
James Merrell
How to Break in Your Sandals
The best strategy for making your summer shoes fit and feel better on your pretty pedicured feet.
Before you spend a day in a new pair of casual leather sandals, strap them on, quickly step into and out of a bucket of water
(or spritz them with a spray bottle), and wear them damp. This will help the shoes to soften up and conform to the shape of
your feet, says Los Angeles fashion stylist John Murphy. He recommends first wetting a tiny test patch in a hidden location
(say, on the strap between the toes) to make sure there is no discoloration, then toweling off the excess water after the
sandals take the plunge (they should be slightly damp, not waterlogged). If the sandals are delicate or expensive, forgo the
baptism and stick with a traditional leather moisturizer.
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Quick Tip
Don’t wear the same leather shoes two days in a row. Sweat can take 24 hours to dry, and that moisture (plus bacteria in it) can damage leather. Get more tips.


