Do Vans Stretch As You Wear Them?

This is one question found in the mind of everyone using Vans or who wants to use Vans shoes. I come across this over and over and the answer to this is…

Yes! Vans stretch out over time as you wear them and this happens even faster when you wear them frequently, like every day.

There are a number of reasons why Vans stretch out when worn over time and one of them is the material used for making the shoe.

The soles of Vans shoes are made of vulcanized rubber while the upper part of the shoe is made of fabric and these materials expand gradually when pressure from your leg and a shoe stretcher or heat from a device is applied to them.

The good thing is that Vans are made to stretch out to give you a comfortable experience while using them and for this, I would really say that they are high-quality shoes.

This is why it is advised to buy a perfect shoe size when getting a Vans shoe just like the size you would use on other shoes and if you read to the end of this article, I will be revealing to you exactly how you can get your Vans shoe size and that is my favorite part of this. You really don’t want to miss it. Read on…

Now you are sure of the fact that Vans shoes stretch but you need to have an idea of how much Vans shoe stretches so you know what to expect when you begin to use yours.

How much do Vans stretch

A lot of research has been made on this and I can tell you that there is no exact length to which a Vans shoe can stretch because the stretching of the shoe is controlled by many factors which make it difficult for me to know exactly to what length your Vans shoe will stretch…

I can’t tell if your Vans will stretch by ½ of an inch or by ¼ of an inch, but there is a range of increase in length you should expect when using your Vans shoe, and that is from ⅛ – ¼ of an inch. Remember this is just a range so you should either expect ⅛ of an inch or ¼ of an inch or anything between ⅛ and ¼ of an inch.

Note that this range only applies when you are stretching your shoe by wearing them but when you use other methods to stretch it, the shoe could get stretched behold this range.

And I will want you to keep that in mind when using your Vans shoe and also try to notice when your Vans is stretching. But how?

Here it is..!

Could your Vans be stretching now; Here is how to know if it is…

When using a brand new Vans shoe, a lot of people report that the shoe is always slightly tight and the company is aware of this,  that is why they have a full guide on how to expand or stretch your Vans shoe to your personal fit and I am going to walk you through that in no time after this.

When your Vans begins to stretch from its original form, which is slightly tight to the feet, there will be a gradual form of relief felt in the feet and increased comfort. The heel becomes free and you no longer experience pain in the feet after using the shoe.

It might take a while before your Vans begins to stretch depending on the method you are using to stretch them but one thing you would want to avoid is to overstretch them because when that happens the shoe becomes uncomfortable to use. So care not to over-stretch your Vans shoe.

Want to Stretch your Vans; here are what you should do

When it comes to stretching a Vans shoe, a lot of people are not aware that the shoe can be stretched using various ways other than wearing the shoe.

Because of that, they good about wearing the shoe and this makes them feel pain while using the shoe. Though wearing the shoe can help you stretch the shoe in no time but you would have to wear it frequently.

There are also other ways to stretch the shoe which do not involve you wearing the shoe or feeling any pain.

Let’s they a look at a few of them.

Bending the shoe

This is a method you would want to perform gently so you don’t end up damaging your shoe. All you have to do is:

• Use both of your hands to hold the shoe firmly, one hand at the toe of the shoe and the other at the heel of the shoe.
• Gently bend the shoe by pressing both ends to each other causing the shoe to go inward.
• Release it when you feel a resistance from the shoe and press both ends to each other again but this time, make it go outward.
• Repeat these processes from the top over, and over again till the shoe is comfortable when you wear it.

This method helps to stretch the shoe by causing the soles to adapt to your feet’ arches and keeps you comfortable when using the shoe.

Using HairDryer

You can use a hairdryer to stretch your Vans shoe but you do have to follow a few easy steps.

• Get your hairdryer and connect it to an electric source. (For kids, please get your parents’ support)
• Use the hairdryer to heat the heel of the shoe and other places where you experience discomfort. (Note: just may the shoe warm and not extremely hot.)
• Put on the shoe. It’s hot! Yes, I know and that is why you will need to protect your feet by putting on thick socks to guide your feet from the heat.
• Walk around with the shoe inside your apartment until your Vans shoe is cool.
• Repeat these processes until you are satisfied with the extent to which your shoe has stretched.

This method helps you stretch the shoe to a personal fit that is to your perfect foot shape and makes it comfortable for you to use them.

Stuffing the shoe

Stuffing your shoe can also be a great way to stretch it. All you have to do is…

• Get some newspaper and squeeze them or roll up a few pair of your socks.
• Put the squeezed newspaper or rolled-up socks into the toe part of the shoe.
• Push them into the shoe as tight as possible so that they can stretch out the shoe.
• Leave the shoe overnight to stretch well and then you can remove the stuffing the next morning.
• Repeat these steps over and over again until you have stretched the shoe to your own satisfaction.

This method of stretching Vans shoe helps to stretch the toe region of the shoe and makes it comfortable for your toes especially for those with wide toes.

Using the Ball and Ring Stretcher

The Ball and ring stretcher is a type of shoe stretching tool and as the name implies, it helps in stretching the shoes.

Follow these steps to use a ball and ring stretcher.

• Check out the shoe and point out the areas that need to be stretched.
• Place the side of the tool with the ball inside the shoe and the side with the ring outside the shoe.
• Gradually pull the arms of the tool together and let the ball inside the shoe push fabric out until it has gotten to the desired amount you want it to be.
• Leverage integrated screw fitting and screw the arms appropriately.
• Leave the shoe and the stretcher in this position overnight to allow the shoe to stretch well.

Using Two-Way Shoe Stretcher

This is a wonderful and easy-to-use shoe stretcher. All you have to do is…

• Put the stretcher into your Vans shoe placing the screw side of the stretcher in the heel of your shoe.
• Turn the screw on the stretcher so as to let the fabric stretch then stop.
• Every eight hours, make a full turn on the screw and do this until the shoe has stretched enough to comfort your feet.

Note: As I said before, you wouldn’t want to over-stretch your shoe because it can make you feel uncomfortable while using them.

So whichever method you decide on using to stretch your Vans shoe, take proper care so you don’t overstretch your shoe.

How to know your Vans shoe size

For a very long time now, Vans claim to make shoes that are “true to size” and they do this by following the US standard using a Brannock device as a guide to producing their shoe size.

What this means is that Vans shoes are not either smaller or larger in size than any other standard shoe.

Now, this is a good thing to know because it tells you that if you want to order a Vans shoe, you are to go with the shoe size you have been using in other standard shoes you often wear.

But what if you don’t know your shoe size or you have a fast-growing body and don’t know your new size?

Here are a few steps to follow in other to discover your shoe size

• Get a plain paper that is definitely longer than your feet.
• Place the paper on the floor close to the wall. (Make sure the end of the paper actually touches the wall.)
• Put on the usual socks you use for other shoes and stand on the paper with your heel end touching the wall as well.
• With a pencil or a marker, mark out the point on the paper where the toes of your feet stop.
• Pick up the paper and use a ruler to measure the length of your feet in centimeters (cm).
• Check the table below that we found from Hibbet and find out which will be a perfect fit for you.

For the men’s shoe size:

Size	TOE-TO-HEEL LENGTH (CM)
3.5	21.5
4	22
4.5	22.5
5	23
5.5	23.5
6	24
6.5	24.5
7	25
7.5	25.5
8	26
8.5	26.5
9	27
9.5	27.5
10	28
10.5	28.5
11	29
11.5	29.5
12	30
12.5	31
13	32
13.5	33
14	34

For the Women’s shoe size:

SIZE	TOE-TO-HEEL LENGTH (CM.)
5	21.5
5.5	22
6	22.5
6.5	23
7	23.5
7.5	24
8	24.5
8.5	25
9	25.5
9.5	26
10	26.5
10.5	27
11	27.5
11.5	28
12	28.5

 For the Youth’s shoe size:

SIZE	TOE-TO-HEEL LENGTH (CM.)
10.5	15.5
11	16
11.5	16.5
12	17
12.5	17.5
13	18
13.5	18.5
1	19
1.5	19.5
2	20
2.5	20.5
3	21
3.5	21.5
4	22

And here you will find your standard shoe size and that is what you should follow when making an order for your Vans shoe.

How tight should your Vans be?

How tight should Vans shoes be? When wearing your Vans shoe for the first time you would really have a feeling that the shoe is tight but the thing is that the shoe shouldn’t be so tight that you are having a hard time trying to wear the shoe.

If that happens, then you have not ordered your perfect size and you would want to return and replace it with a better one.

A Vans shoe should feel comfortably snug when been used for the first time and this means that it should not be very tight and after a while, it would stretch to your personal feet size.

What to do when your Vans are too tight

OK, you bought a Vans shoe and it is your perfect size but it is too tight and you feel pain in your feet when using them.

There are just a few things you would need to do in other to get that shoe comfortable and your personal fit.

“What is that?”

You can stretch your Vans

Simple. Go back to the list of methods I shared with you earlier on how to stretch a Vans shoe, look for the one which you feel is the best fit for you and you might want to pick one that does not cost you anything at all.

And then get started. Use the method to stretch your shoe and in no time it will feel comfortable when in use. But please, don’t overstretch your shoe. I’m begging you on this one.

But if it is the case of you having a hard time trying to put on the shoe then like I said before you would need to return the shoe but lets for a moment take a look at what Vans Return Policy says about returning the shoe.

Or you can return the shoes

If you order or purchase any of Vans product and you are not 100% satisfied with the product delivered to you or there is some manufacturing fault in the product, you are free to return the product within 30 days from the day the receipt was issued and you would receive a refund.

So once you notice that the shoe is obviously not your size you can request for a return and order another one but this might not be possible in a physical store, requesting for a return within 30 days.

So when you are purchasing your shoe in a physical store, I would advise you to put on the shoe right there in the store and see if it is OK for you and clear that right there in the store before leaving with the shoe.

But if you are working with Vans’ online store, this policy totally applies.

Final Words

Vans shoes do stretch out over time as you wear them and you can only know if your Vans has stretch when you begin to feel comfortable using them regularly.

There are various ways you can use to stretch your Vans and that has been covered in this article but if you ask me which is my favorite of them all is, it will be stuffing the shoe.

This method does not cost me any money at all. I just have to get some newspaper, squeeze them all and push them into the shoe and leave it to stretch. That’s all. Isn’t that easy?

But if you have the money to purchase a shoe stretcher, I recommend you try getting the Two-Way shoe stretcher.

One thing to note: make sure you purchase a perfect size Vans shoe and if you don’t know your size follow the steps provided in this article and get your size know in no time.

Have fun with your Vans shoe..!