HELP: any ideas on how to stretch my boots ?

milesaway

New Member

• Apr 8, 2012

• #1

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

Veteran Member

Time of past OR future Camino

SJPP-SDC (2009) Somport-Jaca, Burgos-SDC, Cee-Muxia (2012) Le Puy - Aumont-Aubrac (2014) SJPP-SDC (Oct 2015)

• Apr 8, 2012

• #2

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

Veteran Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Le Puy-Santiago(2008) Cluny-Conques+prt CF(2012)

• Apr 8, 2012

• #3

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

 

Dave2013

Member

Time of past OR future Camino

CF (09/2013)

• Apr 8, 2012

• #4

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

Veteran Member

Time of past OR future Camino

2006 to date: Over 21 Caminos. See signature line

• Apr 8, 2012

• #5

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

 

Sagalouts

RIP 2015

• Apr 8, 2012

• #6

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

 

milesaway

New Member

• Apr 9, 2012

• #7

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

Jakobsweg Junkie

Time of past OR future Camino

SJPP 2023

• Apr 9, 2012

• #8

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

Veteran Member

Time of past OR future Camino

2006 to date: Over 21 Caminos. See signature line

• Apr 9, 2012

• #9

sagalouts said:

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

Click to expand...

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

 

colinPeter

Veteran Member

Time of past OR future Camino

SJPP-SDC (2009) Somport-Jaca, Burgos-SDC, Cee-Muxia (2012) Le Puy - Aumont-Aubrac (2014) SJPP-SDC (Oct 2015)

• Apr 10, 2012

• #10

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