Get Rid of Shoe Creases With These 4 Easy Hacks

Shoe creases are normal yet very unpleasant. And, I won’t blame you if you’d rather abandon those favorite shoes because they are becoming unsightly. But, you really shouldn’t because there are easy ways to get rid of shoe creases.

Nonetheless, why and how do these creases form? Creases appear on any type of shoes as long as you take them out of the box. When you walk, your feet bend on the ball of your foot to aid free walking. Because your feet are the shoes, they bend along and develop these fine wrinkles.

Also, oversized shoes are more likely to crease when you walk in them. This is because of the space between your foot and the remaining length of the shoe. It makes it difficult for your foot to have a hold on the shoe from inside.

Here are some easy hacks to help you bring your favorite shoes back to life.

How to Get Rid of Shoe Creases

how to get rid of shoe creases

1. Iron the Creases Out of Your Shoes

Ironing helps to remove wrinkles from leather and suede shoes or sneakers. The heat from the iron smoothens out the fine lines. Ensure you get an iron that you can regulate so it doesn’t ruin your shoes.

  • Start with removing the laces and any other material that can get burned by the iron
  • Then, stuff the shoe with paper towels, clean rags, or a shoe tree
  • This stuffing straightens the front of the shoe and tightens it so you can easily iron out the wrinkles
  • Fill your iron with water so it can steam up as you use it. Set it between a range of low temperatures so it doesn’t burn your shoes
  • Allow your iron to get hot before you start working
  • While your iron is heating up, soak a clean towel with water and wring out the water so it’s fairly wet
  • Now, fold it into two such that it is thick enough to absorb the heat of the iron
  • Afterward, spread the towel over the creased area of your shoe
  • The towel acts as an interface between the shoe and iron to protect your shoe from the singeing effect of the direct heat from the iron
  • Your iron should be hot already
  • Gently iron the towel. Make sure the towel doesn’t squeeze or roll up
  • You should iron a few seconds at a time and lift the towel in between ironing to see how well it’s doing
  • Also, these checks ensure that the heat doesn’t ruin your shoes
  • And, if the towel gets dry while ironing, add more water but make sure it’s not dripping wet
  • Do this for the other shoe and repeat the steps until you’re satisfied
  • When you’re done, remove the damp towel and leave the stuffing in the shoes until they cool

2. Use a Heat Gun or Blow Dryer to de-Wrinkle Creases

Heat effectively helps you to get rid of shoe creases. However, with a tool like a heat gun or blow dryer, you should be extra careful. The heat from either of them can ruin your shoes.

  • Start by straightening out your shoes with a shoe tree to mold out your shoe and make blow-drying effective
  • Then, set your tool to a relatively low temperature and hold it up to 9 inches away from your shoes. Otherwise, the direct heat will ruin them
  • Switch on your tool and make back and forth motions with the tool such that the heat does not concentrate on one part but is evenly distributed
  • Do this in few passes for some seconds and alternate with pauses
  • When you pause, use your hands to massage the warm leather (or any material your shoe is made off) against the shoe tree
  • If you notice your shoe is not warm, you can slightly increase the temperature of your tool and repeat the above steps
  • During the in-between pauses, check to see the progress of your work; you should notice the de-wrinkled creases
  • Repeat the steps until you are satisfied
  • Afterward, apply the appropriate polish for the shoes. But, if they are sneakers or shoes that do not use shoe polish, rub some leather conditioner all over the area you used the tool on
  • The above step protects the color of your shoe from being ruined by the effect of the heat
  • Then, repeat the above steps for the second shoe
  • Leave them with the shoe tree in place in a well-ventilated space to cool and dry

SEE: Best Professional Hair Dryer

3. Massage Your Shoes With Rubbing Alcohol

  • Begin with stuffing your shoe to expand and straighten out the creases
  • Then, make a mixture of equal parts of water and rubbing alcohol
  • Pour the mixture into a spray bottle for easy use and coverage
  • Spray the mixture onto the shoe; focusing on the creased areas
  • Follow up with a gentle massage on the creased area with your hands
  • Massage until you see the fine lines even out
  • Repeat the steps for the other shoe
  • Afterward, leave them to dry with the shoe tree or any other stuffing still inserted
  • And, you may leave the stuffing inside the shoes until you are ready to use them

4. Rub Leather Conditioner or Oil on the Creases

Leather conditioner or oil helps to even out new creases on your shoes. This method prevents the lines from getting uglier and giving your shoes an unsightly look. You can call it the shoe creases first aid.

  • Apply a few drops of leather conditioner or oil onto the creased area
  • Then, gently massage the liquid into the shoe without putting undue pressure on the material
  • You can either use your hands or a clean soft cloth to massage your shoe
  • Massage and check to see how it’s going
  • Finally, store your shoes with stuffing like shoe trees. This helps to protect the work you’ve done and prevent the creases from forming again

In addition, before you use a conditioner or oil on your shoe, test it on a small part of the shoe to see if it affects the color or not. These liquids are originally meant to keep the color of your shoes intact.

SEE: Essential Shoes You Must Own as a Woman

How Can I Prevent My Shoes From Creasing?

shoe trees for shoe creases
A pair of white sneakers and shoe trees

As mentioned before, it is normal for shoes to crease. As you walk, your shoes bend with your feet and this is against the upper part where you see the bulk of the crease. Moreover, the materials from which your shoes are made contribute to creasing.

But, you can almost stop the inevitable and minimize its appearance. Here’s how:

Wear shoes that fit

Wearing shoes that fit aid easy walking and this is the first and important protection for your shoes. When you wear shoes your size, you’ll find that there is no unnecessary space between the length of the shoe and your toes.

Additionally, there’ll be no vacuum between the top of your foot and the shoe. This way, your foot perfectly grips the shoe and reduces creasing.

Wear your shoes with a shoehorn

New shoes are prone to getting creases around the back when you wear them. Shoe horns help you to easily slip your foot in.

Spray new shoes with water repellent

Before you step out with your new sport or leather shoes, spray some water repellent. This protects your shoes from environmental moisture and water on the ground (if any and especially during the rainy season) which can make your shoes crease.

However, you should protect your shoes from getting wet because the water repellent does not make them waterproof. Besides, you should make a routine of reapplying water repellent on your shoes after long months of wearing them.

Break in your shoes in a dry environment

The process of breaking in your shoes helps to stretch them into a perfect and comfortable fit for you. And, you should do this in a dry environment, if possible indoors.

Getting your new shoes wet can cause creasing. Moreover, you should always protect your shoes from water. Otherwise, when the shoes are drying, they do so in the form of the last wear-in.

Do not heat-dry your shoes

This is a common shoe care mistake. We tend to think that the heat from household equipment can dry all things, even our shoes. Although they get them dry, they distort the form of the shoes and allow wrinkles to set in.

Rotate your shoes

Your favorite shoes do need a break; if not you may lose them to creases. The day after wearing them, allow them to dry and relax.

Most importantly, moisture is not a friend of shoes especially those made from leather. So, if you do not give your shoes a break, the moisture from your feet will expose them to wrinkles.

SEE: Essential Shoes Every Man Must Own

Use shoe crease protectors

Shoe crease protectors are shoe inserts that remain in your shoes as you wear them. They keep the upper material of your shoe firm and in place. Therefore, the shoes are protected from bending too much as you walk in them.

Make a routine of conditioning your shoes

After long months of wearing your shoes (3-6 months), use a leather conditioner to massage the upper part of your shoe. This way, you are keeping them protected from wrinkles. Moreover, it makes your shoes look smooth and new.

Store your shoes with a shoe tree

Stuffing your shoes with materials like shoe trees helps to absorb moisture from your shoes. They also help to keep your shoes in shape. Most importantly, buy a shoe tree that perfectly fits your shoe. If it is too small for your shoe, it may ruin your shoe.

If you do not have a shoe tree, you can stuff your shoes with paper towels or newspapers. But, make sure you do not use colored paper so that the color does not stain the inner part of your shoes.

SEE: Easy Hacks to Help You Get Rid of Shoe Odor

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are creases bad for my shoes?

Yes, they are. If you don’t get rid of shoe creases, they could put your shoes in a bad shape. The compression can ruin the material of your shoes and cause further damages. In addition, it could be bad for your budget because you may always have to spend more on changing shoes.

2. How can I prevent my shoes from creasing as I walk?

You cannot totally avoid shoe creases but you can prevent them from being prominent. It is important to wear shoes that fit properly. Additionally, you should use a shoe horn to wear your shoes if putting them on is a struggle.

Furthermore, if you are wearing shoes with laces, tie the laces properly to hold both shoes and feet in place. One trick is to walk on your heels rather than on your toes.

3. Can I get rid of shoe creases without using heat?

Yes, you can. Household materials like rubbing alcohol and leather conditioner or oil effectively get rid of shoe creases. Apply a few drops of any of these liquids and massage it into the shoes to even out the wrinkles and thereafter store them with a shoe tree.

4. Do shoe trees remove creases?

Yes, they do. Shoe trees stretch out your shoes and get rid of creases. They also help to keep your shoe in shape and get rid of moisture and odor. If you want to preserve your sneakers or leather shoes, shoe trees are your best bet. Most importantly, buy a shoe tree that perfectly fits your shoe.

Conclusion

Although creases on your shoes are normal, they are style spoilers. Rather than putting away those shoes, use any of these methods to bring them back to life. Shoe care starts with knowing what is good and bad for the material of your shoes.

Generally, you should keep all shoes away from water unless when washing. And, moisture from your feet also plays a part in the formation of creases. But, when you understand these things, it becomes easier to protect your shoes.

Besides, when you care for shoes, your style remains intact and you tend to spend less on shoes as they last longer. Build a care routine pattern for your shoes to get the best out of them.

Thanks for reading.

Check Africana Fashion for more relevant fashion articles that cater to your shoe needs.