New work boots hurting your feet? Are you already regretting your decision of buying that specific pair of boots? Well, hold on! I know we get really excited to wear our new boots and within a short period start blaming ourselves for not taking the time to prime our boots because our feet start killing us.
But don’t worry. You no longer have to deal with those painful and really annoying blisters that are inescapable. In this article, we will tell you some amazing hacks to soften your new boots quite easily.
These hacks can pretty much be done anywhere and require almost no skill or effort. Thrilled already?
Let’s get started:
1. Apply some oil to your boots
Oil is one of the most popular remedies to make your boots soft. Like oil makes our hair soft, the same way it works on our boots.
Just follow these steps carefully:
Step 1: Clean your boots beforehand
It is advisable to not use oil until after you have cleaned your boots. You can use a damp cloth and wipe the pair lightly to remove any grime or grit. Once you are done with this step just wipe them again with a dry cloth so that they remain dry and ready to get oiled.
Step 2: Time to choose your oil
There are plenty of oils available in the market to reduce the stiffness of your boots. Mink oil, saddle soap, coconut oil and foot oil are some of them. You can check our guide on the best oil for boots to help you decide which one is right for your boots.
Step 3: Do not forget to read the label on your leather oil
It is essential that you read the label and constituents of the oil that you are buying. Oils that contain pine tar, castor oil, mineral oils and other toxic chemicals are very harmful for your new boots and might cause the spoilage of the leather.
Step 4: It’s time to apply the oil
After you have finalized the oil its time to apply it in two coats. After you apply the first coat let it absorb thoroughly into the boots. It completely depends on your boot how easily they absorb the oil. You might have to wait several hours or even a day before applying the second coat.
Here’s an expert tip, once you are done oiling, just bend the shoes with your hands to make the material soft and loose.
2. Put your boots in freezer
Sounds funny? This trick might look astounding but honestly, it has been proved to be effective. Just follow these steps:
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- Get a ziplock bag filled with water.
- Put these bags in your boots and check if the bags are properly sealed.
- Now place these boots in the freezer and leave them overnight.
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The next morning after taking out your boots you will notice that your boots are not only softer but they are a bit stretched out too.
3. Walk around in your shoes
It is a sure shot method to make your boots comfortable. Continuous wearing your boots will make them more adaptable or flexible. But don’t wear them for all day as they might start to hurt. The best way to minimize the chance is to wear them for just half a day.
If you take my advice, don’t wear your new boots for two days in a row as your feet are generally sweaty which will not give the boots enough time to dry out. So they might still be tight around your feet.
4. Use a spray
Sprays are a very good option to soften the new boots and you can make it at your home. How? By reading and following these easy steps:
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- Get Isopropyl alcohol from any drug store.
- Mix equal amounts of water and alcohol and fill it in a bottle.
- Remove the laces if present to apply the alcohol
- Use this spray inside and to the exposed part of the boots
- Let it sit and dry for about thirty minutes.
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After following these steps just wipe your boots with dry clean cloth and you are done!
5. Apply Vaseline to your boots
Just like vaseline softens our skin, it also softens the skin of your boots. Just use a small brush or an old toothbrush to apply the Vaseline on the boots. But apply it in such a way that the boots only have a thin layer of it. Keep them like this for overnight and wipe them with a clean cloth next day to remove excess vaseline.
If you are not satisfied with a single coat then repeat the process until you get your boots as soft as you want them to be.
6. Blowdry
This is another interesting trick to make your boots comfy. Heating them can be an effective way in following manner:
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- Take a blow dryer and put it at a distance from your boots for at least 30 to 60 seconds continuously.
- Let the boot stay there for 2-3 hours.
- Do not exceed the time limit or repeat the process as overheating might harm the material.
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Heating the boot up works because maybe the natural oil from your foot in the boot gets blown away easily with all the heat and air.
7. Stuff your boots with towels
Most of the people are not amazed by this trick because this is so far the most approved way of making the boots soft. All you need is a towel and similar types of clothes. Just roll them and put them inside and let the boots stay like this for a whole night.
This is an amazing method as you can see positive results without much of an effort. Plus it also prevents harmful chemicals from ruining your precious boots.
8. Use a conditioner
We all know that there are conditioners for hair but have you ever heard of a boot conditioner? Yes, you got me right. There are several commercially made conditioners that allow you to soften your boots.
Conditioner mainly helps to remove the natural oil coming out of your foot which makes the boot harder. The conditioner works on removing this oil and giving you a soft material out of your hard new boots.
9. Put newspaper inside the boots
As I have already told you that the oil makes boots make them damp and hard. This is why you need to soak all the oil in.
Like towels, the newspaper is also a great option that can be stuffed inside the boots until they sink in all the oil making the boots soft, comfortable and crispier than ever.
Why do you need to soften your new boots?
In a nutshell, the answer to this question is, to be comfortable. Workwear plays an important role in enhancing your performance. And if you have to work on feet all day, trust me it is really necessary that your feet happily accept your new work boots.
When you smoothen your new pair, the boots literally take the shape of your feet giving you a perfect fit. When new, the boots feel tight around the toes and pinch with every step. Infact, the material of the boots is comparatively hard and rubs against your soft feet causing blisters and abrasion.
That is why it is important to make your boots soft so that both your boot and the foot can find a way to get in harmony with each other.
Final Thoughts
I know that buying new boots is a tough task but what’s tougher is to make your feet accept them. You just have to be calm with your new boots and let them adapt. By following some of the above tips you can make your work a lot easier. So what are you waiting for? Let’s soften up a bit.
