How to break in shoes that rub your heel

Buying a brand new pair of shoes is one of life's greatest pleasures, and breaking them in is among its greatest pains. It's no wonder, then, that a thriving ecosystem—made up of would-be leather whisperers, shockingly opinionated keyboard warriors, and plenty of fellas who seem more interested in feet than shoes—has emerged online to dole out advice to the blistered masses, some of it more sound than the rest.

Perhaps you've seen the videos of your favorite TikTok star running over a new pair of Docs with a car. (Instant virality and broken-in shoes?

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Two birds, one stone.) Or perhaps you've heard whispers of a wild routine that involves stuffing your shoes with water balloons and stashing them in the freezer (next to your months-old raw denim, of course). These days, there's no shortage of zany breaking-in methods floating around the web, so, with sore arches and raw heels, we went straight to the real experts to get the lowdown on what actually works.

Don't rev the engine of your janky Accord just yet—the process is way less involved than you might

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