How to Uncrease Shoes in 3 Simple Ways
Creases are an inevitable part of well-worn shoes. All our favorite leather shoe styles will get them eventually, it just comes with the wear and tear shoes put up with on an everyday basis. Luckily, there are a few different ways that you can easily uncrease your leather sneakers, dress shoes, and more right from the comfort of your own home. Here are just a couple of methods for fixing shoe creases as well as some tips on how to prevent wrinkles in the first place.
How to Uncrease Shoes with an Iron
Heat is going to be your best friend when it comes to taking the creases out of your leather dress shoes, sneakers, and boots. An iron is a great way to deliver heat directly to the parts of the shoes that need work without potentially damaging any other spot on the shoe. To use the iron method, you’ll need newspaper, a damp towel or washcloth, and, of course, an iron.
Start by stuffing your shoe with newspaper as tightly as possible to make sure that it maintains its shape. Next, dampen your towel or washcloth and lay it over the crease. Heat your iron to between 60° and 80° Fahrenheit, and iron over the towel for about 10 seconds at a time. Be careful to never set the iron directly on your shoes, as this could burn the material. Check the crease between irons, and, once the wrinkles are gone, let your shoe cool completely. Once it’s had a chance to cool off, you can take out all of the newspaper and give them a wear! This method works great on leather and suede dress shoes, you just have to keep an eye on the material to make sure it doesn’t get damaged.
How to Uncrease Shoes without an Iron
If you don’t have an iron handy to take the creases out of your dress shoes for women, don’t worry! There are other methods you can use that work just as well.
How to Get Creases Out of Shoes with a Microwave
If you have a microwave in your home, you can steam your dress shoes or women’s walking shoes back into tip top shape. For this method, you’ll need a towel or washcloth, a heat-resistant dish that you can put in the microwave, and either a shoe tree or something to stuff your shoe with, like newspaper. First, dampen the towel and put it into the dish. Next. microwave the damp cloth on high for roughly 30 seconds, then rub the warm, steamy towel over the wrinkles to heat up the leather. Just like with the ironing method, the warmth and humidity soften the leather of your men’s dress shoes, sneakers, or boots, and stretches out the crease. Once the wrinkles disappear, insert a shoe tree or stuff the shoe with newspaper to make sure it keeps it shape while it cools.
If you’re working with men’s suede boots or suede shoes of any kind, be very careful with how wet your washcloth is when you place it on the shoe. Too much moisture can leave a lasting mark on the suede. For standard leather or faux leather styles, like Vintage Havana sneakers, Stacy Adams dress shoes, and Fly London shoes, it’s still a good idea to avoid getting the material too wet, but it’s not as touchy as your New Balance suede shoes.
How to Get Creases Out of Shoes with a Hair Dryer
If you’re worried about the moisture, you might be a fan of our other non-iron method, the blow-dryer method. All you need for this is a shoe tree and a blow dryer you might already have around your house. Start by sliding the shoe trees into your shoes; these will keep the insides of your shoes from getting too warm. Next, turn your blow dryer to a low setting, hold it roughly 8 to 10 inches away from your shoe, and pass the dryer over the shoe a few times. With your finger, rub the warm leather up against the shoe tree until the crease disappears. You might need to repeat this process a couple of times to get rid of it completely. Leave the shoe tree in until the sneakers have cooled completely, and you’re ready to go!
How to Prevent Your Shoes from Creasing
If your favorite shoes haven’t developed creases yet, there are a few things you can do to stay that way. One of these is to make sure that you have the right fit for your feet. If you wear shoes with a big gap between the top of your foot and the upper material, there will be plenty of space for the material to bend in to when you walk, creating a crease.
Another thing you can try is a pair of crease protectors. These slide into the toe of your men’s sneakers, brown leather boots, or other leather shoes and prevent the upper material from bending and creasing while you walk. If you’d rather not have anything else in your shoes while you wear them, even though most crease guards are designed so that you don’t feel them at all, you can also try putting in shoe trees after every wear so creases don’t get a chance to settle in.
Do you have any other tips on how to uncrease your shoes? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to tag us in your photos on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!