HELP: any ideas on how to stretch my boots ?

[milesaway]

Having worn my boots on numerous hiking trips and no problems with them, I have tried them on and worn them on a few walks training for our up and coming Camino walk end of May and they seem to be very tight across the top in one of the boots. Any ideas on how I can stretch them ? They seem to be pinching a nerve, really worried that I want be able to make the distance now....

 

[colinPeter]

Hi Milesaway,
A method I use to loosen or widen new boots is to use my rubber "flip flops" ("thongs" in Aust), which are usually a bit wider than your foot and about the same shape. I force them into the boot, left in left right in right, just with your hand, and leave them there for a few days. The "flip flops seem soft enough to be non destructive, but firm enough to keep the boots slightly stretched while you are not wearing them.
Buen Camino
Col

 

[KiwiNomad06]

I took mine into a cobbler and explained the problem and he was able to stretch them in just the right places.
Margaret

 

[Dave2013]

There was a post not long ago that pointed to a YouTube video that talked about alternate ways of lacing your boots. I tried a few of the methods and found what worked for me. One of them showed how to change the way you lace over the top part of your foot and that might help for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOE28brA ... ata_player

 

[Anniesantiago]

Leave the boots home and buy some New Balance trainers.
Problem solved. :wink:

 

[Sagalouts]

I always fill the boots with bagged water and place them in the freezer for a couple of days.
works for me
Ian

 

[milesaway]

Thanks every one for the helpful suggestions....
At the moment I have stuffed wet newspaper in them, tomorrow when I take the newspaper out I wil
Put my thongs in them to dry out, and if that doesn't work will take them to the cobbler.
Wish my freezer was big enough, but not so luckily.
Will check out the you tube site also.....
Sue....

 

[Kitsambler]

All of the above suggestions and comments are good ones. However, if you have boots with a Gore-tex (or similar) membrane, I'm not at all sure that stretching is going to help you any, since the membranes don't stretch. You may need to consider new boots (our feet do tend to flatten out and get a bit longer as we age).

 

[Anniesantiago]

I always fill the boots with bagged water and place them in the freezer for a couple of days.
works for me
Ian

Dang, Ian... that's brilliant! I never would have thought of that!

 

[colinPeter]

Hi Kitsambler,
I think you're generally right, if boots genuinely don't fit, you should invest in new ones.
However, I found that you can make your new boots (mine are gortex) a little larger, by the method I suggested, which seems to stretch the leather wider (but not longer). But there are obviously limits to what any method can achieve.
Anyhow milesaway , I hope you get it all sorted. Have you looked at your insoles, maybe a different set?
Buen Camino
Col