Five shoe hacks for five common problems

Whoever said we’d have to compromise on comfort for fashion, clearly, they didn’t hear of these hacks. Here’s how you can tackle five of the most common problems:

Broad feet
Stretching your shoes is just as essential as stretching before a workout. If you have broad feet, you’re definitely vigorously nodding right now. It’s very common to settle for narrower shoes just because it looks pretty (and well, we wide-footed people have accepted our plight). But the good news is, you don’t have to wait forever until the shoe eventually opens up. Simply pack your shoes with Ziploc bags of frozen water and leave them in the freezer. It might sound a little gross, but it surely works wonders on the shoes. Or you could just buy a shoe stretcher – those are real (and we should have mentioned that first).

Slippery soles
Surprisingly, the need for traction isn’t just for your car wheels. The soles of your brand new heels might need it too! If you are invited to a place with squeaky clean, slippery floors, your fear of falling is absolutely justified. Rub the soles of your shoes with some sandpaper and you’ll get the needed grip. If you want to be extra sure, you can also apply hot silicone strips or drops to the soles of your shoes. You’d be surprised how much confidence having firm feet can give you. No more leaning on others for support.

Blister battles
It’s a common practice to put a band-aid strip at the back of your heels to avoid blisters, and it’s a great hack. However, most of us get it wrong. Instead of sticking it on horizontally, go vertical. It’ll prevent it from scraping against the sides of your shoes and peeling off. Now you know! If you don’t have access to a band-aid, resort to lip balm. Rubbing a little on the spot where you know the shoe is going to bite will make it less painful. Yet another hack is to rub gel deodorant to your heels and the guilty spot on the shoes.

Sweaty feet
This is probably the most underrated hack because it is so obvious. For those with sweaty feet (and its resultant odor issues), baking powder will be your best friend. Simply sprinkle some in your shoe before you wear it.

Silence squeaks
You don’t know how it happens (maybe even why) but there’s that horrendous squeak from your shoes every time you take a step. And it’s nothing like the heels clicking! All you have to do to get rid of the squeak is sprinkle some baby powder beneath the inner soles of your shoes. Problem solved!

Antara Bose is a model turned fashion and beauty consultant. A popular blogger, anchor, and voice over artist, she maintains a deep connection with the local fashion industry and is passionate about discovering and celebrating aspiring talent as well as promoting animal rights. For fashion updates with a side of humour and sarcasm follow Antara on instagram: @antarabose and on Facebook: Antara Bose.