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How to Remove Insoles From Shoes (Using 3 Basic Methods)

How to Remove Insoles From Shoes (Using 3 Basic Methods)

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Having a nice pair of shoes is important in many ways. People have different pairs of shoes for different occasions, too.

For example, you might have some shoes that you wear because they’re comfortable as well as dress shoes that you wear to formal events. Sometimes certain shoes will be harder to wear because they’re too tight.

You might be able to make more room for your feet if you remove the insoles. If you’ve never done this before, then you might not be sure what to do.

Keep reading to learn how to remove insoles from shoes. This should help you to get the insoles out so that you can do what you need to do.

1 – Sometimes You Can Take the Insoles Out Using Your Hands

Sometimes you can remove shoe soles by using your hands

Depending on what type of shoe you’re dealing with, it might be possible to remove the insoles using your hands. You can reach inside of the shoe and grab the insole so that you can pull it out.

If the insole appears to be stuck, then that means that there is some type of adhesive that you’ll need to deal with. That will be discussed later.

You might get lucky and be able to pull the insole out without it being hard at all. If this is the case, then you can do what you need to do without worry.

Try not to force the insole out if it doesn’t seem like it wants to come out. You don’t want to rip the insole and have part of it become stuck deeper in the shoe.

That would just make things harder for you because you’d have a tough time pulling the chunk of the insole out that’s difficult to reach with your hands. Be careful and see if the insole comes out easily or not.

2 – Use a Hair Dryer

Often, insoles will be stuck to the shoe using some type of glue. In this case, you’ll want to use a hair dryer to try to loosen the glue.

Use a hair dryer and position it so that you can heat up the inside of the shoe. It might take some time, but this should loosen the glue enough that you’ll be able to pull the insole out.

You’ll just need to exercise some patience to get this job done. It can be tedious waiting for the hair dryer to loosen the glue, but it might not take too long depending on the circumstances.

Check every so often to see if the hair dryer has loosened the glue enough to get the job done. If it hasn’t, then you can just keep going until it’s ready.

3 – Pull the Tacks up

The other method that is commonly used to keep the insole in place involves using tacks. Sometimes tacks are sticking the insole to the bottom of the shoe.

You should be able to use a flat screwdriver to pull the tacks up. It might be tricky to get to some of the tacks, but you can do it if you’re vigilant.

Try to position the flat screwdriver well enough that you’ll be able to reach the tacks. Pull them up individually until they’re all gone.

It might be helpful to have someone shine a light in the shoe for you. If you’re having trouble seeing where the tacks are, then try to use light to your advantage.

If you don’t have someone to hold a flashlight for you, then you could position the shoe underneath a lamp. You should be able to get the tacks pulled up if you keep working at it.

Why Would You Remove Insoles?

Why would you remove shoe insoles

As mentioned earlier, some people will want to remove insoles in shoes to make more room. If you find that a pair of dress shoes are too tight, then you might want to see if removing the insoles will make it easier to wear the shoes.

Tight shoes might also need to have the insoles removed so that you can place other insoles in there. You might want more comfortable insoles, but you won’t be able to fit the inserts over the top of the insoles since the shoes are tight.

Sometimes people remove insoles when they become smelly, too. You might choose to replace insoles if you have issues with sweaty feet and your shoes are starting to stink.

The inserts that you can buy for the shoes might be much better than the natural insoles in terms of comfort anyway. Some people have doctors recommend certain inserts to help them to deal with foot injuries.

Is Wearing Shoes Without Insoles Okay?

Whether wearing shoes without insoles will be a pleasant experience depends. You see, some shoes will be fine while others might crease a bit when they flex.

If a shoe creases when it flexes, then that has the potential to cause blisters. That means that you could have to deal with blisters if the shoes crease, but this doesn’t happen with most shoes.

Typically, it’ll be perfectly fine to wear shoes that don’t have insoles. If you need more room in the shoes due to them being overly tight, then removing the insoles will be a sensible move.

Running without insoles might feel a bit harsh, though. This is because you won’t be getting the proper cushioning that you need when running.

If you’re planning on jogging, then it’d be better to buy a pair of shoes that fits well even with the insoles in. You might simply need to be patient and try on shoes at the shoe store until you find the perfect fit.

Final Thoughts

You now know how to remove insoles from shoes safely. Sometimes it can be slightly tricky to get this done, but it might wind up being easy if you’re lucky.

Some shoes have insoles that will come right out when you pull them up. Others will be stuck to the bottom of the shoe with glue or tacks.

You can loosen the glue using a hair dryer if that’s what’s keeping you from being able to pull the insole up. Eventually, the insole will come up so long as you’re patient.

Removing tacks will be easy enough if you have a flat screwdriver. It might take some effort to reach some of the tacks, but you’ll get the insole out with a little bit of patience.

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