I have a pair of (awesome!) Doc Martens that I've only worn a handful of times... I'd really like to wear them more often (since it's getting cooler), but they are worse than spending 10 hours in 5 inch heels!! The leather isn't broken in I guess. The part where the tongue is sewn into the toe part hurts the top of my foot, they're 'squeaky' (not the soles, the actual boot part), and the part where the tongue curves up to my leg hurts me too.
How can I break these in so they're wearable?
I know the leather will eventually stretch, but do I have to actually keep wearing them until it's comfortable?
They're these, but in dark red:
http://www.zappos.com/dr-martens-1914-w-black-smooth
I tried stuffing tennis balls down there to stretch it when I'm not wearing them... my husband has a black pair that he's worn for 20 years, they're the best boots ever, that's why I bought them ;) I just want mine to look as comfy as his!!
I've seen people break cowboy boots in the way you break in a new baseball glove. They sit and work leather oil into the boots and stretch and bend the sole, and the toes. They also stick a little stretcher down in the foot. Its foot shaped 2 pieces of wood that you crank to open it up wider. They stick those in the boots to stretch them out some.
http://www.shoecaresupplies.com/Shoe_Boot_Stretchers_s/42...
Found this on the internet for ya:
1) Get some heavy twine; the kind the post office sells.
2) Wet the boots with mink oil or lether balm - you want to soften the outer shell without distorting or damaging the leather.
3) Wrap the still-moistened boots up in an old toel or bedsheet. Secure the cloth with twine.
4) Strike the boots repeatedly with a heavy rubber mallet, sledgehammer, or large rock. Be sure there's only enough cloth around the boots to prevent scuffing.
5) Untie twine and extract the boots. Wipe off any remaining oil/balm.
6) Scrunch the boots up, in such a way that the toe end curls back toward the upper laces. It'll take time and a fair amount of effort, at first, but it'll get easier. Cover with cloth again and retwine as best as possible. Use c-clamps of a wood vice, if available. Again, be sure to place a soft cloth between the clamps and the boots.
7) Strike again with mallet, making sure this time to use softer blows.
8) Untie/unclamp. Test-fit boots for comfort.
9) Repeat steps 2-onward, until desired effect is attained.
sounds like the seam over the toe is what is rubbing. I know of no way to deal with that. It's a fit problem.
If it's because the seam and tongue are stiff, you could hasten breaking them in by putting alcohol, to dampen, on those spots before wearing them. The alcohol softens the leather and also allows it to stretch.
Are they tight at all? Maybe you can wear them with thick socks to give you cushion. (Show us a picture of your boots!) If they aren't dressy boots and meant to look and be stiff, then you can do some concentrated bending with them on to loosen and stretch to your form and activity.
Usually when I want to break shoes in, I wear them throughout the house for about 3 or 4 days. I clean, go and and down the stairs, make the bed, wash dishes....all while wearing my shoes. By the time I'm ready to wear them, no more pain!
Pretty much. Unless you can find a foot clone to break them in for you. :)
ETA, glad someone has better ideas than me on this one... LOL
I used to work in a shoe department long ago, and I had a boot stretcher and you can buy these (not sure where...may be a boot store), or what I was told by my manager, is that with leather shoes, they often stretch when wet. You can dampen them and ball up some socks and stuff them in real good and leave them over night for one or two nights and it will stretch the leather out. :-)
Tennis balls are good....wet the boots first before stuffing them in there. :-) It will work then.
A lot of it has to do with foot sweat getting the leather wet, and then it molding to your foot. Which is what I do in part. I soak them, and wear them around. Then murphy's saddle soap and ditto.
There are shoe repair shops that will stretch them.
If there is a Red Wing store near you go make nice with the worker there. They have the equipment to stretch them. Troy buys all his work boots there so he wears them for a week to figure out where they need attention and brings them in and they fix it. :) They do it for free for customers but I am pretty sure you could convince them to work on those boots for you. :)
