreversibly damage the appearance and shape of the products. Also, they can go down a couple of sizes at once, after which you will not be able to increase your shoes.

After wearing the felt boots, remove snow, dirt, sand and salt using a hard or metal brush. Afterwards, the shoes are dried in a warm and dry place. You can place the products on a warm radiator, but you should not place shoes on a hot surface.

You can dry a pair of shoes at a temperature of 20 degrees by filling any product with dry newspaper or paper.

This is the most gentle and safe drying method, suitable for every type of shoe. Read more about how to dry your shoes properly and quickly here. After drying, brush the items again to remove any remaining dirt and sand. If stains remain on the surface, dissolve the washing powder with water in a ratio of 1 to 2. Using the prepared mixture and a brush with stiff bristles, clean the contaminated areas. The foam that appears on the surface of the products is washed off under a light stream of cold water. Afterwards, the shoes are dried only in natural conditions at a temperature of 20 degrees, away from the sun, batteries and electrical appliances.

By the way, large lumps of dirt can be vacuumed.

Soap foam is suitable for cleaning dark and light felt boots. On dark products, stains can also be removed with a dry crust of black bread.

Moreover, this treatment will return the shoes to their former beautiful appearance.

The remaining crumbs are removed with a brush. To clean white or light felt boots, take flour, starch, tooth powder or semolina. Sprinkle the selected composition evenly over the material and rub in using circular movements.

Remove any remaining product with a brush. Moreover, white felt boots can be wiped with a sponge soaked in carpet care product. Vanish is the best choice.

To prevent felt boots from becoming deformed and shrinking, it is necessary to choose the right products and organize proper shoe care.

How to prevent deformation of felt boots

Choose models with soles and a comfortable last. Then the products will not have to be stretched. In addition, the sole will prevent boots from getting wet in damp weather or when snow melts in a warm room;
For felt boots with regular felt soles, take one size to the next. For products with rubber soles, choose a size larger;
Wear products with medium firmness. Felt boots that are too rough will pinch, and soft ones will quickly lose their shape. The most comfortable shoes are considered to be made from comb, fine-wool wool of the highest grade;
If you choose new felt boots without soles, you can hem the sole yourself. By the way, this is much more convenient to use than using classic galoshes. As a sole, you can take a thick layer of felt and sew it with threads;
Do not wear felt boots in damp and warm weather. It is not recommended to wear these shoes without soles or galoshes in temperatures warmer than minus seven degrees;
Do not wash your felt boots and wash them using water only as a last resort. After each wear, be sure to clean off wet snow, dry the products and sweep away dirt, sand or salt from the street with a brush;
You can use specialized water-repellent shoe care products for cleaning. Treat the surface with protective compounds. This will prevent the negative effects of humidity and dampness, keep the material dry and create an invisible barrier against dirt;
When performing general cleaning of felt boots with decorative elements, it is better to rip off the patch, decorations or embroidery and clean the parts separately.

How to prevent felt boots from becoming deformed

Choose models with soles and a comfortable last. Then the products will not have to be stretched. Moreover, the sole will prevent boots from getting wet in damp weather or when snow melts in a warm room;
For felt boots with ordinary felt soles, take one size to the next. For products with rubber soles, select a larger size;
Wear products with medium firmness. Excessively rough felt boots will pinch, while soft boots will quickly lose their shape. Shoes made from comb, fine-wool wool of the highest grade, are considered very comfortable;
If you picked up new felt boots without soles, you can hem the soles yourself. By the way, this is much more convenient when working than using traditional galoshes. As a sole, you can take a thick layer of felt and sew it with threads;
You should not wear felt boots in damp and warm weather. It is not recommended to wear these shoes without soles or galoshes in temperatures warmer than minus seven degrees;
Do not wash and wash felt boots using water only in extreme cases. After each wear, be sure to clean off wet snow, dry the products and sweep away dirt, sand or salt from the street with a brush;
You can use special water-repellent shoe care products for cleaning. Treat the surface with protective compounds. This prevents the negative effects of moisture and dampness, keeps the material dry and creates an invisible barrier from dirt;
When performing general cleaning of felt boots with decorative elements, it is better to rip off the patch, decorations or embroidery and clean the parts separately.

What needs to be done to ensure the results last a long time

It is not recommended to frequently wet or wash felted shoes, as they can quickly lose their shape and appearance. Also, such actions lead to the fit of a pair in a couple of sizes.

Important! To clean, use an iron or stiff brush.

After cleaning, the felt boots are placed in a dry and warm place, and after complete drying, the remaining dirt is removed with a brush once again. If stains appear on your shoes, you can remove them using washing powder and water in a 1:2 ratio. A soap-based solution is applied to a stiff-bristled brush and the contaminated areas of the boots are rubbed.

Crochet basket made of knitted yarn, master class, diagram

To eliminate changes in the shape of felt boots, you must follow certain tips:

It is better to choose felted boots with soles.
Shoes with felt soles must be sized true to size. Felt boots with rubber soles must be purchased a size larger.
Give preference to shoes with medium hardness.
If your felt boots have no sole, you can sew the sole on yourself. You can use felt of decent thickness as a sole.
Do not wear these shoes in damp or warm weather.
It is recommended to wet the felted pair extremely rarely.
When cleaning, use specialized moisture-repellent agents.
Before cleaning shoes with decorative jewelry, it is better to first remove them and then clean them separately.

Before long-term storage of felt boots, you need to thoroughly clean them, dry them completely and place moth repellent next to them.

Important! The best remedies for moths are considered to be lavender or wormwood herbs.

Place the felt boots in a bag and tie them tightly. Then hide it where it is dry and warm.