A great pair of patterned flats are really some of the most fun pair of shoes you can own.

I don’t wear a lot of pattern, so having shoes in a fun pattern really livens up my wardrobe.

I found these at Marshall’s years ago, and was so excited because I’m such a huge fan of snakeskin, and they were Guess brand, AND they were a bargain.

Jealous of my balancing skills? You should be.

It wasn’t until I wore them for the first time that my little shoe fantasy bubble was popped. They were terribly uncomfortable. Terribly. Uncomfortable.

They pinched and poked and perturbed my feet to the point where I’d stop reaching for them. Finally, one day I had forgotten how much of a pain they were and I wore them out. I noticed that it wasn’t so bad that time around. So I wore them very soon after and another time very soon after that.

Finally I realized they had stretched out! Now they form to my feet to the point where they’re rather comfortable.

I’m so glad I didn’t give up and let a perfectly beautiful pair of shoes go unworn! What pair have you given up on? Maybe try wearing them out a few more times. Or if you don’t think you can make it, try at least to wear them around the house, that way you can take breaks and go barefoot.

Something else I’ve heard may help? Ice. If you have shoes that are genuine leather (I don’t know if this will work if they’re not), fill up a sandwich bag with water and place it in the soles of the shoes. Then put the shoes in the freezer and as the bag of water freezes, it will expand and stretch the shoes out.

Try this a couple times if you have to, in order to get the shoes to fit right.

Listen, whether it’s a bargain pair, or a small investment, you really want to be able to wear what you love, so make sure you do that comfortably!