Expensive boots shrunk!

[Marble]

I've got a pair of boots I really like that shrunk a little bit. Full leather. From doing a little research there has been success with stretching boots by putting a plastic bag in the boot, filling it with water and freezing it. When the water freezes it expands and stretches. A lot of people said they got about a 1/2 size increase.

I worked on mine over the weekend and when I get home in a few days I'll try it out and see if it worked.

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[Headwatermike]

I've got a pair of boots I really like that shrunk a little bit. Full leather. From doing a little research there has been success with stretching boots by putting a plastic bag in the boot, filling it with water and freezing it. When the water freezes it expands and stretches. A lot of people said they got about a 1/2 size increase.

I worked on mine over the weekend and when I get home in a few days I'll try it out and see if it worked.

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I've used that same technique a few times in the winter only instead of using bags of water I used my toes. Afterwards, the boot size doesn't seem to bother me at all.

 

[Timberline001]

Definitely the fire. My partner cooked his boots on a hunt once so badly that he hiked out in the snow in his camp sneakers.
My lowas I had the toe of one shrink ever so slightly, found an actual cobbler, and showed him the boot. 10 minutes later, problem solved.

How much did that cost?


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[Squamch]

How much did that cost?


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He said don't worry about it. I have him a 20. Guy saved my $550 boots!

 

[ID gives AF]

Appreciate all the helpful info here and https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/does-an-all-leather-boot-shrink-or-stretch-over-time.185458/

I am a normally a size 11 boot, got Crispi Nevadas in 10.5 because they fit better. Baked them by a fire to dry out after an all-day hike in the snow. Wore them to next day to take out a load of elk, 12 mile round trip.

Did not realize boots had shrunk until I was a few miles from getting back to camp. My toes were in lots of pain, I wore my backup boots to get the rest of the elk out. I realized the fire had shrunk my boots by nearly a whole size. These are my toes today from when they were damaged 2 months ago. I anticipate the two big nails will fall off eventually.

When I got home I put 3/4 full quart ziplocks of water in the boots and froze them. Next, fully saturated boots in hot water and laced them on my feet in a 20 qt oval basin. I repeatedly flexed my feet and toes to re-stretch the leather for about an hour. Next, work the outside leather with saddle soap, about a half dozen applications, until leather was supple again.

Next step, lined inside of each boot with 4 layers of plastic grocery sack, fill with ice cubes, and pour cold water to the top of the boot. Laced the top tightly together, and froze. After 2 days removed. The ice expanded, stretching the supple leather back very close to original size. Dried out boots slowly, then treated liberally with boot oil.

I have wore the boots on 3 hikes since and they work great. The rubber rand over the toe is deformed/indented, however, my toes have space above them and in front of them where they are no longer bumping the toe box when I hike downhill. I'm sure I took some life off the boots with all the abuse I put them through, but I wasn't ready to drop $500 on a new pair if I could save the old ones. Here are the restored boots:

 

[Phaseolus]

+1 for your local cobbler. Pro Tip: don’t leave your Lowas in the trunk of a friends car after crawling out of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison when It’s 100 degrees in Grand Junction.