What to do: sneakers are too short. How to break in sneakers: the most effective ways

If your shoes are tight, it's not just uncomfortable, it can cause harm to your feet. This is especially true for sports sneakers or sneakers. It is quite possible to stretch your sneakers and make them more comfortable to wear. The main thing is to know what material they are made of and use the appropriate methods.

What kind of sneakers can be stretched?

Do not rush to begin the procedure of stretching a pair immediately after purchase. Often, after long periods of exercise and shopping, the legs become tired and swollen. Your sneakers may no longer be too tight in the morning. If they still seem small, try stretching them. But first find out what they are made of. Otherwise, there is a risk of damaging them irreparably.

The easiest way to give the desired shape is to sneakers made of suede, leather, or nubuck. Be careful with fabric shoes: if done incorrectly, they can easily become deformed. The most difficult thing to stretch is a leatherette product. This material is difficult to withstand the effects of boiling water, steam, and ice. But it is not easy to stretch it using the usual “wet” method. It may be better to sell or give away such sneakers. But if this option is not suitable, you can try stretching using products containing alcohol.

Remember that:

1. Sports shoes are easier to stretch in width.
2. You can lengthen a fabric product by a maximum of half a size. You can stretch sneakers to size if they are made of leather, suede or nubuck.
3. The skin becomes fragile after the procedure. Before stretching, especially using heat, it is better to treat the product with shoe polish.
4. Sneakers made from artificial materials are easy to deform if not handled properly.
5. The fastening seams do not stretch.
6. Do not pour boiling water onto rubber soles.
7. If the backdrop is very high, try not to break it.
8. First, it is better to try to break in an uncomfortable pair, but no longer than three days.
9. The best time to buy new shoes is in the evening, when your feet are a little swollen.
10. Do not buy sneakers without trying them on, as each manufacturer has its own sizing chart.

The smartest solution

If, after purchasing the sneakers, you realize that they are too tight, it is best to return or exchange them in the store. According to Russian laws, any buyer can return a new product under warranty within two weeks. To do this, you need to present your passport, cash receipt and warranty card. The main thing is that the shoes are in the same condition as when purchased. It should not show signs of use: creases, abrasions. Make sure all pads, insoles and laces are in place.

If the pair is old, or you were unable to return it under warranty, the best decision would be to take it to a professional repair shop. A shoemaker knows how to stretch sneakers or sneakers.

Each shoe has its own suitable products. Special pads with screws that can stretch any material help increase the length. Masters use different creams, aerosols, powders that can cope with an uncomfortable pair. The shoemaker will take into account all your wishes and features of the foot, and will stretch the sneakers in the area of ​​the bone.

If this method does not suit you for some reason, you can try enlarging your sneakers or sneakers at home.

How to stretch shoes to length

There are several methods. Just remember that no sneakers or sneakers can stretch more than one size.

Steam and paper

This is a fairly simple and cheap method for stretching leather, rubber, fabric sneakers and sneakers at home. You need to hold the product over the steam for several minutes. The main thing is to do this carefully so as not to get burned. Then stuff your sneakers with dry, crumpled newspaper. To prevent the upper part of your shoes from becoming deformed, do not dry them with a hairdryer, in the sun, or near a radiator. Wait for the newspaper to dry. To speed up the process, the paper can be changed. The same method helps to increase the size of sports shoes if they have shrunk after washing.

Vinegar

To stretch your sneakers, you need to soak a rag in vinegar and then place it in the sock and in the back of the shoe. Instead of fabric, you can use cotton pads. Put on the shoes along with the impregnation and wear for about two hours. The method allows you to lengthen the product by a couple of millimeters.

Spacers

This is one of the most effective methods, closest to what the masters do. To do it yourself, buy spacers at a shoe store. They are equipped with a screw mechanism, fit any size, and pull leather materials well. In addition to spacers, plastic pads are sold that take into account the characteristics of the foot.

You will also need professional products to treat the surface of the sneakers. This can be a special liquid, stretching foam or spray. This method works well for all types of leather and suede, but is unlikely to be useful for stretching fabric.

Instead of professional products, you can use alcohol-containing liquids. For example, cologne. Or just water. Apply the product externally and internally. Using a screw, set the block to the desired size and position it end-to-end. Keep the spacers inside until the sneakers are completely dry. If you repeat this procedure several times, you will completely relieve yourself of discomfort.

Before using an aerosol or spray, check how the shoe material will react to it. To do this, apply the product to an inconspicuous area. If after a couple of hours the treated area changes color, it is better to look for another drug.

Water and ice

There are several ways to stretch sneakers or sneakers using water and cold. You can put wet sneakers over your socks and then lace them up tightly. Until the shoes dry, you need to move actively: run, jump, walk. If at any point your feet feel hot, simply pour cold water on the soles.

You can expand fabric sneakers with ice. To do this, use a physics course familiar from school:

1. Take two thick plastic bags, place them inside each sneaker and carefully straighten them out.
2. Pour water into the bags and tie them tightly.
3. Place the sneakers in the freezer for 24 hours.
4. If the pair presses in the sock, place something under the heels so that the bulk of the water “flows” down.
5. After a day, remove the sneakers from the freezer.
6. Let the ice melt a little.
7. Remove the cellophane.
8. Remove excess moisture with a napkin and dry the sneakers.

The method has one caveat: if the fabric is too thin, it may tear under the influence of ice.

When the butt presses

Sneakers can press not only in the heel area, but also along the side edging. It can be stretched according to the same principle as the backdrop. There are several proven methods to make the material softer.

Hammer

Dampen a soft cloth with water and apply it to the inside of the backdrop. Then tap lightly with a hammer. The heel of the sneaker should be on a hard surface.

Fingers

If the back of the shoe is made of hard leather or rubber, you can simply massage it with your fingers. The back of a sneaker is especially easy to soften using this method: it is usually made of hard cardboard. To avoid spending a lot of time and effort on kneading, first hold the product over steam. After a few minutes, the skin or material will become more pliable.

Hairdryer

The method is suitable for softening the pressing leather elements of sports shoes. An ordinary hair dryer will be useful for this. Hot air stretches the skin, making it more pliable. After heat treatment, simply pull the sneaker with your fingers or put it on your foot. Be careful when heating the seam: there is a risk that the glue will melt from excessively hot air.

How to stretch shoes wide

Increasing sneakers or sneakers in width is much easier than in length. Suede stretches the easiest. Sneakers made from this material can be worn with bulky socks. After a couple of days, your feet will feel much more comfortable. You can also stretch the product at home using professional products that are produced by shoe brands and sold in special stores.

But you can use the available tools that are always at hand.

Alcohol and laundry soap

This method works well to expand leather sneakers. You need to follow these steps sequentially:

1. Pour alcohol or vodka into your shoes (cologne will do).
2. Rub the inner surface with soaked laundry soap.
3. Let the resulting composition dry.

This method has some nuances. In particular, if the interior of the sneakers is made of low-quality material, then a bad smell will appear in them. Getting rid of it in the future will be problematic. If this is your case, forget about soap, use only alcohol (vodka, cologne).

To do this, moisten the inside of the product generously, put it on your feet and pour alcohol on the outside of the sneakers. You need to wear the shoes for about two hours. This way you will not only stretch the tight pair, but make it softer. The method is suitable even for sneakers made of synthetic materials. But if the sneakers are made of genuine leather, they need to be rubbed with special protective agents or castor oil before being treated with alcohol.

Kerosene

The flammable liquid can be used as an alternative to soap and alcohol. The treatment principle is the same: lubricate the inner surface of the shoes with kerosene and wear for about an hour. As with laundry soap, there is a risk that a difficult-to-remove odor will appear in your sneakers.

Window cleaner

The method works on the principle that glass and mirror cleaning liquid contains alcohol. Proceed according to the following instructions:

1. Spray your sneakers liberally, inside and out.
2. Wear your shoes with thick socks.
3. Wear for about two hours.

The effectiveness of the method has been confirmed by many sports shoe lovers. It can be used for natural materials and leatherette products. Another advantage of this approach is that the smell of the washing liquid quickly disappears.

Boiling water

This approach is only suitable for leather shoes that can withstand 300-degree boiling water. The procedure requires some courage, since boiling water must be poured inside the product and left for 8 minutes. Then drain and let the skin dry at room temperature. Never use this method to expand products made from synthetic materials. Otherwise it will lead to deformation.

Moisture

The so-called “military” method is suitable for stretching leather and fabric products. Just soak your socks in water, put them on with your sneakers and wear them until they dry completely. To remove excess moisture from shoes, after the procedure, shoes should be stuffed with crumpled newspapers.

If the situation is hopeless

When none of the above methods help, and the purchase still feels too tight, try simply removing the insoles. If this approach seems unhygienic to you, replace the thick sports insole with a regular thin one. As a last resort, you can sell or give a pair to friends.

And remember that you can’t buy sneakers without trying them on. The best time to buy sports shoes is in the evening. After all, at this time our feet are a little larger.

We often buy sneakers that, at first glance, seem to be the perfect size. But after walking some distance in them, we realize that they are too small for us or in some places do not fit the shape of our feet. Of course, walking in uncomfortable shoes harms your feet, and it is terribly uncomfortable. Therefore, so that you don’t have to go shopping for a new pair or endure constant blisters, because sports shoes are usually used very intensively, let’s look at the solution to this problem. So, how to break in sneakers that are too tight at home?

Working with different materials

If possible, it is better to exchange shoes for a more suitable size. If this is not possible, you can deal with it on your own. Not many people know how to break in sneakers that are too tight at home. But most materials used in production are stretchable. The following methods exist for this:

• Genuine Leather. Shoes made of genuine leather can be stretched by wearing them at home for a couple of days. To speed up the process, it is best to do this in damp woolen socks. The process will take 2-3 days.
• Suede . Suede shoes are stretched using ice. The material stretches due to the fact that water expands when hardened. For this method you will need a sealed bag with water poured into it. The package must be placed in the shoes. Next, the shoes are placed in the freezer for one day. The bag should be removed after the ice has melted.
• Textile. To increase the size of textile shoes, you need to pour boiled water on them. Then immediately put it on and wear it until it dries.
• Leatherette. Leatherette products stretch for quite a long time. To do this, you need to put on socks soaked in an alcohol-containing substance, and then put on sneakers.

Important! This procedure should be repeated approximately 10 times, but it all depends on the initial quality and thickness of the material.

other methods

Even the perfect size sneakers can be uncomfortable. This is often due to the fact that they are new. What to do if your sneakers are too tight:

• Walk around the house in new sneakers for several days, after lubricating the back with soapy water or alcohol.
• Turn on the hair dryer in hot air mode, point it at the area that is pinching your leg, and hold it there for several minutes.
• You need to soak cotton socks in warm water, wring them out and put them on. Put shoes on top of them and walk in them until the socks are completely dry.

Important! After this, put several lumps of rolled newspapers in the sneakers so that they absorb the remaining moisture.

• Wet the inside of the sneakers heavily with vodka or alcohol and put them on. Then you need to wet the outside and wear them for several hours.
• To stretch the sneakers, we need a special spray, which can be bought at any shoe store. To stretch, you need to apply the spray to the inside of the sneakers, you can tap the fabric a little with a hammer in problem areas, and walk in them until it becomes noticeably softer.

Important! Before using the product, you need to check the compatibility of the sneaker material with the spray, applying it to the least visible place.

• For this method we will need a hairdryer. We turn on the hot air mode and warm up the area causing inconvenience. Care must be taken in the seam area, as glue may leak when heated.

Form holder

Many people ask questions: what to do if the sneakers are too small, is it possible to stretch the sneakers to fit? In order to stretch shoes to size, you should resort to a radical method - solving the problem mechanically using a form holder.

Important! Form holders are called wooden blocks, with the help of which force tension occurs. They can be purchased at specialized shoe stores.

Form holders are made from various materials:

• wood - birch, beech, cedar;
• plastic.

Mode of application:

1. Before using the mold holders, it is necessary to apply a special stretching spray. You can also use alcohol or glass cleaner.
2. Then you need to insert the pads into the shoes and leave them in this state for a day.
3. If necessary, repeat the procedure.

Video material

Remember that you need to be more careful when choosing sneakers! It’s better to choose shoes of the right size than to have to worry about breaking them in later. And to do this, go to the store after lunch, be sure to fully step on both feet while trying on, walk around the boutique to understand that you are really comfortable in the new pair.

But all this is subject to the correct size. Alas, even in sneakers you can experience all the torment that is inevitable when you have uncomfortable shoes on your feet. What to do if brand new sports shoes squeeze your foot like a vice, preventing you from taking a step without discomfort and pain? We are ready to give you some practical tips that will allow you to adjust the size of your pair, making it exactly as required.

What are the risks of wearing smaller shoes?

Sometimes, when trying on shoes you like in a store, you cannot 100% evaluate their comfort. And even if, according to the first sensations, it fit perfectly, staying in it for a longer period of time will clearly signal that the size was incorrectly selected. After all, in sneakers, like in no other shoes, it is important to feel complete comfort; ideally, they should not be felt on your feet at all.

Remember, staying in tight shoes for a long time not only promises discomfort and a bad mood, but is also very harmful to health. With strong compression, blood circulation in the foot is disrupted, the nail plates suffer, which can be completely lost if you stubbornly continue to walk in uncomfortable shoes.

Systematic wearing of tight boots is fraught with:

Development of diseases of veins and joints;

Deformation of bone and cartilage tissue;

Impaired gait and deterioration of posture.

It is strictly forbidden for children and adolescents to wear narrow shoes, because their skeletal system is in the process of formation. Therefore, take your time - carefully try on the pair you like on both feet, and walk around the store in it.

How to stretch narrow sneakers?

Did the shoes you bought turn out to be too small? Don't despair, there are several ways to stretch it. Many of them are known to most, others are quite extravagant and unusual.

1. First, try to exchange your sneakers or return them. If 14 days have not passed since the date of purchase, and the purchase was not made under special conditions (sale, promotion, defective product), the store administration does not have the right to refuse you. When a return is impossible, try to get rid of the unsuccessful new thing yourself - resell it.

But, if you don't want to think about it, try the methods below.

2. The first thing they advise you to do is simply walk around the house in tight boots for several days. Natural materials - leather, nubuck and suede - are slightly stretchy; shoes made from them over time follow the shape of the owner's foot. Therefore, many manufacturers of high-quality sports boots advise buying them half a size smaller. And to speed up the process of “grinding in” new shoes and feet, companies include a special spray with their products. Spray the inside of the boots, put the shoes on a sock, preferably a warm and thick one, and walk around like this for half an hour. Do this several times if necessary. Don’t forget to protect the most vulnerable places of the foot with a plaster, and lubricate the back of the pair with regular candle wax/soap or wipe with alcohol. This will protect you from corns and calluses.

3. If this method does not help, try going to a shoe shop, where, using special stretching devices, the shoes are increased by 0.5-1 size.

4. Another option is to buy wooden blocks for mechanical impact on a tight pair. With their help, you can not only stretch, but also store shoes correctly. Before inserting the lasts into the boots, treat the lining with a stretching spray, or, if you don’t have one, with alcohol or glass cleaner. You can evaluate the result within a day.

Remember that you can stretch the shoes only in width; the length is clearly fixed with fastening seams. Therefore, if you feel like your toes are pressing hard into the toe of your new boots, you will most likely have to look for a new owner.

Traditional methods of stretching a new pair

There are several popular, easy methods for getting tight sneakers to stretch out a little.

5. The first is based on a principle known to everyone from school physics lessons, namely, the increase in the volume of water when it freezes. To carry out the experiment, you will need a narrow pair and two thick bags filled with water. The bags are placed in sneakers, which must then be kept in the refrigerator for a day. They promise that this will make them more pliable and softer.

6. The second method is exactly the opposite, it involves exposure to high temperatures. You can simply pour boiling water into your sneakers or hold them over steam, kneading them thoroughly with your hands. The method is applicable only to leather shoes, which really soften from high temperature. Leatherette boots will simply lose their appearance and become hopelessly deformed.

7. You can put on a new pair of terry socks, previously soaked in hot water, or carefully beat off the problem areas of the shoes (toe, heel) with a hammer. But you should act carefully so as not to spoil the fashionable Adidas or Nikes.

There are also such ways:

8. Stuff the sneakers tightly with sheets of newspaper soaked in water and let them dry completely at room temperature (do not place them on a radiator, do not dry them with a hairdryer).

9. Wipe the inside of the boots with a 3% vinegar solution.

10. Soak the inner surface of the pair with ordinary alcohol, and then rub generously with laundry soap with a fat content of 72%.

11. Treat the lining fabric of the boots with kerosene and walk in them for 20-30 minutes.

12. Carefully apply window and glass cleaner on both sides of the sneakers, then wear them in for an hour.

13. Heat the pair with a stream of hot air from a hairdryer, grease with sunflower oil and put on warm terry or woolen socks.

As you can see, individual methods must be used extremely carefully, otherwise instead of a broken pair you will end up with a damaged one. In addition, not all methods are applicable to products made of leatherette or thin leather. Therefore, be extremely careful when buying new shoes so as not to subject them later to your chemical and physical experiments.

Sometimes it happens that in a store we buy sneakers that, as it seems to us, fit well on our feet and do not pinch at all. But after walking in them a little more time, we begin to understand that the shoes are tight and bring significant discomfort. But wearing tight shoes, and especially training in them, is not only uncomfortable, but also completely unsafe for the feet. In this case, many begin to look for ways to stretch their sneakers on their own.

How to break in sneakers at home

If you still have a receipt and have the opportunity to exchange the purchased sneakers for a larger pair, then be sure to take advantage of it. If this is not possible, you can try to resolve this difficulty yourself.

Experts say that this is quite possible, since many materials that are used today in the production of sneakers lend themselves well to the stretching process. The width of the sneakers stretches quite easily. To do this, just use a special spray. But is it possible to stretch the product in length - it is possible, but not more than one size.

Even shoes of your size can cause discomfort and put pressure on your feet.. Sometimes it happens that all the inconvenience arises due to the newness of the shoes. In this case, dealing with the problem will be very simple. To do this, you just need to continue walking around the apartment in shoes for a few days. Before putting on, you need to lubricate the back of the sneakers with soapy water or special alcohol, which will help reduce the risk of calluses.

If the shoes begin to pinch in a certain place, for example, where the thumb or little finger touches the wall of the shoe, then you can try using a simple hair dryer, since we know that during the heating process the object can expand. Turn on the hot air and direct it to the problem area, continue to hold for two to three minutes. This will help widen the shoe a little.

What to consider

Before you start changing the size of sports shoes yourself, you need to consider factors that will affect the final result:

• The material from which sports shoes are made can be easily stretched, but only in width.
• You should not expect your shoes to increase in width by more than half a size. Only leather products can be stretched one size.
• The fastening seams on the shoes do not stretch.
• Rigid and synthetic materials are difficult to deform and are quickly damaged when stretched.

If, after purchasing shoes, you realize that they are not the right size for you and are tight in certain places, you need to contact the store with a request to exchange or return the purchase.

Professional ways to increase size

If for some specific reason you are unable to return your tight sneakers back to the store, then use professional stretching products. In workshops for repairing sneakers, it is customary to use:

• surface treatment fluids;
• pads on which the shoes themselves, which require stretching, are pulled.

Manufacturers advise using sprays and stretching foams. When purchasing them, you need to pay special attention to the features of use. If the spray is marked “for all types of natural leather,” then it will not be suitable for textile sneakers at all.

Method of use:

1. Shake the balloon filled with stretch foam.
2. Apply the contents of the product evenly and efficiently to problem areas from the inside as well as the outside.
3. Wear wet shoes with terry or wool socks.
4. Walk in it until the applied product dries completely.
5. Repeat the procedure several more times to completely get rid of discomfort.

Before using foam or spray, you need to test the effect of such a product on an inconspicuous area of ​​the sneaker.

An analogue of a professional last will be a mechanical device: shoe spacers, special mechanical stretchers, mold holders. Usually they are completely universal and are suitable for several sizes and different thicknesses at once. The spacers include a special screw mechanism that provides good tension. Also included are plastic pads for the protrusions in the foot. Such devices cost a lot, but they can be used more than once.

Methods of using mechanical spacer for shoe products:

• Sneakers should be treated with a special stretching spray or moistened with water.
• You need to install a mechanical spacer inside the sneakers or sneakers, having previously installed plastic linings on it.
• Using a screw mechanism, you need to give the shoe the desired tension. This should be done carefully so as not to accidentally damage the material.
• Leave until completely dry.
• If necessary, the procedure must be repeated.

If you cannot get rid of the problem yourself, then you need to entrust your shoes to a specialist. A specialist will be able to accurately fit the shoes to the desired size and characteristics of the foot, while fully maintaining the quality of the product and its appearance.

Increasing length at home

A simple method of stretching by putting tight shoes on wet socks made of wool material is very time-consuming and unpleasant.. Once will only be enough for shoes made of natural material. For other material, you will have to repeat this procedure several more times.

Instead of water, you can use alcohol or alcohol-containing solutions. Under their influence, the material quickly softens and becomes more pliable to change its shape.

Alcohol is good for stretching sneakers from the back and front:

• You need to treat the rubber with a special cotton pad soaked in an alcohol solution.
• You can apply mechanical force to a still wet surface: use a stretch block or put on sneakers with thick socks and continue walking in them until the applied product dries completely.

The use of an alcohol-containing method of stretching shoes made of genuine leather negatively affects its quality and time of use.

Ice expansion method

This method is based on a property of liquid that is known from school courses: water, at the moment of transition to a solid state, expands noticeably and increases in total volume. This creates special pressure on the surface of the shoe, after which it actively stretches.

Procedure:

This method is well suited for both natural and artificial high-density materials.

Thermal stretching method

The principle of operation of this method is to treat sneakers with a hairdryer.:

• wear sneakers or sneakers over thick woolen socks;
• warm the problem area with a hairdryer for 20-30 minutes;
• Continue walking in your shoes until they cool completely.

This method is effective and does not degrade the original quality.

Application of newspaper

There is another well-known method - newspaper. What to do if your sneakers are too tight - just use a newspaper. For stretching, wet newspapers are used to tightly stuff the shoes until they dry..

In this case, the wet compacted paper begins to dry naturally after no less than two or three days, the insoles and surface of the shoes become very wet and, as a result, become deformed. This method has more disadvantages than advantages, so today it definitely cannot be considered effective.

To accurately determine which method to choose, compare the price of the shoes and the cost of adjusting them. Professionals say that the closer the chosen stretching method is to a professional one, the better and faster the overall effect.

Use of a hammer

An old, but no less effective method that requires only minimal handling of a hammer.

Basic actions:

• dampen a soft cloth with water;
• attach it to the back section from the inside;
• position the shoes so that the heel area is on a hard surface;
• tap it a little with the flat side of the hammer.

Your own hands

If the backdrop is made of hard leather or rubber, then you can achieve a softening effect using your own fingers. To do this, you need to carefully knead the problem area until it becomes softer.

A hard back, as a rule, can be easily kneaded with your hands, since it is made of simple dense croton. To save your time, the backdrop can be held over steam for a while before stretching with your fingers - this will make the material more pliable for further manipulation. Many people are interested in how to break in suede sneakers - in this case, you can use the same methods as for shoes made of other materials.

How to properly stretch a child's shoes

The best solution would be to return uncomfortable children's sneakers to the store or use the services of a specialist. If you still decide to fix the problem yourself, you need to use some tips:

• use only those methods in which the shoes will not stretch on the baby’s feet;
• from folk remedies you can use the ice method;
• buy special stretch pads.

It is necessary to remember that shoes for a child should completely suit the size of his feet and not restrict him in any way.

How to properly stretch in width

There are many more methods to increase the width of sneakers than lengthening methods..

Savvy sneaker users have come up with one simple and effective way to free up space for your feet - removing the insole. If you can’t do without it, then you can replace the thick insole with a thinner and more comfortable one. What to do if the sneakers are large - in this case, on the contrary, the insole needs to be padded.

Laundry soap and alcohol

A combination of alcohol and fat is good for leather shoes.. For this:

• alcohol is poured into sneakers;
• the inside of the product is rubbed with slightly melted laundry soap;
• Allow the shoes to dry completely.

If the lining fabric is made of low-quality material, then a characteristic odor may appear in the sneakers, which will be very difficult to eliminate.

Kerosene is considered a good alternative to alcohol and fat.. To do this, the inside of the shoes is moistened with the product, put on the feet and worn for forty minutes. The interesting thing is that in this case, as in the past, a special smell may arise.

Window cleaner

You can widen your sneakers without any major consequences by using a glass cleaner that contains alcohol.

Instructions for use:

• Spray the shoes inside and out with the product;
• We put on thick woolen socks on top, after which we continue to walk in the treated shoes for about two hours.

This interesting method has been tested by not a single sneaker lover. It's perfect for any pair of leatherette sneakers.

There are many ways to increase your sneaker size. Which one you will use is up to you to decide.

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