Breaking in new boots

A

almtiba

New member
Hi Guys !

Do you guys have some advice of how to break in a new pair of boots ?

I'm going to Uruguay, and it's the kind of hunt that you walk a lot...
My last trip we used to walk about 10 or more kilometers a day...

This year, because of the rains, the grass will be thick, high and very wet. Because of that, and because of the snakes (not realy a issue, but high grass = more snakes) I bought a pair of 18" boots, Irish Setter, Wingmaster.

I bought this because it's the same I always used (but mine were 8", I think).

Thanks in advance,

Andre Tiba - Brazil
 
Wear them to work, with the same sox you
be hunting with. Take an extra pair of shoes
to work with you. Try your new boots for a
half day, then put on the other shoes. If your
feet don't suffer, repeat for another couple of
days. By then you can wear them all day at work.
Prior to your hunting adventure, take a few hikes
with the now, almost broken in boots. You should
now be ready for your hunt. Good luck ! :D
 
I've worn combat boots a good portion of my life and I have had a lot of "breaking in" experience.

Wear them everyday for at least 4-6 hours (or half-day as previously mentioned)

Dancing is indeed a great way to break them in, do it on your "Friday" so you have the next day as your day off to rest your feet IF you blister. Otherwise keep wearing them.

Another tip that works best for me is to soak them in warm-hot water for 60 minutes. Best way to do this is to fill your bath tub with warm-hot water and soak your boots in them while wearing them (picture a Norman Rockwell painting of the old man soaking his feet in Epsom salt).

If you're going to do this it is best to NOT WEAR SOCKS while wearing your boots. Also, running warm-hot water from time to time to keep the temp consistent also really helps. If you don't mind scuffing the bottom of your tub a bit, pace in the tub a bit and kneel down from time to time to bend and stretch the leather.

Hope this helps, Cheers!

- Hiroshi
 
I have worn boots all my life and my method of breaking in boots is really effective and won't hurt good boots. I fill them with warm water let them set a few minutes then wear them all day and set them out to dry without heat. ( they will be almost dry by the end of the day)the warm water softens the leather and they streatch to fit your feet. I have done this with cowboy boots and hunting boots for about 40 years. Works great!
 
Interesting about the warm water trick. I have a pair of boots that I loved, yeah, past tense, lovED. But one fateful trip they turned on me.

I'm going to see if this warm water will do the trick.


Break them in or pay the price!

almtiba, good luck on the trip! :cool:
 
Breaking in...

The warm water trick is very effective at breaking in the right boots, just be sure that you don't have a cardboard liner under your insoles as some boots do. I take a warm shower wearing my new boots to get them to comform to my feet the way I like.
 
I used to wear the old black military boots in the shower, but the newer ones I've never really needed that much of a break in period for... Depends on the boot really
 
For a couple reasons, I wear 2 pairs of thick socks if I am not able to stop often the first day or 2 to adjust etc. The thicker socks doubled up offer padding, reduce chafing and also aid in stretching the boots to fit the way I lace them etc. Then after a couple days of this, they feel like an old comfortable pair when I go to my normal single sock.
Brent
 
Sounds like you have a lot of walking ahead of you. Even if you do get your boots broken in - bring along some moleskin and something to cut it with. If you develop any hotspots on your feet - stop - cover the spot with moleskin. This will save your feet and the hunt - nothing slows mobility like a blister.
 
I step in a creek or bucket of room temp water, then wear the boots all day while active.
By the end of the day your feet will be very "prune-y" and the boots will be fairly dry.
Let dry for a day in the house and oil real well.
As for the post about cardboard insoles, don't buy cheap boots. YMMV
 
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