How to break in new work boots. Folding sturdy work shoes takes patience. Start by choosing the right size and take your new boots home. Conditioning your boot, going up and downstairs, wearing thick socks, and using a shoe tree are time-tested strategies. Do not immerse them in water or use direct heat.
A new pair of boots is like joining a sorority. Even if you've made the right promise, there can be a fair amount of painful hazing.
For boots, that hazing is the dreaded break-in period. When what will ultimately be the perfect cast of your foot pulls, squeezes, and squeezes the most sensitive areas of your foot.
This is especially painful with heavy work shoes.
However, we've got you covered. Today, we're sharing the nine best practices for rugged work shoe training.
Why is it important to break in work shoes?
9 proven ways to break in work shoes
1. Start with the right size
2. Walk through the house
walk outside
Wear your boots with thick socks
Fold the boot, step on the heel
Conditions and hydrates your boot
Use a shoe tree
Paste it and fill it
Bring an extra pair and adhesive bandages to work
Things Not to Do
1. Don't overdo it
2. Do not use hot water treatment;
3. Do not apply heat directly to the boots
4. Don't get impatient
Why It’s Important to Break Work Boots In
Even if you have a pain threshold for runners, you should still break in your work shoes before wearing them to work. The blisters can become infected, leading to further complications. Engaging in strenuous activities all day while your muscles and bones soften can damage your feet.
If you don't care about your feet, at least worry about spending your hard-earned cash on a new pair of boots. You don't want to start using them until you've used them.
Proven Ways to Break in Work Boots
1. Start with the Right Size
When it comes to sizing, there's more to work shoes than just a number. Some boots are small and some boots are large. For shoes that will take you days, research by brand and model.
Make sure you know how wide you want your work boot to be. If you get hot quickly, leave extra room in the toe box, regardless of whether your feet are wide or not.
Just as runners need to measure their gait to find the right running shoe, those looking for new work shoes need to know how much arch support they need. The flatter the foot, the more arch support is needed.
Choose wisely. You might think you're destined to be in pain forever with your magically unbreakable pair of shoes, when it's actually the wrong size.
2. Walk through the house
Leather is a resistant material. After all, that's what whips are made of.
Due to the toughness of the leather, work boots will require more effort to break in than regular boots. The more you wear it, the more the leather bends to the shape of your foot.
Start by wearing your new boots around the house for a few hours a day. If you're short on time during the week, leave them on for about 15-20 minutes before and after work, then spend the weekend in the house.
Go up and down the stairs in your new boots.
Place the midsole on the edge of a step and rock your foot back and forth. That's how I tame new riding boots, and it works every time.
Do this for two to three days and then gradually increase the time you spend wearing your boots around the house.
Walk Around Outside
Don't stray too far from home, but if you have patio stairs, a walkable apartment, backyard or front yard, break your boots into different floors with different textures and hardnesses.
Use the sidewalk in front of your house as a practice step. I also recommend doing the midsole rocking trick I suggested with the stairs, but on the curb.
However, do most shots indoors first. You cannot return your boots once you have worn them outside.
Wear Your Boots With Thick Socks
There are some advantages to doing this.
First, the added layers will stretch the leather from the inside out. Second, it will cushion your feet as you start them during the break-in process.
Thick socks are especially crucial when breaking in steel-toed boots. Hiking socks are not only bulkier, they also have an extra cushion in the heel so you can effectively stretch the insides at all angles.
Thick socks can also help passively break in your boots. Wear the boots with socks while eating or sitting on the couch during the football game on Monday and Thursday evenings - period