Lasting all day in So Kates?

[KatPerry]

I agree. Breaking them in is essential. Wear them around the house, especially if you’re new to that height of heel.

If you can, give your feet a quick break at work. Kick them off under your desk, give your toes a wiggle.

Don’t forget to stretch your calves also.

 

[CHJay]

So I am a very, very seasoned So Kate fan and avid wearer and have them (or a variation of them) in the 120 height in probably 15-20 pairs at least. I also have them in multiple patent colors as well as kid and suede too. I don’t wear them at work as they are far too visually distracting to everyone (gals and guys) seeing me wear them but I have to say, out at night, mostly in mini skirts and dresses, you are the center of attention with your accentuated leg line, especially if you are even modestly in good shape. I would even say, the patent and glittered pairs are magnets for attention. If you want to strut your stuff, there are no shoes like the So Kate heel models.

I regularly wear my Kates for 2 to upwards of 3-4 hours albeit, I have gotten used to the 120mm height over a number of years of wearing dozens of pairs of such CLs, primarily going out at night.

I agree, never wear a new pair out without breaking them in, your feet will hurt terribly. One very major help I have used for well over 10 years now (it first appeared 2013), is to apply regular body lotion to my lower foot -each side, the bottom and the tops of my toes) so that all parts of the ball and toe area of my foot are moist when they are in contact with the shoe. THE LOTION DOES NOT HURT THE SHOES NOR STAIN THEM, in fact I think the lotion helps keep the leather supple. Years later, with just a moist sponge or face towel, I wipe them and they look practically new except for regular wear. The lotion will get absorbed by the shoe and your foot but believe me, the shoes slip on easily and greatly help reduce the friction on your toes (sides and tops!). I do this every time I put a pair of CLs on even after they’re broken in. You can thank me later for saving your feet.

I would say wearing them for about an hour at least 3-4 times at home for practice (for first time 5” wearers) and stretching will get you at least a minimum stretch using the lotion technique. First time stiletto wearers will need to get used to straightening out your back (given that your hips are now pivoted a bit more forward wearing heels).

On the reverse, for kid shoes that are over stretched (I have NOT tried this method for suede, and patent shoes tend not to over stretch as much), the following is a temporary shrink method that works for wearing your kid leather shoes for maybe an hour or so temporarily again. It takes some nerve to do this and you have to be willing to think that you won’t worry about the shoes by doing this to even get to wear them again a couple of more times. I’ve done this with an overstretched kid pair a couple times and it worked for a short night wearing them again.

Believe it or not, wear them into the shower, first getting the outsides soaked, but then also getting the insides wet (just a good quick rinse into the toe box and put them on to make sure the inside leather gets wet. You don’t need to wet the heel cup at all. Do not soak or let the shoes stand with water in them. Just get them wet, put them on, stand for a couple of minutes (like just a couple, not more) and then get out of the shower. You want to wear them in the shower as your weight will stretch the leather allowing the water to get absorbed into the leather. Just wetting them in the sink without wearing them does not have the same effect.

Then put the shoes somewhere that they can dry out but not in direct sun or heat where they would dry unevenly. Expect that the shoes will deform a bit as they dry but this is to be expected - when wet leather dries it crumples a bit as it contracts. Let them dry out in a low humidity place in the shade. In a couple of days, the leather will shrink again. Let them dry out totally.

Do not put them on until you are literally about to walk in them (don’t wear them walking to your car, carry them and put them on when you’re getting out at where you’re going to and use the lotion method putting them on). For about an hour or two, you will get to use them again but by the end of an hour or so, they will stretch back out to where they were before you wet them. I only recommend this for people who are literally never going to use their shoes again to get a chance to use them a couple of more times.

Hope these tricks and tips help all of you new and even experienced So Kate enthusiasts!

Actually, there's been a bit of a change in my case. As you may note above, the 38.5 seemed to fit me best, although even those ended up being a bit too big for me. Which is why you posted the advice you did, of course.

However I finally made the 38s work! I just decided to give them another chance, and wore them at home for a month, walked vigorously in them, walked up and down stairs, ran in place in them, jumped up and down, etc. etc. And now, while they still hurt when I'm wearing them, the pain is down to a dull roar and they STILL do not fall off my feet. So I guess I just needed to follow my own advice more relentlessly than I did previously.

Of course, this also means that, from now on, when purchasing a pair of Louboutins, I will need to buy them VERY tight, and just accept that I won't be able to wear them for about six months while I break them in, oy. And also I will need to accept the fact that my toes will become somewhat reshaped from wearing them on a regular basis (they've become noticeably pointier since I started wearing the 38s regularly).

 

[CHJay]

I agree. Breaking them in is essential. Wear them around the house, especially if you’re new to that height of heel.

If you can, give your feet a quick break at work. Kick them off under your desk, give your toes a wiggle.

Don’t forget to stretch your calves also.

I'm not sure about taking them off. Obviously, at times, the pain will become distracting, and you'll want to give your feet a break. And I have certainly had my share of such moments when I wanted to take them off. I sometimes will slide my toes out of that narrow toe box because that feels so good! But only for a second or so; if I leave them off too long, they feel even tighter when I push them back on. So you can't overdo that or you'll end up worse than you were before.

 

[luiza]

You have right, if you wear shoes too tight or too small as I often do for better look or other reasons (superb model but no my size, wrong shape but beautiful, etc.), do not take your feet out for rest, I did it a couple of times and I made a mistake, it was worse. If I’m in such situation I accept the pain trying nobody to see this.
This depends of how much you can tolerate the pain. Happily I have a good tolerance for such pain for looking good (yet)😉

 

[KatPerry]

Wearing shoes that don’t fit will only cause complications later on. Better to get them proper size.

 

[CHJay]

Wearing shoes that don’t fit will only cause complications later on. Better to get them proper size.

Easier said than done. The fact is there are some styles that will never fit comfortably, no matter what size you get. Louboutins are a good example of that. The compromise is to break them in to a point where you can put up with the discomfort. These are not shoes designed by a podiatrist, with room in the toe, support under the ball of the foot, etc. These are shoes designed for a certain aesthetic: narrow toes, high arch, etc. They do not conform to the foot; the foot has to conform to the style. These are basically body modification shoes. It's a little like body piercing or tight-lacing; uncomfortable and even somewhat painful at times, but there's a relatively safe way to do it and an unsafe way to do it. If you accept that there will be some discomfort and some pain, you can negotiate with the shoes and arrive at a compromise between looks and comfort.

 

[CHJay]

You have right, if you wear shoes too tight or too small as I often do for better look or other reasons (superb model but no my size, wrong shape but beautiful, etc.), do not take your feet out for rest, I did it a couple of times and I made a mistake, it was worse. If I’m in such situation I accept the pain trying nobody to see this.
This depends of how much you can tolerate the pain. Happily I have a good tolerance for such pain for looking good (yet)😉

In my case, I usually err on the side of too tight, because breaking them in will eventually make them bearable, even if they still hurt a bit. On the other hand, if I err on the side of larger, the shoes, once broken in, won't stay on my feet when I walk, which renders them permanently useless and a total loss. The fact is that tighter shoes will last longer for you than larger shoes.

May I ask under what circumstances in the past have you worn shoes too tight or too small? I confess that sometimes, if the pain is not too bad, it can add to the buzz, and the feeling of being dressed up and looking go-o-o-o-o-o-o-d!

 

[luiza]

When I was pretty young, I was obsessed to wear high heels, almost everywhere I wore them, but in many cases models I liked there were not in my side, too big or too small. Too big was definitely out, so it remains the way of too small….but how too small?
Don’t imagine that all my shoes are in a wrong size, many are comfortable, but there are some which I like so much that I wear them despite the pain but looking good.
Yes, after passing time and wear constantly such nice pretty heels, you have to pay the toll (corns, blisters..)

 

[CHJay]

When I was pretty young, I was obsessed to wear high heels, almost everywhere I wore them, but in many cases models I liked there were not in my side, too big or too small. Too big was definitely out, so it remains the way of too small….but how too small?
Don’t imagine that all my shoes are in a wrong size, many are comfortable, but there are some which I like so much that I wear them despite the pain but looking good.
Yes, after passing time and wear constantly such nice pretty heels, you have to pay the toll (corns, blisters..)

I have some rough spots on my big and little toes, but I always take prompt action if I feel a corn coming on. And my toes are now so well-trained, in terms of their shape, that they rarely offer the kind of resistance I used to have in my 20s or 30s. Don't forget too that if you're careful to not give your feel a break for too long, your toes retain that pointed shape, very important.

 

[KatPerry]

Easier said than done. The fact is there are some styles that will never fit comfortably, no matter what size you get. Louboutins are a good example of that. The compromise is to break them in to a point where you can put up with the discomfort. These are not shoes designed by a podiatrist, with room in the toe, support under the ball of the foot, etc. These are shoes designed for a certain aesthetic: narrow toes, high arch, etc. They do not conform to the foot; the foot has to conform to the style. These are basically body modification shoes. It's a little like body piercing or tight-lacing; uncomfortable and even somewhat painful at times, but there's a relatively safe way to do it and an unsafe way to do it. If you accept that there will be some discomfort and some pain, you can negotiate with the shoes and arrive at a compromise between looks and comfort.

Some models you just have to pass on, if they don’t fit.

Shoe stretchers can help, especially the ones that allow you to stretch a certain stubborn part.