High heels make the wearer appear taller, give the illusion of longer, slimmer legs, accentuating the calf muscle and are generally more attractive than flat shoes. Plus, they create a much sexier walk. However, sometimes heels that are impracticality high outweigh their benefits.
On the other hand, a heel that is too short detracts from your appearance. Your legs don’t look as long or as slim. Luckily, the heel of your shoe or boot can be shortened. Lengthening a heel can also be done, but today we will stick to making an extra high heel shorter.
You could take your shoes to a cobbler. This can be quite expensive. You could do it yourself and save a bundle! And if you do it yourself, you will have cool new talent under your belt.
So how do you make wedge heels shorter? To figure out how much height can reasonably be removed, place your high heeled shoe or boot on the edge of a flat surface, like a table or workbench, so that the heel is hanging over the side. Lower the heel until the back end of the ball touches the table. Whatever hangs below the tabletop can safely be removed.
Of course, this is a little different for wedges, which is why this article is about shortening high heels AND wedges. Keep reading for the complete instructions.
How to Shorten High Heels in 3 Easy Steps
First, you will need the shoes you want to work on. If you have a very special pair you want to be shortened, maybe you should practice on a not-so-special pair.
Sometimes the second try works out better than the first. You don’t want to ruin a great pair of shoes, so a practice run might be a good idea.
Step 1: Your heel is most likely made of wood with a metal spine down the center for strength. You won’t be able to easily cut through this metal spine with a wood band saw. You will need an angle grinder.
Step 2: Measure and mark the heel. Cut the wood part and then cut through the metal spine. Clamp the shoe securely in a vice. Before you start, make sure you are wearing a face shield. Be careful of the sparks.
Step 3: Sand the bottom of the heel and attach the rubber with heavy-duty glue. The original rubber bottom will now be too small, so you will have to buy or make a new one. If you have an old shoe sole, simply cut out the size you need and glue it on.
How to Shorten Wedge Heels in 5 Easy Steps
Shortening wedge heels is much more complicated because you can’t just cut off the extra length. Well, you can, but you will get better-looking results if you take off the old heel and make a new one.
What you will need:
- Shoes to modify
- Two blocks of soft carving wood like balsa or basswood
- Super strong wood glue like Gorilla
- A small band saw or electric jigsaw
- A half-round rasp or buy a set, in case you need other sizes for future projects
- A tape measure
- Marking tool, pencil or permanent marker
- A craft knife or some type of sharp blade
Remember to use a pair of shoes that you don’t mind ruining until you are sure you understand the procedure.
If you are working with high boots, you’ll need something to hold the boots upright while the glue dries. A good thing for this is foam pool noodles.
It is also a good idea to complete one boot or shoe before starting on the second one. This will give you a good idea of what tricks or shortcuts you can use. This will make the second heel much easier and faster.
Step One: Mark the Wood Blocks
Remove the old heel from the shoe you are modifying. Here you can decide if you want to make a new heel or just cut off part of this one. To make this old heel shorter, sanding it down is the easiest. But, if you are removing a lot of the heel, cutting it would be better.
- Draw a straight line across the bottom and cut it off.
- To make a new heel, measure the old heel, subtracting the part that is too high and draw these measurements on the block.
- Do this on the other block to make sure that both heels are exactly the same size. Mark both sides of the block, just in case.
- When you’re finished, the woodblock will have two matching sloped lines on both sides, a straight line marking the top edge of the slope and a straight line that marks the bottom of the slope.
Depending on the size of the block and the size and height of the shoe compared to the size of the block, your straight lines can be on the bottom, top or end.
Step Two: Cut the Block
Use the saw to cut the wood along the lines and into the basic shape of the wedge.
Try to cut as close to the lines as you possibly can. Cutting less is always better than cutting too much. The excess can easily be sanded down. Now you will shape the slope.
Keep in mind that these softwood blocks will create a lot of sawdust! It’s best to do this outside if you can. Or at least wear a mask.
If sawing wood is not your thing, you might have a friend that could do this for you. Also, some hardware stores will sometimes cut wood for customers, usually for free or a very small charge.
Step Three: Shape Your Block
This is the fun part, but it can also be a bit tricky. And again, you will produce a lot of sawdust.
Using the rasp, file down the slope of the woodblock to make it fit snugly against the sole of the shoe. Use the rounded side of the rasp to make the curves and the flat side for the edges and corners.
As you get nearer to the lines, check the wedge frequently against the sole of the shoe to see where more shaping is needed and to make sure you’re not taking off too much.
Step Four: Glue the Wedges Into Place
Follow the instructions on the bottle of glue. Use good strong wood glue and affix the wedge to the sole of the shoe. Make sure you have a good, snug fit. You don’t want to have any edges or corners sticking out.
Place the shoe or boot in an upright position.
Put it somewhere out of the way so that you won’t accidentally trip over it or knock it over. Leave it untouched for the recommended amount of drying time.
After the glue is completely dry, try taking the new heel for a test walk around the room. Watch for any wiggling. Make sure everything is secure. If not, apply more glue in the wiggly spots.
Step Five: Add the Finishing Touches
You heel is not complete! All you need now is to make it pretty.
The shoe is fully functional, but the wood probably doesn’t look too hot and there is a very good chance that you have glue marks visible and maybe a few gaps here and there.
This is where you can really get creative.
How you cover the ugly wooden wedge is totally up to you. You can take the easy way – just paint it over with any color you like.
Another choice is to cover it up with fabric, real leather or fake leatherette. Any material that can be attached with glue, will work just fine.
If the shoes will be worn more than once, you will want to use something durable like canvas or vinyl. Simply cut the pieces out of the fabric. Make sure you have a good fit or a too large fit.
The excess can easily be cut off, but unless you want the patchwork look, you don’t want the material to run out before the whole heel is covered.
- Apply the glue directly to the heel, and then carefully line up the fabric, making sure it is flush. Begin at the back of the heel and work your way towards the front.
- Gently, yet firmly roll and press the fabric into place.
- Take your time and don’t try to apply too much at once. This could lead to crimps and creases.
- When you get to the front, you will likely have some excess fabric. Use a clamp or weight that will apply enough pressure without distorting the fabric.
- Test the fabric to make sure it is secure.
- Add more glue where needed.
- Allow the glue to dry completely and then cut away the excess with your craft knife.
- Trim carefully, you don’t want to puncture your shoe.
Voila! A cool new wedge-heeled shoe you can be proud to wear. Now you can get started on the other shoe!
