1. Cover your flip flops straps in fabric.
Take the “rub” out of rubber flip flops.
2. Sandpaper the soles of unworn shoes for better traction.
And much less falling down.
3. Tape your third and fourth toe together to hack high heels.
Sounds weird? Using medical tape relieves strain on the nerve between toes three and four, preventing pain in the ball of your foot.
4. Quiet squeaking shoes with baby powder.
Squeaking is usually caused by parts of the shoe rubbing against each other. Just lift the inner sole of the shoe and sprinkle baby powder underneath.
5. Banish your blisters with clear gel deodorant.
Decrease friction and increase your ability to dance all night.
6. Stretch your shoes the professional way.
Cut out the cobbler with your very own shoe stretcher. Plus, it’s super weird looking.
7. Widen the shafts of boots with leather stretch spray and newspaper.
Bonus hack: Use rubbing alcohol for a cheaper alternative to store-bought stretch spray.
8. Fix worn-down heels with instant heel caps.
Goodbye, rolled ankles.
9. Stop the slip with DIY Innersoles .
Be sure to pick a thicker, non-silky fabric for extra grip.
10. Make life better for both toes and nose with unused tea bags.
Smelly feet, smelly feet, it’s not your fault.
11. Shorten heels for extra relief.
Up to an inch can be taken off of most heels without ruining the shoe. For best results, leave the shortening to the professionals.
12. Un-cramp toe boxes in the freezer.
Water + baggie + freezer = finally putting middle school science to good use.
13. Use moleskin to cushion tight shoe straps.
For longer-lasting results, stick moleskin to the shoe rather than to your skin.
14. Prevent slippage with heel grips.
Because there’s enough scar tissue on the back of your heels.
15. Combine wooly socks and a blowdryer for painless breaking in.
Bonus points for warm feet while shoe-hacking.
16. Repair torn and ragged heel linings with denim.
Attach patches with glue, or sew them in for extra hold.
19. Keep feet dry by waterproofing cloth shoes.
Because wet shoes should be none of your beeswax.
20. To hack before you even buy, try on shoes in the afternoon or evening.
Feet can swell up to a half size bigger by the end of the day.
21. But if preventative measures are too late, soak blistered feet in tea.
The anti-inflammatories in green tea will soothe both blisters and tired feet. #Science.