How to soften up new boots.

This instuctable covers how to ease the pain of breaking in new work boots, it will help soften the leather and help reduce the chance of developing blisters,  It also helps to waterproof the leather and reduces the chance of the leather drying out and cracking if they don't get polished that often.

I finally had enough of the hole in the soul of my boots that would leave me with a wet foot about 30 seconds after I leave the house. I used this method to break in the last pair i had and they lasted me over 6 years before the finally leaked.

I hate shoe shopping as it is so hard to find a shop that stocks a well made plain boot that does not cost the earth.

After much searching of the shoe shops in local towns I finally managed to find a local shop that stocked the plain slip on Chelsea boot with an airwair soul that I like to wear, an agricultural supplies store of all paces.

In the past I tended to get blisters every time I got a new pair of leather shoes or boots. a number of years ago I asked a friend who owns a leather shop what was a good way to help break in new boots to reduce the chance of blisters.  He sold me a jar of mink oil and said that it was one of the best ways of softening new leather and help rejuvenate older leather goods that have started to dry out and crack.

I used Mink oil to soften up and restore the leather on my biker boots it helped them last for over 10 years.  The next time I got new work boots I used the Mink oil to soften up the leather before I wore them and I didn't get any blisters at all, the leather was as soft as a glove and easily conformed to the shape of my foot.

Items used:

Mink oil, a blend of silicon, lanolin and vitamin E oil and of coarse quite a bit of mink fat.

A heat gun or hair drier.

A rag or sponge to apply the mink oil.

A cloth to work the Mink oil in with.


I hope you find this post useful if you are prone to blisters when breaking in new boots

Step 1 Prepping your boots.

If the boots are brand spanking new and have not been worn then you will not need to do any prep work.

If you are working with boots that you have already been trying to break in they should be dry and cleaned of any dirt they have picked up before you start.

Comments

[christy62]

Thank You For such a detailed description on how to do this. I am going to town this afternoon to buy some mink oil and I will let you know how it turns out. :)

[Dr Qui]

You might have fun trying to find it in "town" not the kind of stuff you get in your average day to day shop. I would try the interweb, it may save a lot of running around trying to find a shop that sells mink oil. Its one of those old school items that can usually only be found in real posh shoe shops and custom leather shops.

[ttassel]

Water-proofing creams, as seen on the labels, get into the pores of the leather better when the leather is heated. It effectively softens up the leather as well. I've had several pairs of steel toed boots, which are rather stiff, and after doing a bit of baking, letting the oven cool a bit, then throwing in one boot for 5ish minutes, the cream really gets into the pores. While you're putting the cream on the heated boot, throw your other boot in the oven to heat up! You don't even need to rub in the excess after 24 hrs, just let it sit and enjoy your somewhat greasy boots (wipe off excess if desired).

[caarntedd]

The small rag you keep in the jar looks like a shrivelled frog skin.

[Dr Qui]

It kind of does when you look at the thumbnail photo, funny how the brain works like that. I though that this old time phone mod looks like Beaker from the Muppets.

[caarntedd]

Ha, I think it's the "eyes".

[caarntedd]

"The mink oil is a soft thick waxy substance that is best rubbed on with a shrivelled frog skin..." Ha ha, sorry, I have had a few drinks and would have sworn that the pic showed a frog sitting on the mink oil. Maybe i should put my glasses on. 8 D