It's a tale that's far too common: you bought shoes in a smaller size perhaps because they were the only ones left, they were on sale, or you were between sizes and made a big mistake. Even footwear purchases that are true to your size can feel constricting if the material is too stiff.
After struggling with uncomfortable shoes — and buyer's remorse as a result — one too many times, I looked into different hacks for breaking in shoes and ultimately settled on one tried-and-true method that involves socks and . . . a hair dryer? Because it involves heat, however, you might want to skip this method if your shoes are made of plastic.
Look ahead for our breakdown and try it out yourself next time a pair of shoes starts giving you blisters!