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So apparently shoe trees are different to shoe stretchers. Would there be anything to stop me drilling the trees in a couple of specific spots and adding one or two of those plastic nubbins?
Cheap stretchers are a nightmare, because the threaded rod is plastic and breaks if you put any force through it, and the nubbins are too small to do much. I used this tree as a stretcher by adding some coins. I put quite a bit of force into it by adding more and more coins with a screwdriver and a hammer. I do this now whenever I soak a shoe to get the creases out. Sometimes the uppers end up completely smooth, like new.
Your plan to stick nubbins on a tree sounds good to me. Make some really big nubbins and add more and more force over a 2 or 3 day period, giving the leather fibres plenty of time to stretch gradually. First rub some moisturising stuff into the bits you want to stretch, inside and outside. Do it really hard with your thumbs and keep doing more every so often. Maybe increase the size of the nubbins as the fibres stretch.
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nick_h.
So apparently shoe trees are different to shoe stretchers. Would there be anything to stop me drilling the trees in a couple of specific spots and adding one or two of those plastic nubbins?
I'll just have to get some stretchers too if not, next time I buy a new pair of shoes. My toe tendons are over-developed and as such I have claw-toes. Always takes an age to break in new shoes enough to make space for my big toe.