Despite their known durability and resistance to wear and tear, crocs can indeed be stretched in a number of ways, and should be if you’re finding yours don’t quite feel right on your feet.
Many of us have ‘in-between’ shoe sizes, which can make it difficult to find the perfect-fitting pair, so this is where crocs (which are extremely comfortable and practical) can come in handy – because even if you can’t quite find the right size, you can purchase a pair in the size below and stretch them out to make them fit perfectly.
There may be affiliate links in this article. You can read more about this in my disclosure.
How to Stretch Crocs
There are four known tried and tested ways of stretching your crocs out without risking damaging them.
Boil them with hot water

Please note: PPE and tongs should be used here to prevent any burns to the skin.
Here’s what to do:
- Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil on your hob. Remove the pot from the heat once the water has started boiling – do not submerge your Crocs when the water is still being boiled on the stove.
- Using your tongs, submerge your Crocs in the hot water for around 45 seconds. Do not leave them submerged for any longer than one minute.
- Remove your Crocs and let them cool for a few minutes – avoid touching them with your bare hands, as they will be hot. Once they’ve cooled a little, place your feet inside your Crocs while they are still wet and warm.
- Wear your Crocs around the house until they are dry. This will cause them to begin to mold better to your feet, making them more comfortable.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 as necessary until you reach your desired effect.
Blast them with a hairdryer
Yup. You read that correctly!
This method will also require hot water and a pair of socks. Once you’ve gathered this items, here’s what you need to do to stretch your Crocs using a hairdryer:
- Put on the socks you plan on wearing with the Crocs after this method. This will ensure that they fit correctly once they have been stretched, if you like wearing socks with your Crocs.
- Place your Crocs in the hot (not boiling) water; make sure they’re completely submerged. Keep them in the water for up to five minutes.
- Remove them and put them on while they’re still warm and wet.
- Keep them on and wear them around the house for a few minutes. The shoes must be wet.
- Plug in the hairdryer and turn it on high. Ensure there is no water in or near the dryer before turning it on. Blast the hairdryer over your Crocs for about 30 seconds at a time until they begin to warm up slightly.
- Wear your Crocs for the first few 10-20 minutes after heating them with the dryer, and continue to wear them for a spell afterwards to help encourage the gentle stretching.

Pad them out with socks
You will need several pairs of thick socks for this method to be effective. Here’s how to use socks to stretch your Crocs:
- Put on all of the thick socks you’ve selected.
- Put your Crocs on over all of the socks. This will feel rather tight, but if they cut off circulation or hurt your feet, remove them immediately and try fewer layers next time.
- Walk around in your Crocs for at least 30 minutes or until you can feel them beginning to stretch out.
- Repeat daily until you have reached your desired fit.
Freezing them using water-filled bags
This is one of the most popular ways of stretching Crocs. For this method, you will need plastic bags (ZipLoc or grocery is fine), water, and access to a freezer. Here’s what to do:
- Fill the plastic bag with water and place it in the toe section of your Croc. Make sure the lid is tightly secured so that no water leaks out. You can also use multiple bags to stretch different parts of the shoe, if that helps.
- Place your Crocs in the freezer overnight and take them out in the morning.
- Remove the ice bags while they’re still frozen solid.
- If you’re struggling to remove the frozen bags, run hot water over your Crocs until they are wet on all sides but not soaked through to the inside cushioning.
- Put your Crocs on while they are still wet and cold from the ice water. You should feel an immediate stretch as you walk around.
- Repeat if necessary.
Can You Shrink Crocs?
So, we’ve learned that Crocs can indeed be safely stretched without risking any damage to them. But what about shrinking them?
Crocs can indeed be shrunk, either deliberately or by accident. Here are your options:
Leave them in sunlight
Putting your Crocs in direct sunlight for twenty minutes on a warm day will successfully shrink them.
Please note: this is a quick and effective method, so never leave them in the sunlight for any longer than twenty minutes, and keep them out of sunlight once the desired result is achieved.
Boil them in hot water
As with above, this method is also effective for shrinking your Crocs. Follow the above steps using tongs and boiling water on your stove.
The only difference is you leave them be afterwards instead of wearing them to stretch them.
Put them in the dryer

In case you hadn’t gotten the message already – heat alters the size of Crocs!
Set your dryer to a medium heat. Anything higher will likely damage them.
Put your Crocs in the dryer for 10 minutes, then check to see the result. If they’re still too big, put them back in the dryer for another 10 minutes until you’re happy with the outcome.
Blast them with a hairdryer
Switch your hairdryer to a high heat and slowly blast the shoes with the hot air. Make sure whatever your Crocs are resting on will be safe to be exposed to the hot air until you have achieved the desired effect.
Conclusion

So, whether you wish to stretch or shrink your Crocs to create a more comfortable fit, there are several quick, easy, and safe options here to do so. Some of these methods are very fast-acting, others take a little longer.
Wearing a good shoe-fit is important to ensure you’re not damaging your feet, or any other part of your body that depends on your feet – which are running the show, after all!
Farah Zeb is a mother of five, including two children with special needs. She shares practical parenting tips and resources to help other families navigate daily challenges and create supportive, nurturing environments.