When I bought my latest running shoes, one of my toes would sometimes touch the front of the toe box. It seemed strange because it wasn’t where my toes would normally be if shoes were too tight. Since the shoes were on sale, I decided to try them out, and if they didn’t work, I knew I could exchange them.
Running shoes can compress and expand. Insoles and midsole compress and relax over time and tend to shape your foot, giving your foot a bit more room. In addition, some upper materials can expand when pressure is applied to them over time.
After I wore my new running shoes for 1-2 weeks, my toes did not touch the fabric on the toe box, and they seemed to fit better overall. It felt like the insole had compressed and formed into the shape of my foot, giving me a snug fit.
When Do Running Shoes Stretch?
In general, running shoes will not stretch much from my experience. What they do, though, is mold to your foot. This gives more room inside your shoe and may help if one of your toes is touching the end of the toe-box.
If you have tight running shoes, then the first thing I would suggest you do is to see if there are a pair of shoes that fit better. In general, shoes, especially running shoes, should feel comfortable the first time you put them on.
Stores usually accept returns on shoes within a certain time period, and getting well-fitted running shoes is important so you can run without rubbing, blisters, or in the case of very loose shoes, stumbling, and falls.
Running Shoe Fabric and Laces May Expand
If you take a look at the material itself, you may find that it has no elasticity. In addition, the material at the end of both of my running shoes is hardened and doesn’t stretch at all.
The area that can expand is the width and depth of the shoe, depending on how tight the shoelaces are and if they have any elasticity in them.
The video below shows just how stiff the material is and how well it might stretch. I show four different running shoes that I have used and how stretchy the material is.
Running Shoe Insoles and midsoles Leave More Room
So the conclusion I came to from testing my four running shoes is that running shoes, in general, at not going to stretch, although they can give you a bit more room.
Since the fabric and the toe section won’t stretch much, what should you do if you want the shoe to stretch?
First, expect that the insole may start to mold to your foot after a week or two, and your foot will fit like it fits a bit better and it may have more toe room.
As your heel sinks into the insole, the foot moves down just a bit, and that pulls the toes a bit away from the fabric in the front.
Second, the insole and midsole will relax a bit after a couple of weeks of running as well. This should help the shoe feel a bit more like it fits your foot better.
Last, you could try a shoe stretcher. As explained in my article, some materials just don’t stretch well. For example, there is a lot of fabric in the front of my running shoes, although there are also plastic and rubber areas.
Depending on the shoe, you may or may not have success.
My recommendation is to return tight shoes and get something different. If your toe barely touches the material, as mine did, you might get lucky and find the shoe relaxes and molds to your foot in a couple of weeks, but that’s not always an effective strategy for every shoe.
How Tight Should My Running Shoes Be?
You want comfortable shoes. The shoes should feel snug without any rubbing when you walk or run. Your toes should not touch the fabric’s top or the shoe’s end.
Running shoes should be snug enough for the shoe not to move in the heel or forefoot and loose enough that the top of your foot feels comfortable when the laces are tight.
As shoes break in, you may notice they feel like they fit even better than at first. This is likely the foot beginning to mold into the insole and the midsole relaxing. The shoe will likely hold your foot just a bit better.
The goal is to pull the laces fairly snug, closer to the toes and less snug as you tighten them over the arch. You don’t want to force the arch to compress. It should be in its natural position.
I’ve found that soft insoles and midsole help my feet feel comfortable and allow me to tighten my laces snugly without any discomfort. In addition, I’ve noticed that using elastic laces gives my feet a snug, comfortable feel as long as the laces are correctly tightened.
How Long Does It Take For Running Shoes To Loosen Up?
Some of the running shoes that I have worn felt almost the same from day one until the day I retired them. Others took a couple of weeks to feel like they had relaxed or felt broken in.
Running shoe midsoles and insoles are made of different materials. All start to compress over time. However, some compress much easier than others. For example, a midsole made of mostly EVA will likely feel soft from the beginning until the end, and denser midsoles, such as PU, will likely have a break-in period.
Expect to run or walk about 10 – 20 miles before a shoe feels like it is broken in, from my experience. A test you can perform is walking in a shoe and seeing how cushioning it feels.
If it’s very soft and bends easily at the ball of the foot, there should be a short break in period. If it’s more firm and doesn’t bend as easily, there will be a longer break-in period.
Conclusion
Running shoes may be able to stretch a bit depending on the material, but it’s most likely that they won’t stretch longer. The foam will compress and allow for a bit of room for your toes and the sides of your feet.
Getting elastic laces can also help aid with comfort if your shoe feels a bit tight on the top of your foot and possibly the sides of the shoe while still keeping the shoe snug. Although, the best solution is to get good-fitting shoes the first time.
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