Branded shoes, local sneakers, or high-quality boots all crease after wearing them regularly. As a result, many people seek the proper way to walk in shoes, particularly sneakers, this is to avoid the negative aspect of wearing them. So, the big question now is that: how to walk without creasing shoes or sneakers?
To prevent creasing your shoes while walking, you must walk properly and keep your feet firm while walking. Always try to find the perfect pair of shoes that fit well and are not too big or too small. You can achieve this by maintaining a straight posture while walking, without applying excessive pressure on your toes, taking precautions such as lace-tightening, using shoe pads and shoe horns, changing shoes regularly, and so on.
But what causes creasing, and what can you do if you get a line or two on your pair of shoes? Let’s find out.
What Does Crease In Shoes Mean?
When stretchable materials such as leather, silk, cotton, or canvas are folded for an extended period, a marked ridge is formed. The ridges formed on top of shoes are referred to as creases.
Since shoes are made from the same fabric types, excessive folding, pressure, and movement give them an unpleasant, non-smooth appearance. That is when we refer to our shoes as having been creased. Having creases on new shoes or boots is never a pleasant experience.
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What Causes Your Shoes To Crease?
Shoes are generally designed to bend. When you walk in them, the pressure from your toes increases this bending and causes their surface to stretch and crease when straightened up.
However, walking is not the only thing that causes this pressure. Other methods of causing the situation include storing your sneakers between other shoes, stuffing your shoebox in an overflowing closet, standing on your toes to gain height, wearing ill-fitted or wet shoes, and so on. All of these activities can cause creases in your shoes.
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How To Not Crease Shoes When Walking?
Even though walking the same way is ideally not possible every day, avoiding the wrong walk is essential to save you from the worst shoe-creasing days.
So, how do you avoid creases in your shoes while walking? Here are a few tips:
1. Maintain correct posture:
Walking with a straight posture not only keeps your back pain-free but also reduces the likelihood of shoe creasing at the toe end. Simply keep your chin up, avoid arching your back, and avoid allowing your hips to tip back and forth. This allows for less bending at the toe area and keeps wrinkles out of shoes.
2. Avoid walking on toes:
Walking and resting in the Titanic pose is all fun and games until you realize how much pressure you’re putting on your shoe’s toe box. It’s because most shoes, particularly sneakers, have a toe spring that bends the shoe and makes walking more comfortable. Walking on your toes, on the other hand, increases the bending of this toe spring and attracts crease.
3. Rest more on your heels:
Did you know that? Walking on your toes requires twice as much energy as walking on your heels. When you land on your heels first, you create an effortless walk and reduce the pressure required to cause shoe wrinkles.
4. Check the lace tightness again:
Although it may appear to be a minor issue, loose-fitting shoes are a significant cause of creases in shoes. This is where shoelaces come in handy. Tying your laces before walking and wearing a snug-fitting shoe helps to keep the shoe surface taut. Your shoe will bend less and have fewer spaces for the crease to form in this manner.
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How Can I Prevent My Shoes From Creasing?
As previously discussed, maintaining a straight posture while walking, walking on your heels rather than your toes, and working on your shoes’ grip will reduce the likelihood of getting those stubborn wrinkles on your sneakers.
Unfortunately, walking properly is not the only way to prevent creasing; you must also try other methods. They are as follows:
1. Choose The Right Fit
As a general rule, the more space you have between your upper shoe and your feet, the more room you’ll have for its material to stretch.
So, to ensure that this stretch doesn’t convert into a crease, you must get the right fit for your shoes. And one way of checking this is to tuck in your index finger between the shoe and the foot. If it snugs perfectly and is still easy to take out, it means that you have the correct size.
Unfortunately, while ill-fitting shoes crease more, there is no crease-free guarantee for shoes that fit properly.
2. Use Protectors
Installing crease protectors or guards, such as Force field, to your sneakers before wearing them is a great way to close the gap between your shoe and its upper. All you have to do is remove the insole and place the guard to the end of the toe box. After that, replace the insoles and continue to wear your shoes as usual.
3. Use Shoe Horns and Trees
Shoe trees prevent creases by keeping your shoe’s shape and absorbing moisture. They stretch the shoe flat and miraculously pull the wrinkles out of the leather, shrinking them. So, on days when you are not wearing your shoes, simply slide the shoehorn inside.
However, shoe trees will only prevent creases from forming over the vamp and not on the heel. A shoehorn will be required for the heels. Simply insert the shoehorn into the back of your shoe and wear it. While wearing the shoe, your heel should slide inside so that the shoehorn comes out at the same time.
4. Wear Them Less Frequently
Though it may seem difficult for many sneakerheads, you should try to wear your shoes less often. Keep a spare pair or two on hand for daily use. This practice will reduce the number of stretching hours and days, as well as the overall creasing.
5. Store Shoes Properly
Have you ever wondered why new shoes are always packaged in a shoebox with paper rolls tucked inside? It’s because that’s how they’re supposed to be stored to avoid creases. The paper rolls will tighten the shoe surface, while the box will withstand all external pressure that causes creases.
6. Wear Thick Socks
If you don’t want to cover your feet with a hard plastic covering like shoe protectors, you can wear thick socks instead. Pairing with such socks not only reduces the space between your shoes and feet but also reduces unnecessary toe wiggling, making the upper area less prone to creasing.
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Do Crease Protectors Work?
Crease protectors or sneaker shields work for all types of shoes and are without a doubt one of the most effective crease solutions.
Their design resembles that of a toe box. So, in this way, crease protectors work by holding your toe box in shape and preventing it from bending and creasing.
Does Walking Without Creasing Your Shoes Hurt Your Feet/Knees?
Unfortunately, yes. Walking without creasing your shoes puts extra strain on your knees and heels, making them more prone to pain.
The situation can be worse in patients having plantar fasciitis or arthritis. Not only that, but Nobody wants to walk like a penguin, and most of you would prefer a crease to knee surgery, right?
How Do You Remove Creases From Your Shoes?
Even after taking all necessary precautions, creases will attack your shoe. So, how do you remove wrinkles from your shoes? You have two options: use heat or avoid it by using the following methods:
Method One: Using Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is excellent for relaxing leather. Simply spray a solution containing equal parts water and alcohol on the creased areas and allow it to dry. Apply shoe polish after drying the shoe to restore the shine.
Method Two: Using Heat
Hair-dryers, heat guns, and irons can also be used to remove creases. Simply remove the shoelaces and stuff material inside the shoe to make it as taut as possible. This material could be tissue paper, socks, old clothes, or any other useless stuffing you have lying around your house.
Once you’ve exhausted the capacity, place a wet towel on the toe box. Place your iron (heated to 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit) on the towel and run it over your shoe in a constant motion. Keep hair-dryers and heat guns at least 6 inches away from the shoe.
Remove the towel after applying the heat and leave your shoe as is with the materials stuffed inside.
Is It Normal For Shoes To Crease?
Yes, it’s completely natural for shoes to crease, and it’s impossible to avoid entirely. So, the best way to avoid this problem is to ignore it and, if possible, embrace the crease. If not, you can always reduce your chances of getting them or remove them whenever necessary.
Wrap Up: How To Walk Without Creasing Shoes Or Sneakers?
We now know that walking properly and using shoehorns, protectors, shoetrees, thick socks, proper storage, etc., will help minimize the chance for shoes to crease.
However, even after taking all the necessary steps, your shoes will still get creased, and now one likes walking like a goof. So, the best way is to embrace this flaw and not worry about the crease much. I think it adds a bit of character to your sneakers and shoes how much you love and wear them.
However, if you still find them unpleasant, you can always remove them through alcohol and heat.
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