Stretching the Toe-Box of Christian Louboutins (i.e So Kate)

[Missa17]

Am I losing my mind or does my foot seem to deform the shape of the toe box? These are kates (not so kate).

 

[sharon100]

Am I losing my mind or does my foot seem to deform the shape of the toe box? These are kates (not so kate).

No your toes are not causing the shoes to deform this is very normal , please feel assured your shoes look perfect on you ,
This is my foot in none CL sorry guys but trying to show its normal for toes to shape shoes .

 

[iamluthien]

Of course, it is a big strain on your toes to walk in high heels all day and for many years.
It is therefore imperative to take care of your feet every day. I massage my toes every day and also do exercises with my toes for at least an hour every day, in the evening in front of the television but also during the day in the office. For me, intensive stretching and muscle training are part of a daily ritual such as makeup or brushing your teeth.
This is the only way that my toes can still look pretty today. Of course, the toes are somewhat crooked from years of wearing tight shoes. However, a lot of care has avoided corns and corneal spots.
Fortunately, I also seem to have good genes. My mother wears really high heels every day and you will never see my grandmother at 76 years without heels, even if they are only about 80-90mm high. Both have no problem with hallux valgus and so I hope to be spared from it.
My rule of thumb for healthy feet: Heel height multiplied by hours divided by 2 is training and care in minutes, means: 12cm heel 10 hours means 60 minutes of care.
Beauty must suffer or exercise

Hi!
Can I ask what kind of exercises do you do?

 

[CHJay]

I have totally given up on stretchers.....they end up stretching in the places that don’t need stretching, and not stretching where you need.....I just wear then and let them break in naturally now....much more reliable.....but will have to power thru a few painful wears.....oh well...

This is generally what I do. But I'm not sure how long it should take. I've had the devil's own time with So Kates. I normally wear a 38.5. I was told I needed to go a half-size up with Louboutin So Kates, so that's what I did. At first, I thought I had underestimated how large I needed to go, because the first few days in them were AGONY. I was sure I had gotten them too small. Except that, after about a week of wearing them at home every day, I started getting that dreaded heel slippage, and knew I had gotten the wrong size. So I went to 38.5. This time even more painful at first, of course, but then, about a month after I started wearing them at home every day for an hour and really walking in them (not just sitting in them), they fit very nice; too nice. I started getting that dreaded heel slippage AGAIN.

So, at this point, I went to hell with myself and got the 38's!

Obviously real agony this time, worse than either of the others. But, after a month, the left shoe was FINE. FINALLY. But the right shoe? Six weeks after I bought them, the right shoe still hurts. I still can't take the pain for more than 30 minutes or so. Yes, it's getting better, dramatically so. But it's still not where it needs to be for me to endure them for an evening out. My question is whether this is normal. Should six weeks be enough? Or do I just need to be patient for another month or so. At least I'm not getting any heel slippage now! And no, I don't want to do the sock trick because I don't want to stretch them too much. And I don't want to use a shoe stretcher because that could stretch them in the wrong places. And I don't want to do the hair-dryer because I don't want to risk damaging them. My question is simple: If I just keep doing what I'm doing, will I eventually get there? Or, at six weeks, have I reached the point of diminishing returns?

And no, I'm definitely NOT getting any heel pads for the 38.5s either. I want my Louboutins to fit right, damn it, without the fuss and bother of aids which I shouldn't need if the shoe fits right. Which is why I'm trying to get the 38's to work for me.

 

[CHJay]

There was a thread about stretching toe boxes! A lot of people warmed up the shoes with a blowdrier and then put their bare fit with an ointment or vaseline (natural ointments give best results in my experience, specially the ones castor oil-based).
To br honest maybe I am a huge baby so I can't really fully stretch them because it hurts too much, so I am now trying the high heels shoes stretchers.
Some other people wrote something about putting a sock and rubbing alcohol inside the shoes, in case someone has a better trick please say something as this is my main struggle when it comes to heels.


Unfortunately with the hairdrier+sock trick never worked

The vaseline has always worked beautifully for me.

 

[CHJay]

No your toes are not causing the shoes to deform this is very normal , please feel assured your shoes look perfect on you ,
This is my foot in none CL sorry guys but trying to show its normal for toes to shape shoes .

I agree with this. The whole purpose of the Louboutin pointy toe, on the So Kate or the Pigalle or the Hot Chick or whatever, is to fit skin tight and to show toe cleavage. A properly fitting Louboutin heel with a pointy toe will mould and conform to your toes. That's the look, and it's quite deliberate. It's not for nothing that Louboutin has made very clear that his shoes are NOT intended to be comfortable; they're intended to make a statement. And your toes, which have suffered the agonies of breaking in a pointy-toed Louboutin designer heel, need to bear witness to that painful but triumphant trial!

 

[stilettopassion]

I admire your tenacity to break in your CLs. One thing I have used as a technique that has worked for well over the 10-12 years I have worn CL stiletto heels has been to use body lotion on my feet and between my toes with new CL 102mm heels to allow them to slide a bit more in slipping on the shoes. In addition, the lotion reduces the rubbing with the leather and also improves the resilience and softens the new leather a bit. I fine that within the 2nd to 3rd wear of a new pair that I can be comfortable in them. Given most of my CLs are patent leather (which is usually stiffer than kid leather), I’ve been very happy with my CLs new and old. The lotions have never damaged or discolored any of my shoes ever. Hope that helps any reader in breaking in their CLs.

 

[CHJay]

Thanks for the suggestion; sounds helpful. I will sometimes use vaseline when breaking in a new pair (doesn't damage the shoe either), but the problem with Vaseline is that it dries quite quickly, so it's not a permanent fix. I also tried baby powder a few times, but it didn't really help.