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How To Break In Your New Jig Shoes

When you buy a new pair of hard shoes you should wear them around your house all the time, not just when you are dancing. This will usually help to wide the shoes to an acceptable length and width. Please do not forget that the shoes are made from leather which will stretch in length and width after a while.
 
For those who cannot or do not want to wait some methods to break them in:
Initial Break In Techniques (Use them for Suede soles)
1. Using A Wet Rag
 
An overnight trick that is working really well! 
  • Just take a couple of old rags (clean ones of course).
  • Wet them, then stuff one into the toe part of each shoe.
  • Now take some giant elastics or strong string.
  • Bend over the shoes, like a way over-exaggerated point, so that the tip of the toe is tucked behind the heel - touching it.
  • Secure with elastics and leave either overnight, or for a few days for an even better result.
2. Using Glove Softener
  • Get some baseball glove conditioner/softener or a special leather spray with expanding effect and put a little onto your hard shoes.
  • Work it into all of the leather, especially the soles, the upper toe area, and the back of the heel.
  • Be careful about dancing immediately afterwards. Becaise if the softer is oily, it could get on your dancing surface and this will be dangerous!
3. Water Conditioning
 
1st way:
  • Boil some water in a pot over the stove and hold the jig shoes over the steam, bending them flexed way, and pointed way.
2nd way:
  • Heat up the water on the stove, remove from heat source and drop the jig shoes it the water!
  • Let soak for a short period of time, and put on some old, dark colored socks.
  • Take the shoes out of the water and put them directly onto your feet.
  • Wear them around for a while to shape the leather to your foot. But please ask your parents before to do so...
Copyright (c) Celtic Dance World Frank Decker e.K.
Advanced Break In Techniques (Use them for Leather Soles)
To be able to do toe stands you'll notice that you're shoes have to be broken in past the usual. If you have black suede soles on your hardshoes you don't have to do anything past the usual break in methods. The methods described above should be enough. But if you have hard shoes with a big(ger) leathersole that just won't bend over far enough no matter what you do. The solution is:
 
Splitting the Soles
 
In order for the sole to bend far enough on a non-superflexi pair of hardshoes, the sole needs to bubble out a little bit under the ball of the foot.
 
1st Method:
  • Turn the shoe upside down and put on a steady surface.
  • If you are an Adult now take a steak knife or another utility knife of some kind. If you are a child get an adult to supervise you, or do it for you. Knives are dangerous!!!
  • Gently slide the tip of the knife along the side of the sole (near the tip) between the leather upper and the sole. Starting with the stitching closest to the fiberglass tip, cut about 3 or 4 of the stitches that are holding the sole to the upper. Make sure that you aren't just hacking away at the shoe, you don't want the leather to get wrecked, just the stitching to be cut.
  • Do the same to the other side of the sole, then test out by putting them on and attempting a toe stand
  • You may need to cut another stitch or two depending on the size of the shoe. Smaller shoe = less stiches cut
2nd Method:
  • Take the knife and cut the stitches same as in 1st method, except don't slide the knife under the sole, cut from the surface.
  • Slide the knife tip under the top of each individual stitch you want out (remember, just 3 or 4) and cut through.
  • Take a dull knife - like a table butter knife - and run between the sole and the upper to loosen the little pieces of cut thread
Try on and attempt a toe stand. You may need to cut another stitch or two depending on the size of the shoe.
 
We strictly recommend to use the 2nd method. There is a less chance of wrecking the leather and if you ever decide you don't want split soles anymore you can always take it to a shoe repair store and they can simply put back in the stitches without a problem.
More information
           
   
 
         
  
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