stretching boots?

[jwind]

Anyone have any luck stretching boots. I've always had trouble buying boots, particularly heavy leather backpacking boots. I've got a pair of light hikers, but my ankles fend much better over time with big boots.

to make things worse, my right foot is at least 1/2 size bigger. I bought a pair of what I'm pretty sure are older versions of these.

http://www.asolo.com/eng/prod_det.php?area=2&catid=4&itemid=20

Nice boots at a steal of a price. Thought i got the right size, but after a bit of hiking, i realized that the toe box on the right shoe is just a little narrow. I should have know what i was getting into with italian made shoes.

 

[audrey]

You have lots of company in the "bought the boots too small" department. I used to think they were supposed to hurt.

I'm not overly optimistic about your getting lucky, but you could try stuffing the boots with wet newspaper (jam it in) and then dry them with a fan (no heat).

You can also buy a shoe stretcher that has little "bunions" in strategic places that you put in the boot and then turn a large screw to expand it. It used to work for my mother in the days that women had to practically cut their toes off to fit into those pointy torture implements.

 

[bobandgeri]

Go see Stan at the Concord NH EMS store. He is one of the best boot fitters in the area. Many here have used him. He tells it like it is whether he is selling you something or not - really nice guy.

 

[peakbagger]

If the toe box is too small, its going to be tough. Some leather boots can be stretched for width or in specific spots to accomodate bumps of various sorts, but generally adding overall width is going to be tough. Limmers tried stretcing some of the stock limmers for me many years ago and after trying, suggested that is what the customs were for. Two years later, I had the widest custom pair they made that year.

Whatever you do dont try to live with them, there are lots of folks who have done long term damage to their feet by running boots that are not wide enough.

 

[Laurie Maynard]

Go see Stan at the Concord NH EMS store. He is one of the best boot fitters in the area. Many here have used him. He tells it like it is whether he is selling you something or not - really nice guy.

I agree! Stan has helped me emmensly!!

 

[Little Rickie]

Take them to a local shoe repair for a good stretch but beware they can only strech so far without weakening them.

 

[Chip]

NOTE: I have not personally tried this, and I'm not convinced it would work, but this "Boot Fitting Guide" recommends the following;

"Extra W-i-d-e Feet
Freeze them. The boots that is. Take two puncture-free produce bags commonly found in a grocery store. Place one bag inside the other. Stuff these doubled-up bags down into your boot, as if you were trying to line the boot with the bags. Lace the boots up with a lacing tension similar to what you would use if your feet were in them. Now carefully add water to the produce bag. Avoid getting water in the boot lining. When the bag contains enough water to fill the entire boot area below the ankle, securely tie off the top of the bag using several wire twist-ties. Now pop the whole set-up -- boot, bags, and water -- into the freezer, where the liquid will solidify overnight and expand. This expansion is your widening tool; you can imagine what this does to the forefoot of your boot. Viola! Your D width is now an E. If you need to drastically widen the boots, use this procedure in multiple stages, using new bags for each width stage."

I might try this on a pair of boots that were not returnable. It seems like the laces would stretch/break before the boots did, but perhaps there's some science occuring here that I'm not aware of.

 

[Stash]

A question...

Everything mentioned so far will stretch the upper part of the boot but I'd doubt it will make the sole any wider. Don't wider (or longer) boots have wider (or longer) soles? So wouldn't stretching the upper change the whole dynamic of the boot design? I honestly don't know... Asking the question....

 

[sierra]

you bought the wrong size and it is very unlikely you can stretch them to fit.

 

[Neil]

Please try the frozen water bag technique and report the results.

I have heard of orthopedic surgeons who amputate the 5th toe for women so they can wear daintier shoes. Might be a hiker market out there too. Specially those with one foot bigger than the other. "just the left foot today, sir?"

 

[Chip]

Please try the frozen water bag technique and report the results.

I can't imagine anyone could get it to work. The water would expand up through the ankle of the boot or expand the laces well before it stretched the leather, IMHO.

I might try it anyway. I have a pair I hardly wear that could be widened. I doubt I'd ruin them.

 

[DougPaul]

I can't imagine anyone could get it to work. The water would expand up through the ankle of the boot or expand the laces well before it stretched the leather, IMHO.

I might try it anyway. I have a pair I hardly wear that could be widened. I doubt I'd ruin them.

It could also rip the stitching out.

And even if it only stretches the leather, it is rather uncontrolled as to which parts it will stretch. (I'll bet the orientation of the boot while the water is freezing has an effect of this.)

I wouldn't try it unless I was willing to discard the boots.

Doug

 

[JOD]

stretch the boots to fit

I've been away in OKC for a month and haven't read anything with relations with mountians...

boots can be stretched. Leather boots and plastic. Hiking boots, hockey skates, ski boots... If you have the right tools it can be done fairly easily. I happen to have the right tools. The method mentioned above for the wooden strecther does work for "bunions" it can also widen narrow lasts. I have a press with adapters for punching the toe box longer too. I wouldn't expect to gain too much in length. We can usually get a 1/2 sizer longer in a plastic boot because we can grind the plastic too.