How To Break In Vans Shoes - Fastest Ways To Make Them Comfortable

Last Updated on January 11, 2026 by Martina McKeough

When you buy Vans or other canvas shoes it can be tempting to think you can put them on your feet straight out of the box and wear them all day. Believe me when I tell you this is a bad idea. Instead you need to learn how to break in Vans shoes to prevent foot pain and blisters.

Whilst Vans may be easier to break in than some shoes such as Doc Martens it is still worth taking a little time to get to get them to mold to your feet so they are more comfortable to wear.

Breaking in new Vans shoes doesn’t have to be difficult as I’ll demonstrate and it will save you from suffering any discomfort whilst your feet get used to your footwear.

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Breaking in Vans The Slow Way

If you are not in a hurry to break in your Vans shoes then the easiest way to break in your new shoes it to gradually increase the time you wear them for each day until they feel fully comfortable. A

So when I buy a new pair of shoes I tend to wear them for an hour around the house for the first few days to get my feet used to walking around in rigid shoes.

When I feel my feet can comfortably deal with wearing them for that long I start to increase the time I wear them for each day. Vans stretch overtime using this method and start to mold to my feet.

Once I can wear them comfortably around the house I’ll start to wear them for short walks around the neighbourhood and gradually build up the time I’m wearing them for until I don’t notice them on my feet anymore.

This is a slow but sensible approach that works and saves you from finding out they hurt when you wear them out of the box and have to suffer a day of pain from trying to walk in painful shoes.

How To Break Vans In By Wearing Thick Socks

Wearing chunky socks can make the breaking in process even easier as they help to stretch the uppers of your shoes slightly as you wear them. This is especially useful if your shoes feel tight.

Just pop a pair of thick socks on your feet and start wearing your new Vans shoes around the house with them on to help protect your feet from any rubbing or friction. When you wear thick socks walking is easier as your skin is not forced against the rigid material of the new shoes.

When your shoes feel comfortable you can easily swap the thick socks out for thinner ones to make sure they are ok before wearing them outside.

I always recommend wearing socks in Vans shoes even though many people think they should be worn barefoot.

Socks help to protect your feet and help with foot hygiene as well. As you can buy no show socks its easy to get the bare foot look even though you are wearing something on your feet.

Switching or Adding New Insoles

I tend to find that Vans insoles (along with many other brands) aren’t that comfortable.

Vans in particular are primarily designed as skater shoes so they don’t have much cushioning and zero arch support in the the regular styles. So to make up for this I add insoles or orthotics to help make them more comfortable,

Some people remove the Vans insoles entirely and replace them with a new insole. I take a different approach and tend to add a further insole or orthotic on top of the existing one.

Do you need a bigger shoe size if you are wearing an insole or orthotic? Well it depends on how much room you have in your shoes.

Most of the time I am able to get away with adding one in my ordinary size but if your have a particularly thick insole or orthotic then you will need to size up.

As super cushioned insoles are easier to walk in it speeds up the breaking in process.

Flexing The Shoes

Learning how to break in Vans shoes manually using some hands-on techniques can help to speed up the softening of stiff canvas, suede or leather before wear. You can do this by any of the following methods.

You can try and grip the vulcanized rubber midsole edge with both hands and start bending the shoe backwards and forwards to make the shoes less rigid. Bending Vans won’t ruin your shoes as they are relatively flexible my design.

If you cup the heel and ball of the foot sections whilst twisting them backwards and forwards that stretches the soles and helps them to feel more comfortable when you wear them.

Focus first on gripping the vulcanized rubber midsole edge with both hands and bending back and forth to increase pliability and decrease rigidity. Cupping the heel and ball of the foot sections while twisting gently back and forth also stretches the sole better contoured to your feet when standing.

On canvas Vans you can also pinch and gather sections of the shoe between your fingertips then smooth repeatedly to help the breaking in process.

You can also grip the toe box as well, bending it back sharply while holding the heel flat to flex the shoes

Do this regularly for a few days and the shoes will start to soften and become more flexible which helps stop shoes rubbing.

How To Break in Vans Fast – Use a Shoe Stretcher

If you want to know how to break in Vans shoes if you are in a hurry then think about using a shoe stretcher to help stretch the uppers.

Shoe stretchers can help to increase the size of your shoes if they are too tight but they can also help to stretch our pinch points or areas of the shoe that feel a little uncomfortable.

You may need to think about what type of shoe stretcher you want before your start. Some help to increase the size of your instep whilst a four way shoe stretcher can help to increase the length or width of your shoes.

If you are just breaking them in I would use the stretcher for short spaces of time only. This is because you don’t want to stretch the fabric too far as then your Vans shoes will be too big.

Start by using the stretcher for short periods such as half an hour at a time. Taking the shoes off the stretcher and trying them on for size. If you need a little more stretching you can put them in for longer.

If I were stretching shoes to increase the size I normally put them in the stretcher for a day. This will work for just about all shoes including Vans with canvas uppers and suede shoes.

For a gentler approach you can use shoe trees as an alternative. These help to keep the shoes shape without stretching out the material.

How To Break in Vans Shoes Using a Shoe Stretching Spray

Vans stretch faster with a Shoe stretching spray. I tend to spritz my Vans uppers with it and wear them immediately to break them in.

I tend to spray the insides of my shoes with the spray. Pop on a pair of socks and then wear the shoes around the house to allow the material to start to expand.

I find that shoe stretching spray is better for breaking in shoes that using the shoe stretcher as there is less chance of making the shoes too big.

You can of course use both if you want but I really only ever do that if I have a pair of shoes that is way too small and need all the help they can get to become substantially larger.

How To Break in Vans Slip Ons With a Hairdryer

A hairdryer provides can be an easy way to gently break in stiff new Vans and stop painful spots developing into blisters. Like the shoe stretcher you should use a hairdryer carefully.

I remove the laces and inserts of my shoes and think about heating the exterior of the uppers first.

Turn on your hairdryer to a low to medium setting only. Never blast the hairdryer onto your shoes on a high heel as it can damage the materials your shoes are made from.

Make sure you hold the hairdryer at least 6 inches away from your shoes and start to move the nozzle backwards and forwards over the shoe. Try and concentrate on the area where you may have pinch points such as the toe box or the back of the heel.

If an area has been warmed for 30 seconds turn off the hairdryer and gently twist or bend the area you need to make softer. The heat from the dryer helps to soften the shoes making them easier to manipulate. Just be careful not to burn your hands.

When the shoes have cooled down replace the inserts and laces and start walking around in them to see if what you have done is enough.

You can repeat the process on any stiff areas until the shoes feel more flexible and easy to wear.

Using Moleskin Or Foot Pads

Whilst I’m breaking in shoes I also tend to think about whether I need to use moleskin or padding on my shoes or feet to help the process.

It isn’t unusual for some shoes to pinch, rub or cause friction in certain areas which can cause blisters and shoe bites.

Using moleskin tape on the inside of shoes to cover annoying seams or uncomfortable areas can help your shoes to glide over your skin rather than drag.

Heel pads can also work well on the back of your shoes if that is a sore point.

Hopefully most of these will only be needed on a temporary basis until your shoes get used to your feet.

Use Vaseline or Shoe Anti-Friction Stick

Another alternative is using Vaseline or an anti-friction stick to help stop any friction.

Whilst Vaseline works I don’t tend to use it and prefect the anti-friction sticks as their balm tends to last longer on my skin.

These work a little like a lipstick. You just twist the dial and the balm appears. Rub that over any areas where there is friction and your shoes should now glide over your skin.

Just remember you may need to top this up a few times over the course of a day. Luckily these are usually pocket size so they are easy to carry around with you.

Why Breaking In Shoes Is Important

Taking time to break in your shoes does matter for a number of reasons:

Comfort – Brand new, stiff shoes often cause blisters, rubbing and pinch points until properly broken in and molded to your feet. Getting shoes to contour to your unique foot shape takes time.
Flexibility – Materials need to become more pliable, flexible and adaptive to feet before being comfortable to wear. Missing this step means discomfort and foot pain.
Prevention – Failing to break in shoes can cause corns, bunions, heels spurs, and exacerbate foot conditions and cause pain.
Longevity – If shoes aren’t broken in properly early on, the resulting friction and pressure from the poor fit starts to strains the shoe materials faster which lessens their durability.

Taking the time to properly break in your footwear means your shoes will be more comfortable and last longer.

How Long Does It Take To Break in Vans

Breaking in Vans using the slower methods can take a month or more before your shoes feel comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time.

However if you use some of my tips expect that time to be reduced by half as you are speeding up many of the processes.

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