Hey Dude is a very popular shoe brand that offers pleasant, comfortable, yet fashionable shoes for men. They come in different sizes and colors. Most of the Hey Dude shoes stretch out naturally after some weeks of wearing. It is a very common phenomenon.
But there are some that will not stretch out easily. You need to invest your effort in it. But everyone does not know how to do it properly with the right tools. Consequently, they ended up damaging the shoe for good.
So, how to stretch Hey Dude shoes? There are many ways to stretch your Hey Dude shoes. Here, we will talk about 3 ways – wearing, using a freezer, and stuffing. Moreover, we will talk about how to clean your Hey Dude shoes. If you want to know about these, read on.
How to stretch Hey Dude Shoe?
Do you know why people think of stretching a shoe? It either fits them too tight, or you prefer extra room for the toes. Whatever the reason is, you need to know how to do this thing properly and with the right tools.
Stretching the Shoe by Wearing
Yes, that is the purpose of the shoe, after all. But before going out, try wearing it and walk around the house for an hour or so. But along with it, note down a few things as well.
If the shoe is tight, it is natural to assume that it will be a pain for you to walk with it. Since it will give you pain, try out a thick pair of socks to avoid injuries or blisters.
Not everyone can afford to wait for hours of walking, so they want to stretch their shoes very fast. For that, you can use an air hairdryer. Here is what you should do.
- Put on the shoe with a thick pair of socks.
- Set the hair dryer to medium and blast each shoe for 30 seconds. Do not blow it in one place for too long, as this will soften the glue and damage the shoe.
- While you are blowing the hair dryer, wiggle your toes and bend your foot. This will help you to stretch the shoes.
- After that, walk around for some time.
You can also use alcohol to stretch the shoes. Spray the alcohol on the outside of the shoe until it’s saturated. After that, walk around until the alcohol dries. This will also stretch your Hey Dude shoes.
Stretching the Shoe in the Freezer
You can use a freezer to stretch your shoes. Follow these steps.
- Firstly, fill a resealable plastic bag with water.
- Make sure to seal the bag properly. If you worry that the bag might break, use another plastic resealable bag and put the bag with water inside the second bag.
- Now, put the bag halfway inside your Hey Dude shoes.
- Now, with the water inside the shoe still intact, put the shoes in the freezer on a tray and wait until the water becomes ice. Leave it there for several hours.
- After several hours, remove the shoes from the freezer and leave it in a dry and warm place(room temperature will do) for 20 minutes.
When water freezes, it expands, taking a bigger volume than before. You will find the shoes have stretched at least a little bit.
Stretching the Shoe by Stuffing
Stuffing is the most common and easiest way to stretch your Hey Dude shoe. All you have to do is put stuff in your shoes and leave it like that for hours. With that technique, you can stretch your shoes by half size.
But be smart about what you are stuffing it with. We recommend using a shoe stretcher that will wedge down into a shoe. Do not use anything wet or anything that can damage your shoes.
How to Clean Hey Dude Shoes?
Now that you have learned how to stretch your shoes, it’s time you learn how to clean them. We have said earlier that there are many ways to clean your shoes. Here, we will show you how to clean your Hey Dude shoes using a washing machine.
Cleaning your Hey Dude Shoe With a Washing Machine
The steps for cleaning the Hey Dude shoes using a washing machine are given below.
- Firstly you should wipe off excess dirt from the shoes. Although the washing machine will clean the dirt, it’s better to get rid of big chunks of mud from the shoes.
- Once the big chunks of dirt/mud are removed, remove the laces and insoles from the shoe. Insoles are usually made of memory foam, and they will get out of shape if washed in a washing machine. Laces and insoles must be washed separately and by hand.
- Now pour liquid laundry detergents into your washing machine instead of powder detergents. Powder detergents are very abrasive and will damage the color of your shoes.
- Now wash it on the washing machine. Here, you have to use cold water instead of hot water as it will shrink the shoes. Also, use a towel to prevent your shoes from banging around the washing machine.
- Lastly, dry the shoes along with laces and insoles in direct sunlight. Since the shoe is wet, try stuffing the shoes with crumpled paper or shoe tree to dry it in shape. You will have a dry shoe within 2 hours.
Note that you can use the washing machine for Hey Dude shoes that are made up of canvas. Avoid washing shoes in a washing machine that is made of leather, wool, or suede. They will be disfigured and damaged after the wash.
Final Thoughts
Shoes aren’t only meant for taking you from point A to point B; they must also be comfortable while taking you from point A to point B. Otherwise, it will just be a punishment you are imposing on yourself. Stretching your Hey Dude shoes is one way of getting out of that “imprisonment” if the shoes are very tight.
Here, we have taught you how to stretch Hey Dude shoes. Moreover, we showed you how to clean your Hey Dude shoes in a washing machine. So, the next time you have a tight shoe or need your favorite shoe cleaning, you know how to get it done.
