Are your soccer cleats tight on toes even after selecting the right size? That happens a lot more often than you would expect. The good news is that rather than having to return these cleats, you can stretch them until they are an ideal fit.
In the article, we highlighted the most convenient methods of stretching soccer cleats, including synthetic ones. The techniques are easy to understand, even for a first-timer. Let’s jump right into it.
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How to Stretch Soccer Cleats
As there are too many methods of stretching cleats, we divided them into two phases. The first phase contains the ones that require you to wear your shoes for stretching purposes. In the second phase, you will find non-shoe-wearing techniques.
The following methods work extremely well on leather shoes, both laced and laceless. They are also likely to be effective on synthetic shoes, considering the softness of today’s synthetic materials. Let’s start.
a. Shoe-wearing Methods
If you feel more comfortable wearing shoes to stretch them, these methods are suitable for you. Have a look at them below.
1. Heating through the hairdryer
Put on your soccer cleats along with a pair of extra-thick socks. Turn your hairdryer on and set it to the highest heat setting. Now heat different areas of each shoe for 5 minutes. Do not heat a particular spot for too long. You may damage the material.
When you finish heating the shoes, do not take them off immediately. The stretching continues for a while, following the heat. Wear them for another 10-20 minutes to stretch them further.
2. Getting the cleats and socks wet
Make the socks and cleats wet by spraying lukewarm water on them. You can also directly put water on these items. Ensure both socks and cleats are adequately damp. Now it is time to wear the shoes. Before you put them on, apply Vaseline to the areas of your feet prone to blisters.
Wear the shoes and move as much as you can. We recommend that you wear them for 30-60 minutes. Play some soccer if you like.
3. Wearing the cleats for as long as you can
If you’re looking for an easy method on how to stretch soccer cleats at home, wear them as casual shoes around the house. Do your daily activities while wearing the pair.
We suggest you put the socks on prior to wearing the cleats. Since we are talking about socks, you should wear multiple pairs of sports socks. The thicker the layer is, the quicker the shoe stretches.
Watch out for any rubbing on your feet. It may result in blisters. If you notice rubbing, wrap that spot with band-aids as soon as possible.
4. Following the hot water trick soccer cleats
To start off, wear your brand new pair of cleats and socks. Find a basin or bucket that is big enough to accommodate both of your feet at the same time. Put your feet inside the container and fill it with hot water.
Make sure the water doesn’t reach over the laces. Keep wearing the shoes in the warm water for 10 minutes.
After taking them out of the water, they will still stretch since they are moist. Therefore, you should continue wearing the cleats for another half hour.
Submerging leather shoes in water may cause them to crack afterward. To prevent it, apply a leather conditioner as soon as you remove the cleats from the water.
b. Non-shoe-wearing Methods
It can be a hassle to stretch your shoes with them on. This is where the non-shoe-wearing methods shine. Find out what they are below.
1. Bending the shoes with hands
It is one of the most effortless ways to stretch cleats without having to wear them. Pick up the cleats and stretch the front and back repeatedly. Do this for five minutes on each shoe. Continually bending the material will eventually cause it to break.
2. Adding plastic bags of water into cleats
Place two plastic bags into your cleats. Pour water into the bags all the way down to the toes. Seal them afterward. Now store both shoes overnight in the freezer.
Water tends to expand when it gets cold. To accommodate this expansion, the cleats’ material will stretch.
You may have trouble removing the plastic water bags once the shoes have stretched adequately. In that case, wait until the ice melts and then take the bags out.
3. Using a tool called a shoe stretcher
There are several types of shoe stretchers on the market, each with its own functions. You can choose one that fits your requirements. For instance, when you are concerned about how to stretch cleats wider, two-way stretchers are the ideal choice.
Put the stretcher into each cleat and make necessary adjustments. Target the tight areas primarily while using the tool. Each shoe must stay on the stretcher for at least 24 hours.
4. Filling the cleats with different items
You can stuff the shoes with various items to create pressure on the cleats. The material will break under pressure and stretch the cleats accordingly.
When you need to stretch the upper part of the footwear, insert a tennis ball as deeply as you can into the shoe. Let the ball remain overnight to achieve the desired stretch.
You can also put newspapers and magazines since they are incredibly flexible. Pack the newspapers and shove them into the cleats. Make sure to fill in tight places with more papers. Do the same as before: leave the papers overnight.
How To Stretch Soccer Cleats With Laces
If your shoes have laces, you can use the lace loosening method to stretch them with little effort. Let’s see how to do it below.
Lace Loosening Method
Laces can surely make your cleats tight. If that is the case, you do not have to follow any complicated stretching method. Simply loosen the shoelace from top to bottom. If you feel comfortable wearing the cleats, make sure to adjust the tongue too. Last but not least, tighten the laces to your liking.
The technique is only applicable to shoes with laces. Please refer to the previous methods if you want to learn how to stretch laceless soccer cleats.
How To Stretch Synthetic Soccer Cleats
Before jumping into instructions, we would like to inform you that synthetic soccer cleats do not stretch as quickly or easily as leather cleats. However, synthetic materials have plenty of variations. Some of them are quick to stretch.
If you are interested in learning how to stretch non leather soccer cleats, also known as synthetic cleats, you should try the following methods.
Method #1 – Wearing the shoes intensely
Several common stretching techniques do not work on synthetic soccer cleats. An ideal solution is to wear them as much as possible. The more you wear your shoes, the more heat and moisture they absorb, which leads to the cleats stretching.
Method #2 – Using a hairdryer on the cleats
Although many stretching methods are not effective for synthetic shoes, some people find using a hairdryer on a low setting does the trick. Be careful not to overheat the cleats. They will lose their adhesive properties if they are overheated.
Do Leather Soccer cleats Stretch?
As far as stretching goes, leather cleats certainly stretch the most. In contrast to leather, synthetic shoes do not stretch as much. Having said that, the present synthetic materials are softer and more flexible than before.
Final Words
Never force yourself to wear tight shoes. Over time, these products can cause foot cramps and even blistering, which are not worth it. Tight cleats also hinder your movement while playing soccer.
When you have a narrow pair of shoes, you should follow one of our stretching techniques. After you stretch the cleats properly, you will definitely feel the difference on your feet.
Would you mind telling us which method you think is the easiest to apply? Leave a comment below.