I soaked them in water and then put plastic cups in them to stretch the strap material as they dried. I got these for Christmas. They are hard! This shelf is attractive and blends in well with the kitchen, I have it next to my stand mixer and the both look like the belong. I am not sure why this order of FitFlops are slightly bigger than ones I have bought before. I have had this record player for almost a year and really enjoyed the stock stylus it came with. Secondly, there were numerous gouges in the paint. Waterproof and decent noise cancelling. I dont know how long it will last but this is all the motivation I need. It looks really cute !