Gransnet forums

Style & beauty

New Shoes

(38 Posts)
Calendargirl Sat 26-Jun-21 07:37:08

Just purchased a pair of deck shoes from Hotter. They were in the sale, I was surprised that my popular size was still available.

They are lovely, very pretty, but oh dear, the inside seam on the right shoe just catches my toe slightly.

I really don’t want to return them, there are no more wider sizes available, and I really like them.

I have ugly feet, another pair of sandals I own ‘catch’ in the same place, as my toes are bent.

Do you think corn pads would help? I haven’t got a corn, but one will probably develop if I wear them. Is there anything I could stick over the inside seam to make it comfier?

I have to decide whether or not to return them before too long.

Gabrielle56 Tue 29-Jun-21 14:42:56

Hotter pride themselves on comfort and quality so if shoes rub/catch/nip etc I'd simply return them and tell them the problem. they'll never know if we don't tell them and life's far too precious to put up within comfy feet! Sometimes you just have to search a bit more or change style to be comfortable , I used to get my 14 year old son to wear my court shoes to size them! But always used the sports-socks-around-the-house method, since the 70s !!!

PinkCosmos Tue 29-Jun-21 15:00:23

I have recently bought a pair of Hotter canvas pumps in the sale. They felt fine in the shop but when I got them home they felt tight. Maybe my feet were hot.

Anyway, a friend said wet the shoes whilst you are wearing them and let them dry on your feet. This is supposed to soften them and help them mould to your feet. I haven't tried it yet.

Not sure whether it would be suitable for anything other than canvas shoes though.

Also, I have always struggled with shoes rubbing my heels. When I was young my dad used to rub my shoes with a knife handle to smooth/flatten them. It seemed to work.

annodomini Tue 29-Jun-21 16:24:41

When a seam on one of a pair of shoes rubbed my delicate foot, I flattened it and softened it with the coarse side of an emery board. I couldn't find any sandpaper in my tool box, so the emery board had to suffice. It worked.

Callistemon Tue 29-Jun-21 16:49:16

I believe Victoria Beckham is said to “break “ her shoes in by wearing them around the house with socks to stretch them.

Victoria must have picked up that tip from me! I used to do that years ago but alas, have to wear wide clumpy shoes now.

Calendargirl Tue 29-Jun-21 18:22:00

Thank you everyone for your comments and observations.

I still have about 2.5 weeks left before I have to return the shoes.

I can’t wear them round the house as I won’t be able to send them back if I get the soles grubby.

I am going to buy some toe protectors and see how the shoes feel whilst wearing them. The emery board tip re the raised seam also sounds worth a try.

Those of you who said return the shoes if they don’t fit properly are probably right!

I am going to try the alternatives first though.

Will let you know the eventual outcome.

?????

lemongrove Tue 29-Jun-21 20:27:07

Liz46

I used to buy Hotter shoes but no longer find them comfortable. There's nothing wrong with my feet (unlike the rest of me!) so I'm pretty sure that Hotter have changed.

I think so too.
The sandals I bought two years ago, expensive and not in a sale, rub one toe mercilessly when worn for more than ten minutes! Their after care for customers is rubbish, I gave them to a charity shop in the end.
You could try a corn plaster, but if your feet get hot it may just come off.I would return them....if you can!

Elegran Tue 29-Jun-21 20:53:03

You may be better to get padding, not on the exact place that is catching, but around it, so that it doesn't have yet another layer to press on it. Perhaps a piece of sticking plaster on the toe with a hole cut in it?

annodomini Tue 29-Jun-21 21:49:09

Either Hotter's sizing has changed or my feet have shrunk. I used to take size 5, wide fitting; then I found I could wear their standard fitting. Now I can wear their 4.5 size but choose to order wide fitting to accommodate my growing bunion. I have always found it easy to return shoes or boots, for exchange or refund, though they have changed from using Hermes to the Post Office, Hermes here is so convenient, as it's in a dry cleaning shop.

JillEH Tue 06-Jul-21 20:54:25

Bite the bullet, and stop trying with shoes that you know don't work. I've had some made for me, about £120 a pop, money well spent. I'm thinking about trying Cosifeet in the future. Flat shoes rock, and so does being able to walk properly. I've had shoes made in pink, blue etc as well as plain old brown. My shoemaker was Chuckle in Exeter, they might know of others near you. Good luck.

fairfraise Fri 09-Jul-21 20:19:27

Reading this with interest as I am picking up a pair of Hotters tomorrow. They are in the size I always have, but my current pair has lasted 10 years so I do hope they will fit OK. Hotters are the most comfortable as I take a size
9 wide fit!

Allsorts Tue 13-Jul-21 06:56:57

I wouldn’t keep any shoes that were uncomfortable, the damage to your feet isn’t worth it.

fairfraise Tue 13-Jul-21 15:30:14

I picked up my Hotters yesterday (two pairs for the price of one) and they slipped on comfortably straight away. So no apparent change in size there. I also bought the same pair in red, which was marked at £15. I have never in my life before bought three pairs of shoes at the same time. The red pair looks lovely but is a regular width, so will see how it goes. They should see me through another ten years.