How To Break In New Work Boots Like A Pro
Buying a new pair of work boots is exciting. They are useful & fashionable, but wearing them after buying them isn’t a comfortable experience.
You invest in a nice pair of good looking boots & I know you want to wear them right away. Brand new shoes or boots straight from the manufacturer are uncomfortable to wear at first.
Sometimes we make mistakes when we choose our new pair of shoes or boots. We provide some tips for you to choose your right boots.
These boots are sturdy & need to be broken in to be comfortable to wear. Using them too much from the beginning can lead to pinching in your toes and painful chafing.
But make sure you don’t lose the quality of your boots by trying different methods for breaking in. Some boots are good to go the day you bought them, but most of them aren’t.
There is a bunch of different break-in methods I’ve found on the internet. Some are effective some are not.
Do keep in mind that if you use these techniques, you can’t return those boots because of warranty violation. If that won’t bother you then here is our method for breaking them in without hurting your feet.
Do it properly, stiff work boots and blisters will be all but a memory in the past. Your feet will thank you if you take the time to do this.
Avoid some mistakes while you are buying your first boots.
Table of Contents
How To Break In New Work Boots
To make new work boots more comfortable, here are some ways that work
Size Matters
Buy boots that fit you. Choose the right size for you, be it a ranger school boot, lineman boot, or EMS boot. Ensuring you have the correct shoe size is most important in this process.
If the boot feels too tight or too big for your feet, then it might not be a good idea to break them in. As you are not going to feel comfortable wearing them.
Start With Simple Steps
Start with 10-15 minutes a day wearing them around the house. It should take around two weeks to break them in. Then you can wear them all day with ease.
It Is One Of The Easiest And Cheapest Ways To Break In A Work Boot.
Consider the fact of break-in time before you purchase a boot. Use thick socks or even put on multiple layers of socks and walk around the house on a daily basis.
If your boot is flexible try to bend them back and forth before putting them on.
Oil Leather Conditioner
An oil leather conditioning treatment helps to make the leather fibers more malleable. The main difference comes with the product used and how you apply it.
Oil leather conditioner is made specifically for breaking in new shoes and maintaining them for continued durability.
Here Is How You Do It
- Apply a thick coating of the oil to the entire upper section or a specific spot that may seem to cause trouble.
- Put the oil overnight to soak into the leather fibers.
- On the following day simply wipe the excess oil that didn’t soak.
- The applied area should be more comfortable & pliable.
Related Reading: Using Petroleum Jelly To Shine Your Shoes
Mink Oil
Similar to the previous method, Mink oil is a special substance that allows the leather of your boot to be smoother and loosen.
Additional heat to the oil is required to be able to apply it to the shoe. Before applying oil clear them of any dirt and debris. Before applying on your shoe, test it on a small unseen part, sometimes the oil can darken the material.
Stretcher Or Stick
This stick method fixes specific problem areas like toes or heels. It’s commonly used to prevent pinching of certain toes. It requires the use of a large stick or a shoe stretcher.
If you have a shoe stretcher, then simply place it inside the boot and extend.
Check if the stretcher has a tight fit with the boot.
Insert a mop stick or broom into the boot, aim the stick towards the toes and heel areas that are pinched or tight.
Then, gently and firmly bend the boot over the stick, so the leather of your boot stretches out of the sole in that affected area.
You’ll notice a slight discoloration of the leather, which indicates that the boot has been extended.
Hot Water Method
This is a method popular in the military. This method is best done if you have waterproof boots. Otherwise, they will be damaged.
Simply soak them in a bucket of warm water for 30 minutes. Or more if your boot has finished leather.
Then take them out and remove any remaining water. Put on a thick layer of a sock and wear those boots for an hour.
This helps the fiber to mold according to your foot size. However, this method is a risky one and should only be done if you know what you are doing.
Risky Method
Apply direct heat using a hair dryer or oven (Please don’t do this).
This does certainly speed up the process but obvious blunder takes place, or worse the leather may get cracked.
That’s a no go method for me.
Cold Water Method
Use two ziplock freezer bags, pour cold water into them and release excess air from the bag. Put the bag inside the boot and aim the water for the pinching area.
Then stick the boots in the freezer overnight, this should be done in constant surveillance, if your boot isn’t waterproof then this is certainly a risky trick.
The water inside the bag turns into ice and expands the leather.
Why Do We Need To Break In Work Boots?
Work Boots are made for working in long shifts. So you need to wear them for a long period of time.
If you don’t know how to properly break them, then it will cause more pain in your feet as well as your whole body. Hopefully, you enjoyed this guide and learned something new.
If you know any other cool tricks do leave them in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts about this.