discussion New Boots

[SimonT]

Morning all,
Anyone got any good tips for wearing in a new pair of boots?

I just got some for walking to work in the bad weather we will no doubt be soon experiencing and the leather uppers have shredded both my heels

They now look, and feel, like they have been chewed by an angry Rottweiler then hit a few dozen times with a meat tenderiser

So any tips on softening up the leather appreciated before I start having to crawl the three and a bit miles to work

 

[Guest]

Morning Simon.
Pm sent .

 

[Si Benson]

Get a bike Simon, then you can pedal in with your slippers on :smiling5:
I gave up my car two years ago and dusted off my bike....lost 10 kilos in 6 months and feel a lot healthier than I ever did. I got excellent waterproofs so the rain doesn’t even bother me

 

[Peej]

Morning Simon.
Pm sent .

John, you can't set fire to new boots!

 

[Guest]

John, you can't set fire to new boots!

Oh ,damn.:disappointed:

 

[Guest]

After many years of long distance hiking I've found the best way is just to wear them and power through.

Wearing them wet for a while can help soften them up, but watch out for trench foot :smiling5:

And 2 thinner pairs of socks is vastly superior to one thick pair, as a lot of the friction is taken up between them .

 

[Guest]

Hi Simon, wear two pairs of socks, not the nylon type, wool type and talcum powder. If it doesn't work at least your feet will smell nice:tears-of-joy:.
Pete.

 

[Neil Merryweather]

I seem to remember Spike Milligan writing in Hitler My Part in His Downfall that leaving them full of urine overnight did the trick.......

 

[Tim Marlow]

.....hence the expression “go on, fill yer boots”....

 

[Guest]

John, you can't set fire to new boots!

Oh ,damn.:disappointed:

You can

Pete.

 

[Guest]

Hi this was the last pair of boots I broke in.

Look what they did to my feet.


Pete.

 

[Guest]

I seem to remember Spike Milligan writing in Hitler My Part in His Downfall that leaving them full of urine overnight did the trick.......

Of course urine is used in the tanning of leather, but don't think Simon will want to fill his bath and spends hrs filling it , then treading on his boots in it .:anguished:

 

[Jim R]

I read once that Eskimos got the women of the tribe to chew new boots to soften them. May be difficult to find an Eskimo Nell in Leeds but worth a go :tongue-out3:

Jim

 

[Neil Merryweather]

Of course urine is used in the tanning of leather, but don't think Simon will want to fill his bath and spends hrs filling it , then treading on his boots in it .:anguished:

you just fill the boots,John,not the bath. I guess it works from the inside outwards...
But you must remember to empty them in the morning!

 

[SimonT]

:smiling5: Thank you one and all for the remarkably helpful suggestions :rolling:

At least reading them took my mind off the pain for a while :thumb2:

I am tempted to go with the 'set them on fire option' and buy some flip flops instead and nail on some segs for cold weather grip.......

 

[minitnkr]

Running over them with the car used to work great for breaking in new leather baseball mitts.:smiling2aulE

 

[Jack L]

After many years of long distance hiking I've found the best way is just to wear them and power through.

Wearing them wet for a while can help soften them up, but watch out for trench foot :smiling5:

And 2 thinner pairs of socks is vastly superior to one thick pair, as a lot of the friction is taken up between them .

I have found this one worked when I had to wear heavy duty boots for work, although went with one thick pair (I bought the boots with thick socks in mind), and the thinest pair I could find over the top.

 

[spanner570]

I know from almost all my working life wearing a pair of boots that two thin layers of socks is spot on.

Simon, if the uppers are indeed 'Proper leather' and not synthetic, then get some Dubbin. This works wonders for softening leather.

 

[Ian M]

Best trick I know is two pair of socks. Thin cotton under thick wool. The friction is then between the socks and not your foot.
Also helps if the boot fits well and is tied correctly.

 

[Tim Marlow]

“Proper leather” also responds well to soaking in Neatsfoot oil. Another old trick is to rub the pressure spots with a bar of soap. I assume this lubricates the leather so reducing the friction generated.