I’ve now owned my first pair of Tieks for almost two years – I still love them and rotate them regularly into my wardrobe. However, the buttery softness of the leather has resulted in a unique problem – The Tieks Big Toe Bump. I personally don’t mind that the outline of my toes can be seen through the leather (some people do). However, I’m concerned about the durability of the leather that is essentially getting cut by the nail of my big toe.
I recently purchased a beautiful pair of Romantic Blush Tieks that are a perfect balance of neutral and fun. After reading several posts from the Tieks Anonymous Facebook group, I learned that many ladies apply a layer of thin Moleskin padding to the underside of the leather in the toebox. Thereby preventing some of the toe bump from happening. Seeing as Moleskin is relatively inexpensive and any leftovers can be used for multiple purposes, I decided to give this a try on my new pair.
Step 1: Cutting the Moleskin
Whether you buy a roll or package of Moleskin sheets, you’ll essentially be cutting out a piece that fits neatly inside the upper side of the Tieks toe box. Some people choose to cut larger pieces, which will prevent any type of toe shape from showing through the leather. My Romantic Blush Tieks fit a little more on the snug side, so I decided to only cover the area of my big toe.
Step 2: Applying Moleskin In Your Tieks
I found it a little tricky to place the moleskin far enough into the shoe. It may take a few tries to get it right, but luckily Moleskin can be removed and reapplied a few times without losing its stickiness. I found it easiest to use my fingertip to slide it as far as I could into the shoe on the sole (fuzzy face down), and then lifting it up to adhere to the top.
After placing Moleskin in my shoes, I could see a tangible difference in how visible my big toe bump was. The photo below shows a stronger contrast between my original Cardinal Reds without Moleskin and my Romantic Blush with Moleskin.
