Whether it's a pair of heels, sneakers, leather boots, suede shoes, or sandals, there's a simple way to enjoy and clean them better without having to buy a new pair.
Here are 20 of the most genius shoe hacks that will save a time and money.
1. Add Grip
To add more grip to the bottom of your new shoes, sandpaper the soles. Use medium grit sandpaper for best results.
You'll want to gently sand the bottom to remove the little bit of new shoe finish.
2. Prevent Blisters
Have you noticed that all your cute shoes cause you the most pain? Next time you see a cute pair, just buy it!
If the pair ends up giving you blisters, apply gel deodorant all over the inside of the shoe to create a smooth barrier. Let it dry before you put your feet in.
The gel will prevent dry friction, which causes blisters.
3. Stretch Them Out
We all love buying new shoes, but breaking into them can sometimes be agonizing. To prevent this, wear thick winter socks, put your feet in the shoes, and blow dry on high heat for a minute or so.
Once you feel the shoe start to stretch a bit, take your socks off and put your feet in. You should be good to go! If you still find them tight, repeat the process.
4. Remove Odor
I'd take every other shoe problem any day if it means I don't have to deal with smelly shoes. After you learn these odor-removing hacks, you'll never have to feel embarrassed when you take off your sneakers.
The best way to naturally remove that stink is to sprinkle baking soda in your shoe. Add a sliced lemon for even better results. Leave that overnight, and just shake the lemon and the baking soda out in the morning.
If you're looking for fast results, add some hydrogen peroxide to a cloth and wipe the inside of your shoe. This will eliminate the odor in no time!
5. Fixing Suede Shoes
I've always shied away from buying suede shoes because they can get dirty, discolored and scratched so easily.
To clean dirt and salt off, wipe the shoe with a clean towel soaked in warm water and vinegar.
To fix discoloration, a pencil eraser will do the trick. Just erase those blemishes right off!
And for those stubborn scratches, gently remove the scuff using a nail file by buffing the affected areas.
6. Waterproof
You never know when you're going to step into a puddle or get rained down on, so the best thing you can do is to be prepared.
Waterproof your shoes by rubbing beeswax or a candle on the toe and around the edges of your shoes.
Once that's finished, melt the wax with a hair dryer to create that waterproof barrier.
7. Fix Patent Leather
Patent leather only looks good when it's nice and glossy.
To shine them, rub a pea-sized amount of Vaseline, then wipe off. The petroleum jelly will bring them back to life.
Another way to polish your shoes and restore the shine is to spray them with Windex.
8. Fix Leather Scratches
Leather is easier to maintain than you think!
Apply a small amount of moisturizer (preferably something cheap, since you're putting it on your shoes), and buff those affected areas.
9. Freshen Shoes
If your feet always stink, no matter what you do, cleaning them constantly can be time consuming.
Find two tea bags and put them in your shoes every time you take them off. The tea leaves will absorb the bad smells.
Keep these tea bags in a jar close to your shoe area so it's at close reach. When their scent is gone, just replace with two new tea bags.
10. Quiet Squeaking
Squeaking shoes are one of my biggest pet peeves. This happens when parts of your shoe start to rub against each other.
To prevent this from happening and giving people like me some piece of mind, lift the inner sole of the shoe and sprinkle baby powder.
11. Clean White Shoes
White shoes are very stylish, and it says a lot about a person if they're able to maintain them. Even if only a part of your shoe is white, like the welt, you will benefit from learning this hack.
Apply some toothpaste on a toothbrush and scrub the dirty areas. Then wipe off with a cloth, or use water if you need some more cleaning action.
Another way to bring back that popping white color of your shoes, especially the welt, is to paint it with white nail polish. The welt will stay white much longer.
12. Prevent Feet From Slipping
As the bottom of your feet starts to sweat a bit, it will slip out, especially if you're wearing heels.
Apply some hairspray on your feet and then wear your shoes. You'll be set for hours!
13. Clean Fleece-Lined Shoes
Vacuum or clean any dirt or hair in your shoe before washing them. Then add two or three drops of dish soap on a washcloth, and apply some water on the cloth until it's damp.
Start scrubbing the inside of your fleece-lined shoes until it goes back to it's regular color. When you're finished, rinse the washcloth and wipe the inner layer down to get the soap out. Let it dry in the sun for a few hours.
14. Widen Tall Boots
To widen the shafts of your tall boots, spray rubbing alcohol on them. Then add rolls of newspaper to loosen the tops.
If you're just looking to keep your tall boots straight to avoid them from bending or cracking, cut up pool noodles and place them inside. This way your boots will last longer.
15. Sneaker Repair
The reason why I've had to buy tennis shoes more often than I'd like to is because of how fast the back of the heel gets damaged. Luckily, there's a simple fix.
Cut a small piece of a denim patch to cover the hole or damage in the heel and iron it to hold. I usually use a hair strengthener, but if you don't have one you can use the tip of your iron.
The heat will allow the adhesive on the back of the patch to melt and stick better. Allow it to cool before you wear your shoes.
16. Add Balance
Closed-toe heels are quite difficult to walk around with, especially if you don't wear them often.
To prevent yourself from falling, tape your 3rd and 4th toes together before you wear your heels. Make sure it's not too tight though!
17. Absorb Water
Whether it's wet boots or shoes, it takes hours, and sometimes days, to get them completely dry.
To speed up the process, stuff a bunch of newspapers in them to absorb the moisture quickly.
18. Absorb Sweat
No one likes wearing socks with their flat shoes. Even flats socks stick out from the sides, which cramp your style.
To prevent your shoes from sweating and your feet from feeling sticky, put panty liners in them. The soft liners will also add a nice cushion!
19. Warm Your Shoes
Cold shoes are not the end of the world, but warm feet help to keep the rest of your body warm too.
Insert wool fabrics into your shoes for an extra layer of comfort. Your feet will warm up faster, and you can easily remove them when they're not needed anymore.
20. Get Creative!
We've already learned ways to clean dirty white shoes, but here's a hack for those looking to get a little more creative.
Combine baking soda, vinegar, and water into a paste. Apply this mixture with a toothbrush to your dirty white shoes and let them dry.
Once they're clean, brush off the paste. Now you can paint them however you like. Get creative!
