Stretching leather boots

[forestertwo]

I've bought a fab pair of boots on ebay which are slightly too small - pointed toe.  I was going to stuff the toes with newspaper in the hope of stretching them but someone told me it should be wet newspaper.  Is that correct?  Thanks.

[Hermia]

You can buy leather stretcher spray from shoe shops/shoe repair places. It's really good stuff.

[mycatis]

If you do the newspaper one, then yes it should be wet when you put it in, leave it till it dries, over night at least

[dominoe]

I recently read an interesting tip:  line boots with polythene bag and fill with water,  then put in freezer overnight.  Haven`t tried it myself but it could work.

[fo3nix]

another idea: polish them a lot. The more you polish leather, the softer it gets.

[forestertwo]

Thanks for your replies.  I opted for the spray and was just about to start spraying when I looked at the soles.  No wonder one felt tight - one was size 6, the other was 6.5!  The perils of eBay.  I've been promised a refund from the seller :-)  Thought you might be interested in that!!

[aed]

to stretch leather shoes, stuff with potatoe peelings over night, remove in the morning wear shoe- boot, honestly it works... aed

[caz23]

got a pair of leather ankle boots and 1 is like a vice !! any tips on hoe to widen it ?

[CuteMonique]

You can make your own leather stretching liquid as follows:

- one part alcohol (de-natured / Isopropyl)
- two parts water

Thats it. Really truly.
Works a treat and very cheap. Allot of stuff in bottles on shelves we pay a premium for is very cheap to make oneself.

Go forth and stretch.