Do Hey Dudes Stretch Out? Solutions to Loosen Hey Dude Shoes

Last Updated on November 15, 2023 by Martina McKeough

Do Hey Dudes stretch out with wear or do they tend to stay a similar size after they have been worn?

This is important to know because if you are buying a pair of Hey Dude shoes you are probably aware that the brand only offers shoes in whole sizes. This means that when you are buying a pair and you are a half size in shoes you need to think about whether to size up or down.

When a shoe brand doesn’t offer half sizes in their footwear you need to make an assessment on whether to buy a pair that might feel a little snug and hope that they stretch as you break them in or buy a larger pair and perhaps wear an insole with them.

Hopefully, I can give you some insight into Hey Dude shoes so that you can make that decision.

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Do Hey Dudes Shoes Run Big or Small?

Whilst many people believe that Hey Dude shoes run true to size that isn’t always the case and will depend on the design that you are buying and the material that they are made from.

Do Hey Dudes run big? Well, some Hey Dude styles such as their Sox shoes are made from stretchy knitted fabrics so will feel a little looser over time than say their canvas styles where the material is more rigid. I found that my Hey Dudes were actually a little on the small side when I first wore them.

From owning a pair of their Wendy Sox Shoes my view is that although the brand says that these are stretchy there was not much give in mine when I first bought them. They have loosened a little over time but they are not as stretchy as some knitted sneaker designs. The elastic laces do however stretch to allow you a relatively loose fit which does help if you have wider feet.

It is also worth noting that you can buy Hey Dude wide shoes as well as ones that are a regular fit. If you are buying the wider-fit shoes in a stretchy or elasticated fabric they will inevitably feel looser than the regular styles with stiffer fabrics.

Therefore you need to assess each shoe style and width to find the perfect fit for you.

Hey Dude Men's Wally Sox Micro Total Black Men's 11 & Women's 13 | Men's Loafers | Men's Slip On Shoes | Comfortable & Light-Weight

Do Hey Dudes Stretch Out Over Time?

Do Hey Dude shoes stretch out over time? Well, it depends on the fabric that they are made from as to whether the shoe will tend to maintain its size or start to stretch as it gets worn.

Any Hey Dudes that are made in a stretchy or elasticated fabric will start to expand with wear as they adjust to your foot. Popular styles that have stretchy fabric include the Wally Eco Sox styles. Shoes such as the Welsh Chambray are made from a stiffer material so they are unlikely to get much bigger with wear unless you actively take steps to stretch them.

It is worth noting that Hey Dudes also make footwear such as flip flops which of course will stay exactly the same size even if you wear them all the time so you need to make sure you buy the right size from the start.

How Much Do Hey Dudes Stretch?

If you have a pair of Hey Dude shoes that are in a stretch style then you are likely to find that they will get looser by a half size once they are fully worn in. If you have a wide fit they could feel even looser.

Non-stretch Hey Dude shoes such as the canvas styles are unlikely to stretch at all which means you need to pick a shoe size that is the right fit for your feet as soon as you purchase them. If you don’t the alternative is to use some of my suggestions below to stretch them manually to see if that will help.

Hey Dude Women's Wendy Slub Canvas White Size 9 | Women's Shoes | Women's Slip On Shoes | Comfortable & Light-Weight

Can You Loosen Hey Dudes?

Many of the most popular styles Hey Dude style shoes such as the Wally come with a set of adjustable laces that can be used to change the fit of the shoes. Tighten the laces to ensure that your shoes have a snug fit or alternatively loosen them in order to give yourself a little more room inside the footwear.

If you want to loosen Hey Dudes other than just by the laces you will need to manually stretch the shoe or if you have a stretchy style you will have to wait until the shoes mold to your feet.

If you want to know how to tighten Hey Dude shoes then look at the photo below. You can see how the laces can simply be pulled closed as opposed to my earlier picture when they were fully open.

The good news is that most Hey Dude shoes can be stretched with some simple strategies. Usually stretching the material will increase the shoe size by half to one full size.

Will Washing Hey Dudes Shrink Them?

As I mentioned earlier each Hey Dude style is slightly different which means that it makes sense for you to check their washing instructions before you start to do anything with the material.

For the most part, Hey Dude shoes can be placed in a washing machine but you need to take some precautions to stop them from shrinking.

Firstly make sure that you are only using a cold water wash. Hot water is likely to shrink your shoes so avoid this method of washing. If you are using the washing machine use a delicate cycle and a washing powder or liquid that is gentle on the material such as Woolite.

Air dry your shoes when they come out of the washing machine and stuff them with newspaper or shoe trees to make sure they keep their shape and do not shrink.

Woolite Delicates Hypoallergenic Liquid Laundry Detergent, 16 fl oz Bottle, Hand & Machine Wash (Pack of 3)

Are Hey Dudes Ok for Wide Feet?

Do Hey Dudes Stretch Out? Well, you might not need to consider this if you choose to buy a pair of their wide-fit shoes instead of a regular pair.

If you have wide feet it makes much more sense to buy the wider-fit shoes in your regular size rather than sizing up in a regular shoe. That way you will get a much better fit on your feet.

Remember when buying your shoes read carefully whether the style is a normal or wider fit so that you get the perfect size for you. Hey Dudes do plenty of wide-fit styles but not every one of the designs comes in this width-fitting.

How to Stretch Hey Dude Shoes

If you have purchased a pair of Hey Dude Shoes and found that they don’t fit properly there are a number of things that you can do to help stretch the material.

The following suggestions are suitable for most Hey Dude Shoes but if in doubt take your shoes to a professional cobbler who will be able to give you advice so that you don’t ruin your shoes.

Use a Shoe Stretcher

I really believe that every home should have a four-way shoe stretcher. These are brilliant devices that don’t cost the earth and enable you to stretch your shoes.

A two-way shoe stretcher tends to only be able to increase the length of the shoe but a four-way stretcher which costs similar can also make your shoes wider as well.

One of these will make your Hey Dues fit better and can also help address problems that you have with other shoes as well. These are particularly useful if you have problems such as bunions as well so that you can fit in your shoes.

Just pop this into your shoes and tighten the parts to get the tension you need. Leave your shoes in it for at least 24 hours and assess the fit. Repeat the process as necessary to get your shoes to fit properly.

UNIKOO Shoe Stretcher Men, 4-Way Shoe Stretcher Men Wide Feet, 2Pcs Adjustable Expander Widener Shoe Trees with Shoe Horn and Carrying Bag

Use a Stretching Spray

Whilst a stretching spray might not be particularly helpful with the knitted styles it is certainly something that can be used on some of the canvas Hey Dude styles.

As I have already said canvas Hey Dude shoes are less likely to stretch as you break them in but stretching sprays that are designed for this material can help the fabric to move.

Just spray this inside your shoes and then immediately wear them to get the material to fit your foot.

If you want to you can use this spray together with the shoe stretching spray.

FOOTMATTERS StretchAll Premium Grade Shoe Stretch - 1 bottle

Wear Socks With Your Heah Dudes

Do Hey Dudes stretch out? Well if you have a pair that are a snug fit and in one of the elasticated or stretchy styles then you might want to think about wearing a pair of socks with the shoes.

Generally wearing socks with Hey Dude shoes is optional and in the summer many people choose not to wear them for that casual look and cool feet.

If however, you wear a pair of thick socks with the shoes when you initially buy them you will stretch the material just that bit faster.

The Ice Bag Trick

A low-cost option is the ice bag trick which I have talked about before. This is a really cheap method to stretch shoe material and get that extra room you might need in your shoes.

Get a sealable freezer bag and fill it half to two-thirds full of water. Seal the bag making sure that you have got most of the air out and then place that in another freezer bag. Pop the bag with water into the area of the shoe that needs stretching.

Now place your shoes in a plastic bag and pop them in the freezer for at least 24 hours. The water will turn to ice which in turn will expand and put pressure on the shoe material stretching it.

Remove the shoes from the freezer and allow the ice to melt in the bag before removing and trying on your shoes to see if they fit better.

How to Shrink Hey Dude Shoes

Whilst many people want to know do Hey Dudes stretch out others have the opposite problem which is what can they do if they have a pair that are too big.

As I mentioned earlier washing them in hot water can cause shrinkage. That means if you put them on a hot wash in your machine they are likely to shrink in size however the problem is that you can’t control what that shrinkage might be.

Another alternative is to place the shoes in a tumble dryer and put them on low heat for ten minutes at a time. This is a simpler way to see if they shrink and if you are checking them regularly you shouldn’t get to the stage where the shrinkage has become too much.

If shrinking them doesn’t make them small enough for you then you could think about wearing an orthotic or insole inside your shoes so that the extra room space is removed.