Boots don't fit any more.

[Luked]

Not sure what's going on but for the past 6 months or so it seems my trusty Lowa Tibets dont seem to fit like they used to.
I have had these Boots for right around 4 years and they have done me really well. I normally wear them quite a bit and have lasted a long time and still look great.
But for what ever reason they don't seem to fit as well as they used to. I started noticing it a bit before our hunting season this past fall. They just seem really tight. Even in the tongue area at the top part of my foot. I thought at first It might be my foot, but its been like that all year. Got them out today and switched insoles out from my Custom Orthotics to another Insole I had and its a bit better but still not what it used to be.
Not sure if they have enough time on them if the leather has shrunk a bit or what.
Im going to measure my foot tonight and see what it comes up with. I would think that over time maybe my arch had started to drop a bit possibly, but that wouldn't seem to account for the area they seem to be tight on my feet.
A new pair of boots wouldn't be a bad thing as I wear boots a lot. But hate having to pick boots out because there is no place close to me that I can try them on and it always makes me nervous ordering online.

Anyone ever had their boots not fit after some time in some way?

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Leather boots will shrink over time, more so if you don’t keep them conditioned. Going from wet to dry a lot, especially with a heat source will speed up that process.
They make boot stretchers, could be worth a shot. If I got 4 years out of a pair of boots I’d call that a win and get another pair.

 

[gostovp]

How old are you? Our feet can change as we get older.
Have you changed anything with how you workout? Increased or decreased activity like walking, rucking, or running? Those things can also change the profile of ur foot

 

[Luked]

Ill be 47 this Feb.
Havent really changed anything in any routine.
I started noticing it late this past summer but they still are now fitting very tight.
I know I have got a lot of great use out of these in the 4 years I have had them.
Just hate to get something new with the shape these are in.

Hate the thought of having to try and search for new boots with the amount they cost and the lack of places to try them on around me.

 

[SouthernCharm]

I had a bunion that was developing unknown to me and my foot continues to expand, plus arthritis developed. Really sucks and quite painful and times.

 

[bracer40]

Sometime in my 40s I was informed by a podiatrist that it’s not uncommon for men in their 40s to see a change in their foot size. I went from a longtime size 12 to a 13 sometime in that time of my life. Still rocking a 13 in my mid 60s.

 

[6mm Remington]

I used to wear a size 9 in most shoes and boots since I have been an adult. I believe my arch has flattened as I now wear a 10 or 10 1/2 depending on the shoe/boot.

 

[dtrkyman]

I have an old pair of Asolo that I neglected a bit, they have been bullet proof for years! They shrunk up and got real tight in the toe box, I cleaned them with rubbing alcohol(diluted), it is supposed to relax the leather? Then I treated them with a conditioner, filled with water and stuck em in the freezer for a week!

It definitely helped.

 

[cuerro viejo]

At 30 I was 11 by 45 I was a 12

 

[DRP]

I had the same thing happen with a pair of Hanwag boots, for three years they retained their shape/size then one evening they were damp and I put them too close to the heater vent in my 5th wheel and they shrunk. I tried the water/ice insert method and they never stretched back out. The last few years I use a pair of cedar boot trees, I remove the insole and put the boot tree inside, they dry much faster and never shrink. I use them every night when I take my boots off if I’m hunting from base camp. They are $30-40 for a good set on Amazon

 

[tater]

The dreaded "foot size change" happened in my mid 40's. Gained a full size, and was really unhappy to have four pairs of beautiful handmade loggers and packers that no longer fit.
The big frustration will be the "improvements" made in the hunting boots from the old pair to the new pair by the manufacturer when you buy them.
Those folks can't just leave well enough alone.