Sometimes we have older shoes in our closet that we’ve set aside for a long time—shoes we don’t want to part with, but our feet have gotten used to having more room, so they’re no longer comfortable.

In that case, you have the option of having your shoes converted to barefoot shoes. It’s a bit like surgery and retraining, using tools that seem almost medieval. I use pliers and a hot-air gun on the soles, but I’m gentle only with the uppers.

It's actually the cheapest way to have shoes custom-made— and to upcycle shoes that would otherwise probably end up in the trash.