The Only Way to Break in a New Boots, According to an Expert

New boots? Don’t expect to lace them up and take on the world on the same day. Thick leather uppers and solid midsoles take a while to break in and rub and squeeze your feet, leading to painful blisters if you’re unprepared.

While the sturdiness and durability of boots vary widely from brand to brand, there are a few universal tips for breaking in a new pair, regardless of who made them.

That said, brands that make hefty, quality boots tend to have a better understanding of what it takes to get a boot to the point of wearability.

Take White’s Boots in Spokane, Washington. Known for making hand-sewn boots with hand-lasted uppers and substantial leather arches, the company has been a favorite of loggers, forestry workers and smokejumpers since the 1800s.

Expert advice

“We used to tell people to fill them up with warm water and soak them for a bit and then wear them dry,” said Eric Kinney, the president of White’s Boots. “While doing that won’t hurt the boots, we have gone away from that now.”

Kinney started at White’s as a bootmaker and has an intimate knowledge of what is required to build and rebuild every style. Over the years, the brand has changed its recommendations for how customers break in a pair of boots.

Photo by Chase Pellerin for Gear Patrol

According to Kinney, “it takes roughly eighty to one-hundred hours of wear,” to break in a pair of boots. But heed his advice and you will not only speed up the process but avoid blisters.

What’s more, a few conscious steps will also ensure new boots last for years. “I made boots for 26 years and wore the same pair every day and only had them rebuilt once,” Kinney says.

1. Make sure you buy the right size

Most boots change with wear. It’s inevitable, Kinney says. Leather uppers stretch, while leather insoles soften to the shape of one’s foot.

“We allow at least a thumb width at the toe in the initial sizing. The toe of the boot will naturally curl back over time and tighten up the overall length,” he adds.

2. Soften the boots with leather oil

“Apply White’s Boots Oil or an oil like Obenhauf’s two to three times the first week to treat the vamp leather (the front piece of leather from ball to ball to the toe). This will soften the leather and allow a little stretch as the leather will form to the foot,” Kinney says.

But it’s important that some parts stay sturdy. “We recommend not using oil on the quarters of the boot at first. You want the leather at the ankles to stay firm and not stretch. If there is a spot that is rubbing, then use a small amount of oil on that spot to get some stretch,” he explains.

3. Ease into it

“Never try to wear a new pair all day,” Kinney explains. “If you have never worn a pair, your arch can’t take it all day.”

“Wear them for two to three hours a day for a couple of weeks to let your feet get used to the high arch,” Kinney adds. “The feeling of wearing a pair of White’s is like standing on the rung of a ladder, but once you break them in you will never go back.”

4. Skip some of the lace holes at first

“If your job requires a lot of kneeling, you can skip the first set of hooks while lacing to keep the bottom set of hooks from biting you,” he says. “Over a period of time, you can start to lace the whole boot up again.”

5. Keep them clean

Boots look best a little beat-up but that doesn’t mean you should neglect them. Dirt can rob leather of its natural oils and affect the break-in period.

If you use boots for work and find yourself in environments that introduce the leather to mud and cement, clean them weekly.

“Brush them, use a mild soap and water, allow to dry and then add a light coat of … oil to them,” Kinney says. “If you work in a less extreme environment, then use a light coat of oil just once a month.”

As for moisture, there’s a method to that, too.

“If your boots are wet, we recommend using a boot dryer like a Peet shoe dryer or let them dry a room temperature,” Kinney says. “We don’t recommend putting your boots on a heater vent. When leather starts to crack there is not much you can do except get it rebuilt.”

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