Photo by Janeway216

School's back in session!  While some of us are furiously coordinating that perfect first-day-of-school ensemble, let us not forget that school can be a dangerous place for our fabulous first-day-of-school shoes!  Those of us in particular who attend schools in sunny climates or large school campuses, may find ourselves walking through vast lengths of concrete that will quickly wear down our soles and heel tips.  However, loyal customers of NewHeelTips.com are already at the head of the class when it comes to replacing our heeltips before our shoes are ruined.  But what do we do when we accidentally take a step in our classmates' sticky gum?

If we're wearing casual shoes that are hardy and unlikely to show damage, there are several gum removal options available:  We can rub the gum in sand or rough concrete, or even spray the gum with an oily substance like WD-40, peanut butter, baby oil,  or Goo Gone before rubbing it off with paper towels.  However, for those of us who wear shoes that require more delicate handling, or who would just prefer a more cautious method, it's time to start taking notes on the following gum-removal project:

Before we begin, we'll need to have an air-tight food storage bag (large enough to easily fit your shoe) a putty knife, a timer, and enough space in your freezer to place the shoe.


1.  If at first you don't succeed, dry, dry again

Allow the insides and outsides of the shoe to dry completely before we begin.  If it's damp from sweat, or has rain or snow on it, let it sit somewhere dry overnight before beginning this project.


2.  This plastic bag isn't for your sandwich...

Place the gummed-up shoe in the food storage bag and if the gum is still sticky, press it into the plastic.  Never allow the shoe to buckle or fold in the plastic bag, as this may create permanent wrinkles in the shoe, and may even weaken the integrity of the shoe's structure.  Find a larger bag if it doesn't fit easily into the bag at hand.  Also make sure the bag is air-tight  and sealed to prevent moisture from further damaging the shoe.


3.  Watch the clock

Place the bagged shoe in the freezer and set the timer for one hour.  Don't squeeze or force the shoe into the freezer for the same reasons as described in step 2.


4.  Class is dismissed.

Remove the bagged shoe from the freezer after one hour, and while being careful to not warm the gum with body heat from your hands, carefully remove the shoe from the plastic bag.  The gum may, or may not transfer off of the shoe and onto the plastic.  If it remains on the shoe, proceed to step 5 while the gum is still frozen.



5.  Apply yourself!

Using the putty knife, carefully chip off the gum, angling the putty knife underneath the edge of the gum.  Make sure to not strain the shoe's sole by flexing the shoe too much, and also be careful to avoid scratching other areas of the shoe.


Congratulations!  We've mastered the art of gum removal!  A+!

Summer is now in full swing!  Time to pack your swimsuits and strappy little sandals, and get out of town for a summer adventure.  But how do you pack your favorite shoes without the risk of damaging them?  Dealing with shoe repair while on vacation isn't exactly an ideal situation, so here are a few tips on how to pack your shoes properly.


Photo by Lauren Nelson

1.  Choose your bag carefully.  

If you're afraid of squashing your stylish stilettos, consider replacing your duffel or backpack with a rigid or hard-shell suitcase to offer more protection to shoes that might crumple and lose their shape.  A rigid suitcase will also protect you from the discomfort of carrying a bag with pointy heels poking from the sides.


2.  Select your shoes carefully.  

In addition to your heels, also pack flats or sneakers for when you find yourself walking on brutal cobblestone streets, touring dusty vineyards, or picnicking on a grassy lawn.


3.  Repair your shoes.  

Check to see if any repairs need to be done--you don't want to spend any of your precious vacation time searching for a cobbler, spending money buying replacement shoes, or worse--wearing your shoes while damaged (which can cause greater and possibly permanent damage to the shoe and your feet!)  Also, Some people do more walking while on vacation than in their day-to-day lives, so anticipate that your heeltips may wear a little faster during your trip, and consider replacing your old worn-out heeltips with fresh ones before you leave.

4.  Prepare your shoes.  

Wipe down leather shoes and soles with a soft dry cloth and Wipe rubber soles and heel tips with a damp cloth to avoid dirtying other items in your suitcase.  Allow all parts of your shoes (especially the insoles) to dry completely before packing them. 


5.  Bring the appropriate accessories.

A cloth shoe bag can protect your leather and suede shoes from scuffs and scratches.  Shoe liner-style socks not only keep your feet comfortable on hot summer days, but they also protect your shoes from sweaty unpleasant odors and moisture damage.


6.  Pack your shoes carefully.

Stuff rolled-up socks inside all of your crushable shoes.  Packing order is important--Pack rigid shoes, stilettos, and boots first.  Then pack your clothes--allowing them to wrap around the shoes, while filling in the spaces, providing padded protection and also securing your shoes in place.  Lastly, you can wedge ballet flats, flip flops or flat sandals in the edges of your suitcase.  If you aren't storing your shoes in shoe bags, remember to keep your heels pointed away from delicate items like pantyhose, satin or lacy dresses, and lingerie.  Alternatively, instead of using a shoe bag, you can also wrap shoes in sturdy clothing, like jeans.  Just remember to clean your shoes, first!  In a pinch, a plastic bag can also work as a cloth shoe bag alternative, as long as you dry out your shoes completely before placing them inside--this will discourage mildew and odors from setting in, and is especially important if you're visiting a humid area.


7.  Avoid over-packing.

Over-packing a bag can strain and damage the zipper.  If your zipper breaks, the items in your bag could easily fall out and become lost.  Over packing will also squeeze everything inside your suitcase, which can lead to wrinkled leather or fabric, overflexed and split soles, broken heels, dented toe boxes, and warped shoe backs.  You can avoid over packing, by lmiting the number of shoes that you bring.  Aim to pack no more than four pairs (easier said than done, we know!)  Packing one of each of the following should be sufficient:  High heels for going out at night, flats for shopping or walking tours, trail running shoes or sneakers for light hiking, and flip flops, sandals, or water socks for water-related activities.  If you must bring heavy hiking boots, consider wearing them on the plane or inside the car.  Just be prepared to arrive at the airport with enough time to sit down and remove your boots at the security gate (and then lace them back up again!) while everyone else is rushing past you!

Packing can be tricky, but taking extra care when packing your shoes will save you from wasting time and money!  And more time and money means more fun in the sun!

For our very first Heeltips blog entry, we’d first of all like to welcome all of our returning and first-time customers! Whether you use NewHeelTips.com to save money, to keep wearing your can’t-let-go shoes, or because you’re a regular DIY-er, we hope that this blog will give you some valuable and entertaining information about shoe repair, maintenance, and culture.

This post is all about Heeltip Removal and Pliers Usage. It’s important to mention up-front that your ability to remove the old tip is directly related to how much of that tip is left. A very small, very worn-out tip will be difficult to grip, and possibly brittle and prone to breaking. If the tip breaks you can still remove the pin using pliers; but the other danger involves placement of the pliers. If your tip is very worn-out (or worn out unevenly, as is often the case), gripping just the plastic without accidentally getting the heel can be tricky! A common first-time repair mistake involves gripping the heel along with the tip to be removed. This can result in denting or imprinting grooves into the otherwise smooth heel, which is extremely frustrating. Careful placement will avoid this problem.

One of the first tricks of the trade we discovered here at NewHeelTips.com was the importance of pliers choice in removing the old tip. Those tips are built to stay in, so it can take a bit of muscle to get them out! The right pair of pliers can make sure your muscle isn’t wasted, directing the force of your grip and your pulling so the tip comes out easily without slipping (or you breaking a sweat)!

Not all pliers are built equally – for the best user experience, you’ll want to remove your old tip using some kind of Slip Joint Pliers. Slip joint pliers allow you to adjust the size of the gap between the plier jaws (those toothy  grippers at the front) so that your grip on the tip is flat, not at an angle. Common two-position straight grip pliers will work just fine; the connoisseur might consider a pair of tongue-and-groove pliers, also known as adjustable pliers or Channellocks. You will want to use short, flat-nose or round-nose pliers (as opposed to long needle-nose pliers) for a surer grip. We personally don’t like to use locking pliers for removing tips; we’ve found that locking the jaws into place can increase slippage (if the jaws are too loose) or deforming / breaking (if the jaws are too tight), but we’ve met others who swear by them. If correctly calibrated so that the grip is strong - but not TOO strong - locking pliers can allow you focus on pulling rather than squeezing. Locking or not, you’re going to need a solid grip to pull those puppies out.

As mentioned above, once you’ve chosen your optimal pliers, placing them correctly on the tip is crucial. Place the jaws slowly and carefully on the old, worn-out tip so that the entire remainder of the tip is being clamped by the jaw, but so none of the jaw is clamped onto the heel! You can see the illustration on our How-To page for an example – notice how the pliers have the entire tip.

Once you’re confident of the placement, grip the shoe firmly to make sure it doesn’t slip, and watch your fingers so you don’t pinch yourself! It is common for pliers to slip if improperly placed; to prevent this, add pressure slowly as you squeeze good and hard. As we’ve said – these tips are meant to stay in your shoes, and before you can pull them out, you need to have a good grip on them. A good pair of pliers will give you better leverage on the tip, so you won’t have to squeeze so hard, but a solid grip with any pair of pliers ought to do the trick. Once your grip on the old tip is firm, it’s time to pull!
We tend to alternate between three types of pulling until the tip comes out, namely:
 

1. A good, solid, straight-out, away-from-the-heel pull. This takes the most muscle, but will probably be the pull that gets the tip out.
2. A very slight twisting and wrist rotation while pulling out. This helps to loosen the tip, but you don’t want to twist the tip around inside the heel! The pin on the heeltip has grooves to keep it from turning around inside the heel; too much twisting during removal (or insertion of the new tip, for that matter) can stop those grooves from sticking in place inside the heel.
3. A very slight round circling movement of the whole arm while pulling out. This helps to make sure the tip isn’t jammed in at an angle while pulling out. Don’t put too much circular rotation on the tip, or you could weaken or break the actual heel!

This is a lot of detail for what will almost certainly be a very easy procedure – really, you squeeze and pull! If you don’t feel comfortable pulling the tip out yourself, it’s usually not hard to find someone who enjoys working with tools who will be glad to help with this simple job. Personally, I ask my husband to help – he usually doesn’t care about my shoes, but I hand him a stiletto and a pair of pliers, and he’s suddenly very interested, and happy to appear useful!

With the right set of pliers, a proper grip, and some pulling as detailed above, that old tip will come out flawlessly, and your new tip and rejuvenated shoes will be just a few hammer strokes away!

Hope this helps, and we’d love to hear any tips of your own below! From all of us at NewHeelTips.com – keep on strutting!