Shoe stretcher -

It will not be a surprise, I am sure, to hear that - as a Tired Girl - I like comfortable shoes.  But as a human woman sometimes I have to wear heels. If it's a fun event with gorgey shoes to match a gorgey dress then it feels worth it, but otherwise it just feels annoying.  

I bought one like this at Target for about $10.

I will cut to the chase today - in case you are in a hurry. I bought a shoe stretcher and it works - the shoes are quickly made more comfortable.  Done.  

Here is more if you are avoiding doing something else:

There is a long story to tell you why I ordered a pair of shoes on ebay that are exactly like a pair I already have. I ordered these in a different color though and without eight years of breaking them in they - shocker - didn't fit as well. 

As usual I hit the internet and discovered a "shoe stretcher." I found several nice looking ones, but they needed to be ordered and more money than I anticipated was required. 

Cut to me at Target (a typical scene), and I bought a Kiwi Shoe stretcher for about $10.  I really don't see how this one isn't as good as the $22 dollar ones from Amazon and Zappos.  Ebay has some from China and you can a set of two for $12, but I had to WAIT for them to arrive and I wasn't in the mood for that.

So I jammed these things in my first set of ill-fitting heels and I hoped for the best.  I could tell you all minutiae of how I put them in each shoe in a very organized schedule to properly "stretch" them the same but you can piece that together.  

on their way to slightly less miserable feeling

In the end -- it worked!! I have "stretched" two pairs of heels and both are as comfortable as eight year worn in heels.

All stretched and ready to be worn. 

Who knew?? I didn't.  And I am so pleased to have a way to make heels more comfortable without sacrificing my feet.  There are lots of tricks out there to breaking a heel in further - heating up the shoe with a hair drier and wearing them around in your socks, etc.  That's awesome and all - no judgements or comments if that works. 

Could be interesting - it is a TWO-WAY stretcher - from Amazon.

I think if you are going to wear heels you need to be able to walk in them - looks so dumb to stumble and clod along.  So here's to wearing and walking in heels!