Speaker A
Uh, many people complain about why shoes rub their heels and why the heel counter is so stiff. And because of that, it feels like the stiff heel is pressing down. And how do we beat that? Uh, how can we fix it? Today, I'll tell
Learn how to soften stiff shoe heels at home to prevent blisters using simple household items like nail polish remover and a hair dryer.
Key Takeaways
- Stiff heel counters are a sign of quality and can be softened safely at home.
- Proper use of diluted acetone on a wet wipe prevents leather damage.
- Massaging and heating the heel counter helps remove discomfort and blisters.
- Patent leather requires careful handling but responds to the same techniques.
- Home repair adhesives like AG glue are recommended for shoe fixes.
What the video covers
- Stiff heel counters in shoes indicate quality and are not inherently bad.
- Soft heel counters are not preferable because stiff ones can be softened at home.
- Use a wet wipe with nail polish remover (acetone-based) diluted by moisture to avoid damaging leather.
- Massage and gently break in the heel counter to soften it without damaging the shoe.
- Use a hair dryer to heat and reshape any dents caused during the softening process.
- Patent leather is more challenging to treat but the method still applies.
- Avoid using dry cloths or strong undiluted acetone to protect leather finishes.
- Tapping with a small hammer covered by fabric can help soften very hard spots.
- After treatment, let shoes cool for 15-20 minutes to restore shape and firmness.
- Recommended to use AG glue for home shoe repairs, available on Wildberries.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction to Heel Rubbing and Stiff Heel Counters
- 00:38Why Stiff Heel Counters Are Good Quality
- 01:50Understanding Heel Stiffness in Simple Terms
- 02:27Using Nail Polish Remover and Wet Wipes Safely
- 02:55Tools Needed: Hair Dryer and Wet Wipes
- 03:32Working with Patent Leather Shoes
- 04:02Step-by-Step Treatment and Massaging Technique
- 04:53Fixing Dents with Hair Dryer and Final Adjustments
- 07:40Final Tips and Recommended Shoe Repair Glue
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
you what to do and how. My dears. Uh, let's start with the fact that when people choose shoes, they look for a soft heel counter so that they are comfortable to wear. But that’s not the point. I will explain the essence
Speaker A
to you now and how to fix it, so you understand exactly what I’m talking about. First of all, when the heel part of a shoe is stiff, it’s not a bad thing. On the contrary, for you to know,
Speaker A
it's actually good. Why? Because the shoe is made and assembled with quality. It has a frame. Like the front part and the back part. I’ll explain it in plain language so it’s understandable, not using technical terms like
Speaker A
"counter," and so on. No. In plain human language, so that you, my good friend, can understand. When there is good stiffness, don’t think, my friend, that it’s bad. On the contrary, it means the shoe is of high quality when
Speaker A
the front and back parts are firm. When you’ve bought shoes and the heel is stiff and giving you blisters, you don't need much to fix it. My dears, I will tell you now what you need to do at home to soften that stiff back part
Speaker A
so you don't get blisters, my dears. But when buying shoes, keep in mind, look at this interesting point beforehand. Don't look for it to be soft; on the contrary, it’s better if it’s stiff, because you can always fix it, my friend. So, we take a wet
Speaker A
wipe. We definitely take regular nail polish remover. This is very important. Why do we need a wet wipe? I always recommend a wet wipe. Why? Because any nail polish remover, you know, has an acetone base, and the wet wipe is damp;
Speaker A
it dilutes the alcohol content and prevents you from ruining leather footwear. Never use a dry cloth or a regular napkin. No, use a wet wipe. Why? You never know the concentration or the strength of the liquid, and you
Speaker A
don’t want to ruin your leather shoes. That’s why I recommend using a wet wipe specifically. Let's move on.
Speaker A
It’s advisable to have a regular hair dryer on hand. Well, in my workshop, obviously, I have a heat gun, but that's not the point. You will need a hair dryer and an ordinary wet wipe that we have on hand. Naturally, we
Speaker A
already have some nail polish remover and a hair dryer. And let's get down to business. Most importantly, I picked out men's shoes and women's flats. Also heels, stilettos, it makes no difference. But what is the point? I specifically chose them to have a
Speaker A
patent leather finish. Do you see? Why? Because a patent finish is more difficult to work with than regular leather. By the way, someone will write: "Can you do this with suede too?" You can do it with suede, too. What I will
Speaker A
be doing, only on the inside. Yes, just like that. But keep in mind the leather system here is different. I picked the difficult ones. So, I take it, and I open all this up. Oh. So, we take a wet
Speaker A
wipe, the product, and start from the inside. Like this. Don't press too hard, you don't need to press hard.
Speaker A
Carefully, start treating it from the inside like this. And then, do the same thing here, no need to press hard. And then what do we do immediately? Once we have treated it like this, take a second wet wipe right away, instantly.
Speaker A
Don't let the alcohol base eat too deeply into the leather and damage the patent finish. And we did it like this.
Speaker A
Understood? And what do you need to do for this? You need to massage it exactly like this. Like this. Watch, watch. I'm breaking all this down as far as we need so that the heel counter drops. Don't be afraid to break it in.
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We will fix all this later. Understood? Like this. And we start massaging. If it's hard here, you can very carefully tap it with a small hammer on a chair.
Speaker A
But when you tap it, place some fabric or something under it so you don't scratch the leather item. Understood?
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This is very important. You start massaging it like this and breaking it in like this. As you go, it becomes softer. This is very important.
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Remember that, my friends. And you did everything thoroughly while using an ordinary wet wipe so the alcohol base wouldn't eat through the leather item.
Speaker A
And I'm doing the same with the men's shoes so you understand everything. And I'll show you how it looks in the broken-in state. Now watch closely. I did all of this. And do you see what condition the heel is in? It's in
Speaker A
terrible shape. They have softened up for me, but everything is in terrible shape. Don't be afraid. Here is the most important moment. We have lowered it as much as we needed to. See? It won't go any further. Why? Because we
Speaker A
don't need it to. We need the heel counter to remain exactly as it was.
Speaker A
This structure is important. That's it. This is enough for me. There, it won't rub anymore. It's crumpled. Everything, we'll fix it all right now. See, for example, the same thing. I broke it.
Speaker A
I'll lift it up. And to fix all this, I'll show you. After you've broken it all and you have dented spots here, take a regular hair dryer and start heating it. Heat it, don't be afraid, it won't recover on its own. After
Speaker A
heating with a regular home hair dryer, it will naturally take a little longer, but once you carefully fix it like this while it's warm, it rises back up. And that's it for me. These dents of mine have been fixed. We also take it, heat
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it, and all these dents, what we broke — our shoes were already broken — to return everything back. See? That's it.
Speaker A
And you leave it for about 15-20 minutes, so that once the shoes have cooled down completely, you see, it feels like we never even touched it. In reality, it's fixed, but our heel counters are very soft. Regarding this
Speaker A
upper part, you get blisters and dented spots right on your heels, my dears. In this way, of course, you can fix soft heels at home to make them firm. See how soft it is. And after that, wear them with pleasure, just keep wearing
Speaker A
them, my darlings. So, if you need repairs at home and want to glue your shoes, buy adhesive specifically from AG. I highly recommend AG glue because this adhesive is specifically for home repairs; you can find it on Wildberries.
Speaker A
Just look for "repair," "shoe glue AG," that's it, it'll come up, and you buy it. You're happy, I'm happy, as they say, and your heels are ready, my dears. Live happily. Your friend, Doctor Shoe. May your heels never hurt. M.
Topics:shoe heel rubbingsoften stiff heelsprevent shoe blistersheel counterleather shoe carepatent leather treatmentshoe repair at homenail polish remover for shoesshoe breaking in tipsAG shoe glue
