When the new pair of the shoe bites, the excitement and joy of wearing the new possession turns into pain. Shoe bite is a common problem and it usually occurs due to tight or loose shoes.
If you're a woman, then you are more likely to get shoe bites, because you buy new shoes more frequently, and your shoes generally are more of a fashion statement than are for comfort.
When the misfit shoe rubs against the foot skin, it causes swelling and pain. Sometimes the shoe can shear away some skin causing inflammation and injury.
The most intuitive way to heal a shoe bite is to stop using the pair of shoes that caused the minor injury to your foot skin. You may decide to wear the shoe later once the shoe bite is healed at the risk of recurrent shoe bite or take precautions to avoid it.
Following home remedies will help you to heal and prevent shoe bites, and you will be able to wear the shoes you love.
1. Apply Oil to Prevent Injury
You can also apply the oil on the leather shoes. Oil will soften the shoe leather so that it doesn't hurt when rubbed against the skin.
In both cases apply the oil in the possible areas where the shoe is likely to rub the skin.
2. Wear Protective Pads
You can wear skin color protective pads to avoid skin damage by shoe rubbing. The soft pads will not let the skin hurt. If you wear socks then any color padding will do as the pads will be covered by the socks. You can even wear thick cotton socks.
3. Petroleum Jelly
Rub petroleum jelly on the areas of the shoe that are likely to cause shoe bite. The jelly will soften the leather of the shoe as the oils do. Since petroleum jelly has no odor of its own, it is a better option than oil.
Do not wear the shoes for the next 3 hours or so. Let the petroleum jelly settles on the leather and soften it before use.
4. Apply Aloe Vera on Shoe Bite Area
This is a post shoe bite remedy. Aloe Vera helps reducing pain and heal the shoe bite fast. Apply Aloe Vera gel on the affected area. Keep the foot naked without wearing shoes. Don't wear the same shoe which caused the problem.
5. Turmeric
Sometimes the shoe bite may turn into blisters which are more painful and get infected. Turmeric is a natural antiseptic. Apply turmeric powder on the shoe bite blister. Leave it there for 20 minutes.
Sometimes the turmeric powder doesn't stay on the skin, so you need to add a bonding agent.
Honey which on its own also possess antiseptic properties is an excellent bonding agent for turmeric to stay on the affected area of the shoe bite. Add a pinch of turmeric powder in half teaspoon of honey. Mix it well to let it become a paste like substance.
Apply it on the shoe bite area.
You can also apply honey without turmeric.