You’ve just bought a pair of AMAZING new shoes – but when you bring them home to show off, you find you can’t walk two steps without your feet being pinched and rubbed in all the wrong ways. What to do? Do you return your glorious new find and settle for those old slingbacks that desperately need a trip to the cobbler? No way! Not with these 14 brilliant shoe hacks, you don’t. Solve all of your shoe conundrums right at home with these little tricks and never fear your beautiful new heels again.

1. Prevent Blisters From Running Shoes

   Do you ever end a run with blisters on the back of your feet? Those blisters happen because your shoe is too loose; your foot is jiggling free while you run and rubbing against the back of your sneaker.

   To nix those blisters, use the last shoelace hole on your sneakers (the one we all tend to forget) to create a “lace lock.” By looping your laces through this hole and tightening as normal, you create a firm fit that leaves no room for blisters.

2. Waterproof Your Shoes

   JumbleJoy

   You step outside in your new flats – and it’s pouring. If you’re in a rush, you’re bound to ruin your shoes in the rain. Unless, of course, your shoes happen to be waterproof. On the off-chance that all your shoes don’t come waterproof from the store, this little hack will do the work for you.

   Rub a candle (or anything with beeswax) on your shoes so that they become coated in a thin layer of wax, then blow dry them to create sealed, waterproof shoes!

3. Banish Stinky Shoes

   Let’s face it, your shoes tend to stink. No offense. It happens to everyone, especially as the hot summer weather rolls through. To deodorize your shoes in a snap, make this DIY deodorant using baking soda, baking powder, and cornstarch. No more smelly feet for you.

4. Whiten the Bottoms of Your Shoes

   Your shoes go through a lot, especially the bottoms of them. After all that dirt and dust, your beautiful white soles are going to get dingy after a while. Use this quick hack to whiten them up again! All you need? Nail polish remover.

5. Make Tight Flats Comfortable

   Flats can be the worst culprit for pinchy shoes. When it’s time to wear your new flats, take some clear deodorant and rub it on your heels and toes. This will loosen up any friction in your flats that would have cause discomfort and blisters.

6. Clean Off Scuff Marks

   Good Housekeeping

   If you have patent leather shoes, you know that it’s easy to scratch that shiny material. Don’t send your heels to the shoe graveyard, instead polish them up with some petroleum jelly! This will shine your shoes and nix any scuff marks.

7. Hide Scraped Shoes

   For athletic shoes or kids shoes (although this can happen to just about any pair of shoes in the right circumstance), you tend to see a lot of scratches at the toe of the shoe. To cover up these scrapes, we suggest using this malleable rubber called Sugru. Sugru does wonders to hid those nasty-looking shoe scratches and make your shoes look brand new.

8. Remove Water Stains From Leather

   Good Housekeeping

   There’s nothing worse than spotting a water stain on your nice leather shoes. But never fear! There is a way to banish those tough stains. Take an old cleaning toothbrush and some vinegar. Rub the vinegar into the water spot and watch it disappear!

9. Get Dirt Out of Suede

   Good Housekeeping

   This has happened to too many of my suede flats. If you wear suede outside at all (which, let’s face it, you kind of have to), odds are you’re going to get some dirt caught in the material. Use a nail file to loosen dirt from the suede and brush it away like it was never even there.

10. Soak Dirty Shoes in Vinegar

    Time to wash those sneakers? Don’t throw them in the wash with everything else right away! First, dip them in white vinegar. In your tub, mix two cups of vinegar with two gallons of water and submerge your dirty, smelly sneakers. Wash them as normal afterwards and find that the smell and hard stains are gone!

11. Stretch Out Tight Shoes

    If you have a few days before you want to wear your new heels, try this trick. Wear your heels around the house with sock on. Very fashionable, we know. This will help to stretch the material over the course of a few days.

    Not as much time to spare? Blow dry the heels while you’re wearing them with socks for an instant stretch.

12. Create Better Traction

    This is an oldie but a goodie! Rub sandpaper on the soles of slippery shoes for better grip and traction. No slipping and sliding on the dance floor for you.

13. Make Room in Heels

    One of the big pains about high heels in the lack of room in the front, with all your toes crammed inside. Try this strange but effective trick: tape your second (the one right next to your big toe) and third toe together using some medical tape or beauty tape. This will free up some space and make your heels more comfortable.

14. Widen Too-Small Shoes

    Bought a size or a half size too small? Don’t return them yet! Try this trick first.

    Fill two Ziploc bags 1/4 of the way with water and place them snugly inside your shoes. Put the shoes in the freezer and let the water turn to ice. Once it has, remove the shoes, let them thaw for 20 minutes, then remove the ice packs to find wider, more comfortable shoes for your enjoyment.

Do you have any at-home solutions to common shoe problems? Share them in the comments section below.