Shoes matter, and I am a very picky lady. I wear mostly plain clothes, no logos, no words or images. Plain. I usually use my footwear as an opportunity to be loud, but I don’t wear the gold-tipped-magenta-faux-suede pumps everyday.
Then finally I found Tieks. Or rather, Tieks found me. I am surely in their broad demographic, but most importantly I was in the market for solid-color-leather-ballet flats. Boom, sale.
Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links; I may earn a tiny commission from purchases, but not from Tieks – I wish!
I kind of hated them.
My first pair is Cream. Boring? Sure, but I wanted a pair that would go with everything without exception. At first, I kind of hated them. It took about a month of daily wearing to break them in, and now they are perfectly molded to my feet.
What if you don’t have a month? Well…surely you do, but I understand. I made a simple routine to help break them in because my feet don’t taper much at the toe, so the toe box is always tight. Very tight.
- You need two bottles of wine and a friend to share with.
- Open both bottles, retain the corks.
- Place the corks in the toe boxes and find a narrow space for the shoes to rest overnight…backwards. One cork per shoe.
- Relax and drink your wine while the corks work for you.
Please note that if you are underage or in recovery, you can easily buy unused corks online. Bulk pricing is more affordable than singles…so if you need 48 tiny planters now is the time to get serious.
It looks silly, but it works. I usually stretch for two nights, moving the cork for the second night. I like to bend them backwards also because they fit my feet better when the leather bottom isn’t bending in the opposite direction of a human foot. After some cork stretching I don’t have to worry about my toes hurting much.
And voila, the hard part is done. To continue breaking them in, just wear them a lot. I usually wear them around the house until they are molded to my feet, then I take them out in the world.
dry out before you wear them again
Do you wear socks with them? You can…but I don’t. I wear them barefooted all of the time. Yes, my feet sweat in them, but I am the only one who wears them so I don’t mind. It is recommended that your leather shoes get to dry out before you wear them again (because germs are real). It was easy for me to justify a second pair so the first can breathe. I really do wear these each day when it’s warm, because I’m not a sandals or flip flops lady.
How do you clean them? Use a leather cleaner, and a soft cloth. I use a leather conditioner on my Tieks, leather purses, and leather jackets as needed. I love that Tieks are all leather (except for the treads), so make sure to clean the insides as well as the outsides.
range is good for my inner maximalist
So…worth it? Yes, if you’re me or like me. I like plain clothes, and quality leather. The simplicity is good for my inner minimalist. The color and material range is good for my inner maximalist. I am the kind of gal that buys all of the colors when I love a product, but the Tieks MSRP keeps me from buying new pairs too quickly. This is good because husband knows what will always surprise me. (I keep a few options in my Amazon wish list, so he knows what size and which colors I have been wanting lately.)
save money to meet your goal
But they are a little expensive. Yeah…quality products are not cheap. Tieks are never on sale, and coupon codes don’t exist (I say this if you’re waiting for holiday sales). If you decide that you need a pair, you’ll have to go about it the old fashioned way – make a plan & save money to meet your goal.
Do you have a pair of Tieks that you love, what color? Are you just looking because you’re not sure if you’re going to buy?
- Still thinking about feet? Add fish to the equation: Why I Love Fish Pedicures
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Lady Jupiter 
Good tips. I had issues with my Tieks when I first got them too, but now that they are getting broken in, I love them! I’ll try this with my next pair.
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Let me know how it goes!
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Just got my first pair, and they at first felt very comfortable, but then rubbed raw the tops of my feet/toes within 5 minutes. And, anticipating this, I had sprayed my feet with PreHeels blister preventer, which clearly did not do enough. Its the edge where the elastic is gathered at the front of the shoe. The length and width are perfect. Does the elasticized edge stretch out with wear?
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Yes! That elasticized edge does take time – it irritates me most on the outer edge of the front.
Sometimes I’ll buy a foot mask, put them on, cover my masked feet in socks, and squeeze my toes into the Tieks, then watch TV or read a book for 20 minutes. The toe box stretch might be imperceptible but I think it helps the front elastic relax. If nothing else, it’s a nice excuse to enjoy a book and foot mask 🤞
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I just bought Burgundy and Moonstruck. Originally in 10s bc I wear a 9.5 wide but they were too long. I exchanged for 9s and was disappointed bc I forgot you have to break in REAL leather. Silly me I will definitely try your tips. I agree wholeheartedly that shoes are important and grow so weary of “they’re so expensive” complaints coming from people who go through 3 pairs of bargain flats in a year and complain about foot pain. I will absolutely try your tips and hopefully I will love my tieks like I love my rothys.
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Those are both beautiful shades! I’ve been looking at burgundy also 😉 Quality goods are so worth it, maybe I’ll finally get a pair of Rothys too.
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Just bought my first pair. They’re comfy everywhere except right on my big toe/toenails. I shoved the big end of some champagne corks in there. Thanks for the cork idea! 🤞🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽
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Happy to help! Those toe boxes are snug, but so comfortable when the shoes stretch just right.
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Great Tieks post. I’ve been a lucky guys, all my Tieks have been comfy right out of the box.
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Lucky duck!
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That’s a great shade of pink!
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When Tieks released these soft feminine pink cotton candy colored Tieks for young girls in Girls sizes I hope they would someday release them in big girls and boys sizes. I couldn’t order mine fast enough to the day they were released. I love them.
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Tracey, I do feel very lucky these cute flats work for me.
https://scontent.fyyc3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/31602873_10155214858962038_6979221950765727744_o.jpg?_nc_cat=110&efg=eyJpIjoibCJ9&_nc_ohc=FF4kW4-OJu0AX9pxW9F&_nc_ht=scontent.fyyc3-1.fna&oh=b2cc20b21176a0d91d9b734f8ab03ef9&oe=5ED56C0E
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Tracey, I already wore mine 2x but still feel tight but the toes, even though I sized up. Can I still try the cork thing? Or it will not work
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Tammy, you can still try to use a cork to stretch your Tieks across your toes. Another thing you can try is wear them with thick sports socks around the house for several hours. I’ve had good luck stretching them like that. Good luck
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Definitely try it! Two days are not enough to break them in, so corks can certainly help at any time that the toe box feels too tight.
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thank you for the cork suggestion, I”m going to do mine today. I bought Rose a month ago (march 2022), my first pair and they are slowly coming around. I have been wearing them around the house, and i can go about 2/3’s of my day at work then I have to switch them out. Personally, they are worth it for me – the time & cost. This won’t be my last pair (I think Fuschia is next).
I was thinking “what is a narrow place to put them with the cork?” but the book shelf picture you posted is so perfect!!!! Thank you for posting this, it is appreciated!
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Rose and Fuchsia are both great colors. I’ve been thinking about a nice warm color too, but I can’t make up my mind at all!
Did the corks help you stretch the leather a little bit?
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Yes! We had rain here so I left the corks in a couple of days. I could feel a difference, and was very happy with the results. I will use this trick on the Fuchsia too (some day….. haha!)
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I have had the same 4 pairs of Tieks for probably the last 5 years. My black and platinum fit great they never bother me, but I have fuchsia and ballet pink that kills my toes, and the elastic digs into the back of my heel! I wear them even when they hurt because I do love them, but I am super hopeful the cork trick works. I have my fuchsia on today and I have to keep taking them off under my desk. Thanks for the tip! Cheers!
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