FootFitter Cast Iron Ball & Ring Shoe Stretcher for Targeted Relief

I decided to try this medieval looking device for stretching shoes because my 79 yr. old husband was complaining that no shoes in his stuffed closet were comfortable. He has an extremely extended bunion projecting out of his right foot by his big toe. Even though he always bought extra wide shoes and placed a wooden shoe stretcher in them at night, his bunion always hurt and appeared red and swollen. His doctor suggested surgery for his pain and discomfort but after considering that option, we decided surgery was a last resort because of the long recovery during which he would not be able to walk daily as is his usual routine. We spent a couple of hours researching what devices were on the market for bunions. After seeing this bunion stretcher on Amazon, we thought we would give it a try. We bought some Kiwi shoe stretcher spray also. At first, we could not fathom how to use this strange device but soon my husband figured it out and adjusted the metal ball to stretch out exactly the location of his bunion on the shoe. Then he sprayed the outside of his shoe at the spot and inserted the stretcher. Wow, it really worked!! After a few hours, his shoe was stretched out unnoticeably in the perfect spot. No staining from the spray. Now he is switching the stretcher from shoe to shoe and is really excited to be able to actually wear his large variety of shoes, boots, and sandals. We tried the stretcher on my stiff, almost new Ecco walking shoes which were pressing on my little toes, making it painful to walk. Voila! My expensive shoes are now comfy without having to take them in to be stretched. We highly recommend this bunion stretcher and we are being super careful not to drop it or exert too much pressure since other reviewers have warned that the cast iron could break under extra stress. If you have shoes that you're not wearing, give this stretcher a try! Way cheaper than buying more shoes!!

I gave this product a five because it is simply the best product that i have found on the market to stretch only the area of the shoe where it needs to be stretched. I have gone through four pair of not inexpensive shoes in the last year to find a shoe that that does not cause me tremendous pain. i have purchased the traditional in-the-shoe wooden stretchers with the inserts to stretch for bunions and have even modified the location of the inserts. while the wooden stretchers did offer some relief, it was impossible to stretch just the right spot. i had already offered to donate two more pair of new shoes that didn't work to a church when the FootFitter Bunion Stretcher arrived (sooner than expected) and rather than stretch my new 200 dollar shoes (still in the box) I thought, why not try out the FootFitter on one of the shoes I was going to give away. Well, I'm sorry to say, I will not be giving the shoes away. after a couple of days of trial and error i have stretched just the right spot on the offending shoe. A word of caution, as is stated in the brief instruction for use. Consider placing something between the ring and the shoe so as not to mar the finish of the shoe and don't try to stretch too much too soon. The instructions are simple and clear, if one is suffering as I have there may be a tendency to want to get the stretching done all at once; resist the temptation and do it in increments. I have not stretched my very expensive new shoes but from my experience so far I am confident that they will feel even better on my suffering feet after using FootFitter. I will also be taking some of the casting imperfections on the ring off to achieve a perfectly smooth finish where the ring will be in contact with the shoe. I don't consider the finish of the ball and ring to be an issue, and it may be simply a little OCD being put to good use. Other stretcher are good in their own right and I offer no complaints for their function or usability; however, FootFitter Bunion Stretcher is the only solution for my particular needs.

Due to being born with club feet and getting a number of other foot issues, I have had a LOT of foot surgeries over the years. My right foot now has a very prominent bone spur on the top, right around the base of the big toe. Getting new shoes has always been an exercise in pain tolerance for me while I wait for the leather to stretch around that lump. My most recent pair of shoes (New Balance 928 v2) was way worse in this regard than my prior "original" 928's, and the pain was so bad one day that at one point I nearly passed out just walking a block from the car to a restaurant. I had to go back to the older worn-out shoe just to get some relief. I'd never heard of a "bunion stretcher" before. I was searching for any kind of "vertical" shoe stretcher here on Amazon and found this tool. I am SO glad I did and bought this! It's taken nearly two weeks of maneuvering the tool around that area of the shoe (it's where the side, toe box, and tongue flaps meet and are stitched together) and clamping it as tight as I can, and I really need another couple of days, but it's already MUCH more comfortable than before I started using it. Now that I know how it works and how WELL it works, I'll be using this on every pair of new shoes I buy before ever putting them on my feet. Per other reviewer comments, I'm combining this with Moneysworth & Best's shoe stretching fluid. I clamp the stretcher on, screw the clamp as tight as I can, then apply the shoe stretching liquid inside the ring part (on the outside of the shoe). After a few hours, I tighten the clamp *again* to maximize the stretch. Let it go overnight, release and move slightly, then repeat. My situation is unusual, I know, and I'm guessing others who buy this will find the job gets done a lot faster. But considering my only other option would be a fully custom-made shoe that would cost hundreds of dollars, the time needed to get it fitting right is absolutely worth it!

I got this ball-and-ring fitting device to help heat-mold a pair of inline skates. I have an enlarged bony growth on my left ankle that rubs and gets painful whenever I skate, and I've been working gradually molding the cuffs of my skates to accommodate that ankle. After heating the plastic boot cuff, this tool works fairly well at punching out the plastic. It doesn't happen in one shot... you have to heat and reheat the area, use the tool, cool, try on, reheat, etc. The ball is small on this tool, so it punches out a small, bunion-sized area (as the name implies.) If you're punching out a larger area to accommodate an ankle, then it'll take several tries. All in all I like this tool, but my one gripe is that the screw at the end of the handles (which locks them in place once you've clamped them down) stripped out pretty quickly, so now I can't just lock it in place and leave it until the plastic cools.... I have to hang onto it, which can get tiring for my hands. Still, I've been able to accomplish what I wanted to do with this tool, and it was inexpensive.

Make sure you wrap the ends of the metal in cotton or cloth pads, so that it doesn't crack patent leather or leave marks. Note: this review is not from someone who is using it for bunions. It's for someone who needs to constantly soften and expand the height of the toe box of shoes, because of how irritated toes get, and to break-in a shoe before wearing it. I worked as a manager at Nordstrom's in the shoe department years back and you learn there how every tool can be used 2-3 different ways. This tool is awesome and softening the undersides of toe boxes, when you have toes that are sensitive to rubbing anywhere in that area. My big toe and the nail always gets pinched, irritated, falls asleep because of the angle in which that particular toe hits the top portion of a shoe. The more of shallow of downward slope that a pump or a sneaker has to the point/end, the worst it gets. This tool does wonders for alleviating that problem. It takes a lot of arm muscles - cannot leave it clamped to the shoe overnight, otherwise it will make a spot for bunion that I don't have. Instead, I almost crimp the leather along the toe box, releasing after 2 minutes and then reapplying pressure in a spot right next to where I started, work around the whole shoe until the entire toe box is softened. Often it takes 2-3 repeating this process to get it soft, but once it's done the shoe is noticeably more comfortable.

Very effective tool. Solidly built, easy-to-use.

I have been experiencing my feet naturally widening as I am aging. It is a normal process according to a podiatrist I consulted with. But with my feet widening, I am experiencing pressure on my bunions on my feet. I had my shoes stretched by a company, but it didn't resolve the issue. I found this tool, so I wanted to try it before I have to get new shoes. It worked perfectly. I am so happy with the tool. It is iron, it stretches leather and vinyl for me so far. I highly recommend it along with a shoe stretch spray.

The shoes stretcher is very sturdy. I bought it two months ago and went to use it now. What I did not know is that the knob is so sharp with pointy spikes on it that causes great deal of pain to turn it. It is like a torture device for your fingers. I got it on, but could not stand it getting it off and had to use plyers. I wish I would have used it sooner. I am guessing I got a defective one, but it is too late to return it for a replacement. If you order one, please use it right away so you know if the knob is good or defective.

Vraiment efficace.

Now I can get exactly the stretch in my shoes that I need. Previously the shoe shop did it and it was never quite right......and every time it cost me. This tool is so simple and easy to use.

Tellement pratique, il y a longtemps que je cherchais cet article, par contre c’est un peu cher mais soulage mes pieds et me permets de continuer à porter des chaussures que je je portaient plus car c’était trop souffrant.

This is very heavy, but that's the only minus. The plus is that it really works, and if I had bought it earlier, I wouldn't have got rid of so many pairs of shoes! Normally my bunion would only allow me to walk about comfortably for a short period of time, but using this super invention I managed to wear my shoes all afternoon and evening, so I am so glad I bought it. It's expensive but worth it!

Very Poor quality for the finished surface of the hoop. It’s too rough that it damages the leather and didn’t notice that until used it. Don’t know how did it pass the QC of the factory, if there is any.