Bought some Ariat boots and they got very wet. Regular shoe trees wouldn't fit so I was left with shoving rags inside as far as I could and that was zero help. I searched Amazon and immediately left after opening the very first link titled "cowboy boot stretcher" to find a disclaimer that they can't be used in western boots.

I'm thinking a boatload of Chamberlain's Leather Milk to soften the leather and then slowly stretch them out over a week or so.

Thoughts?

Dan

My sister worked in a boot and western wear store. They sprayed the inside of the boots with alcohol before putting the stretcher in them.

Soak them again and wear them. Wet leather stretches and will mold to fit. I collect made in USA baseball gloves and often need to reform the pocket. I soak the glove then stretch it to suit me. final step is to put a ball or two in the wet glove's pocket, tie it tightly and let it dry for a couple days. Before it's fully dry I work the leather and apply a couple coats of Bick's leather conditioner. Makes a new stiff glove game ready just that quick.

Melissa,

Might your sis remember which brand or type of device was used?

I don't know, but this one says specifically for Western boots.
https://www.amazon.com/FootFit...%2Caps%2C193&sr=8-19

double,

I can’t even get them on at the moment.

quote:

Originally posted by Nismo:
I don't know, but this one says specifically for Western boots.
https://www.amazon.com/FootFit...%2Caps%2C193&sr=8-19

I’ll ask, but I think it was a big commercial floor model.

quote:

Originally posted by KBobAries:
double,

I can’t even get them on at the moment.

This is the way I'd tackle it. Fill a 5 gal bucket nearly full with warm water and dunk the boots. Let them stay 10-15 minutes until they are saturated. let them drain for a couple minutes and then try to wring out what water you can. Then start stretching the wet leather - If you can't get your hand down the shank to stretch the foot and toe you'll have to improvise a stretcher, a short piece of 2x2 or a screwdriver handle maybe, just has to be stout enough to stretch the wet leather, my fingers work well to form and stretch wet ball gloves. I was a part time auctioneer in a previous life and I use my gavel to pound ball glove pockets.

Wearing them until dry would probably be more of an undertaking than I'd care to try but after I got them stretched I'd try the wet boot on and make sure it worked - if not screw it. If they fit, start stuffing wadded up grocery store t-shirt bags - stuff em tight and improvise weight or straps to keep the sole from curling. Give em a couple days to dry and treat the leather while it's still a bit damp. I've been doing ball gloves this way since the 1980s and it works well on them. This Bickmore leather conditioner is good stuff. Good Luck.

https://www.amazon.com/Bickmor...ps%2C110&sr=8-6&th=1

Old Army trick for breaking in new leather boots.... Thourghly soak the boots.. go walk thru some deep water puddles.. and do not take off till they have dried and form fitted to you feet. . Then use some leather conditioning to re-soften the leather.....Time consumeing but this method does work. ................................... drill sgt.

I have owned my Western Boot stretcher for decades now, and have used them many, many times. If memory serves(always a question), I purchased them from a Western Boot store.

quote:

Originally posted by drill sgt:
Old Army trick for breaking in new leather boots.... Thourghly soak the boots.. go walk thru some deep water puddles.. and do not take off till they have dried and form fitted to you feet. . Then use some leather conditioning to re-soften the leather.....Time consumeing but this method does work. ................................... drill sgt.

Hell yeah, DS!

That was my method that I found by accident at basic (Benning. It will always be Benning to me).

double,

Thanks for taking the time to write that up. I'm going to keep looking for a stretcher and if I'm lucky then I'll have one later this week. Sounds like this will be a time consuming process so I'll combine what you wrote with drill sgt's post.

Dan

quote:

Originally posted by drill sgt:
Old Army trick for breaking in new leather boots.... Thoroughly soak the boots.. go walk thru some deep water puddles.. and do not take off till they have dried and form fitted to you feet. . Then use some leather conditioning to re-soften the leather.....Time consuming but this method does work. ................................... drill sgt.

This method has worked well for me since 1968. Boots were actually comfortable after wearing until dry, then leather lotion.