During winters our heads definitely turn to those long calf boots or those above the ankle boots. But as soon as you have bought any one of them and have started walking in them, poorly they begin to slouch!
And if slouching is the case with your boots, man you are at the right place…
The best way to prevent slouching is to use a metal strap to strengthen the shaft area so that the part above the ankle does not slip down which is the main reason behind slouching!
In this guide I am going to tell you everything about slouching: what causes them, how can they be prevented and also what to do when you are already facing the problem.
You just have to check our ready-made solutions to keep boots away from slouching!
15 Tips to Avoid Slouching at the Ankle
Though it is an evitable thing to happen, yet there are some ways thankfully by which you can minimize the problem:
1.) Use a Metallic Strap to Tighten the Calf/Ankle area
It is the ankle area that loses its strength at first and starts slouching. So, in order to tighten the area or make it strong, you need to insert a metallic strap.
The strap will hold the loosened area tightly and thus prevent slouching. When a hard strap is inserted, one end of the strap is attached to the heel area and the other to the shaft and therefore, the ankle area is held steadily.
2.) Try to Titch with a Snap Strap
In this case, you just have to act differently thought the concept is same. You will have to wrap a band below and above the knee area according to the length of the shaft of your boot.
3.) Choose the Boots with Zipper or Laces
Zippers at the back, at the site of the ankle or the shoes and boots with laces act like a support for the shaft area or the calf area and do not let slouching to happen.
4.) Visit a Cobbler to Get the Right Snug Fit
If you feel that are boots are too loose at the calf length, you can visit the cobbler to get that part stitched so that you have a perfect snug fit and can avoid slouching thereby.
5.) Wear a Thick Pair of Long Socks
When your leg skin comes in direct contact with the boot material, there are chances of the material to slip down the length.
But when you wear a thick-high pair of socks, it creates friction and the material of the boot stays in position and does not slouch.
6.) Try Wearing Fitted Pants Below the Boots Length
Though it might sound weird, but wearing fitted pants fills in the gaps in between your legs and the length of the boots in the calf area. Your boots become snug-fit and thus no slouching takes place.
7.) Using a Boot Band to Prevent Slipping Off
Boot bands have buttons in it to hold the boots tied to your legs and thus prevent slouching.
8.) Hang the Boots with Boot Clips or Binder Clips
These clips help to keep the boots straight and maintain their shape thus preventing slouching.
9.) Choose the Material of Your Boots Wisely
Boots with soft materials like suede boots will slouch more than boots made of rigid leather material.
10.) Using Boot Shaper
While storing the boots, it is very necessary to stuff something hard inside them in order to retain the shape of the boots. This is when a boot shaper comes to your rescue. Boot shapers help to maintain the shape of your boots and also in turn maintain its rigidity.
11.) Get the Boots that Fit you Right
Boots that are larger in size especially around the calf area, have the tendency to slouch the most. This is because the shaft can’t take the support of your calf and the entire weight of the shaft will be concentrated on the ankle area.
This condition if continues for a long time, the shaft will collapse ultimately. Therefore, it is very important to get the snug fitting for your boots.
Some quick fixes at home:
If you want to save yourself some money and keep from buying the accessories from market to keep your boots sagging ankles, we have some easy alternatives which are available handy at home. Just have a look:
12.) Try Inserting a Magazine or Newspaper inside the boots
We all have bunch of newspapers and magazines stacked at home. Just utilize them for your boots. Roll the newspapers in the shape of your boots and insert them along the length of the calf area. This will retain the shape of the boot, keep the calf length steady and keep away slouching.
13.) What about using just a piece of cloth?
Yes you have heard it right! This might create some creases at the boot opening but will save you from the problem of slouching. Just take a piece of cloth and cut it in the shape of a band.
Now tie the cloth around the boot opening making a knot while you wear the boots. This will hold the boot length in position and prevent slouching.
14.) Just hang your boots upside down
This is probably the easiest way to prevent slouching. When you open your boots after you come back home, just hang them from somewhere in upside down position. This will maintain the shape of the boots without just any effort or investment.
15.) Stop conditioning your boots along the calf length
Conditioning the boots using boot conditioner or oils will nourish the leather and make it soft and the softer the leather, the more it will slouch as it will become soft and can’t hold its position.
What is slouching?
The term slouching means moving down or drooping down. This generally happens with leather boots as leather is a soft material.
The leather around the calf length can’t hold its position for a long time in case the boot is not fitted to your calf muscles and it slips down and the weight of the calf area of the boots comes down entirely in the ankle area which ultimately creates folds and creases.
The Reasons Behind Slouching:
Sooner or later, boots are bound to slouch and there are valid reasons for it. I am going to explain you a few of them:
1.) Leather boots gradually become soft with extensive wearing. And when it becomes soft, it can no more take the weight of the shaft and thus slouching occurs.
2.) Ankle is the part which slouches most because this is the part which gets bent again and again during walking. First of all creases begin and then when creases get worse and the part becomes too loose that is when slouching starts.
3.) Slouches also happen due to mis-fitted boots. If the boots are too loose or too tight, slouches are bound to happen. Generally in most boots the calf area is wide and it gets bent during walking.
Only if you buy a snug-fit boot, you can stop slouching because then the weight of the shaft will get distributed.
4.) Storage is again another factor. The way you store your boots effect a lot. The problem with calf length boots are that they need a support to stay steady as they are hollow down the length. If you keep them empty without stuffing them with any hard thing, they are bound to slouch.
5.) Slouching also happens when you put the boots on the floor in a laid manner.
Why not change your style and preferences?
Suede boots and boots made of resin or plastic does not have the problem of slouching because they are hard material. So, if slouching is your problem and you don’t need the boots for work purpose, you can definitely compromise the material for the style.
Similarly boots with laces or zipper does not have the problem of slouching because the laces and zipper solve the problem and hold the boots in position and the material around the calf does not slip down. You can also adjust the fitting with such types of boots.
Before we say Good Bye:
The main thing that we have learnt from our study about slouching is that the key to prevent slouching is not to burden the ankle area and maintaining the upright position of the boot as much as possible.
Hope our tips would be helpful for you to prevent slouching in your boots because obviously you not easily want to see all your investing turning to ruins.
Don’t forget to comment us below your thoughts on the tips shared by us and do incorporate your tips while you have faced similar issues and how you overcame from those situations.
That’s all for today guys. Meet us in our next article. Till then take care and say no to slouching!
Keep walking!
