Firstly, fill a bucket with warm water and completely submerge the cowboy boots in it. After an hour, wear the boots with well-wet socks. Lastly, continue wearing the boots until the socks become completely dry.
How to Shrink Cowboy Boots
Shrinking cowboy boots requires some systematic and cautious steps to follow. There are many methods to follow. The most common one is explained below.
Step 1: Soak the Boots in a Bucket of Warm Water
The first step for you is to prepare a bucket filled with warm water. Then completely submerge your cowboy boots into the water. Get enough water so the boots are underwater. The reason behind this is that if the boots are not soaked completely, the shrink might not be even.
Wait for an hour for the boots to be damp enough. However, if the boots are made of suede, then submerging the boots could be a disastrous idea. In that case, you have to wet the inside of the shoes.
Step 2: Soak a Pair of Socks in Water
Secondly, you have to wear a pair of socks and dunk your feet in the water. This is because the wet socks will help your boots shrink to the size you want. This is also a measure to prevent the pain caused by the shrinking leather.
Step 3: Wear the Boots With Wet Socks
Wear your wet boots along with the damp socks right after pulling them out of the tub or bucket. As leather boots will start shrinking right away, you would not want to waste any time. Although, you may have to face a bit of trouble putting them on.
Step 4: Continue Wearing Until the Boots Are Dry
Lastly, you have to keep wearing those wet boots along with the wet socks until they are completely dry. You can just go ahead and carry on with your regular activities.
However, this may prove to be difficult as it sounds very uncomfortable. Moreover, the unpleasant squelching can be a cause of embarrassment for many. Even so, this is the best method you can implement to shrink your cowboy boots to size.
Alternative Methods
You have a risk of damaging your feet if you wear wet socks with boots until they get dry. If you want to avoid that, you can implement other methods. You can try mixing water and alcohol and blot them into a towel. Then apply the water-alcohol solution to your cowboy boots. The following part is the hardest and not recommended to amateurs.
The last step is to put the boots on high and fast heat to dry. This is an effective method implemented by the bootmakers and it always works. If you are at home, it is recommended that you do not follow this method.
Alternatively, instead of shrinking, you can use thick socks or two pairs of socks to fit your cowboy boots. You can also use a cushioned insole, heel grip, heel cushion, or foot cushion to make up for the looseness.
How to Stretch Leather Boots
There are several methods you can implement to stretch leather boots. You can make use of stretching spray or oil. Apply a small amount of the oil or spray and let it soak in. Another option is to use a boot stretcher to quite literally stretch out the leather.
You can also warm the leather by using heat sources like a hair dryer and then gently stretch it out. However, you have to be careful with this method. Conversely, you can freeze your leather boots by filling sandwich bags with water and tucking them inside the boots. Put the boots in the freezer and you will see it expanding, ultimately stretching out the leather.
How to Shrink Hiking Boots
Hiking boots normally shrink over time due to being exposed to water frequently and drying out. However, if you want them to shrink right immediately to fit your feet size, then you have to implement the same technique.
Fill a bucket with warm water and submerge the hiking boots completely. Let the boots be like that for an hour. Soak your socks next in water until they are completely saturated. Then put on the wet socks and boots. Lastly, wait for the socks to dry. As the leather dries, it will shrink up to your size.
How to Stiffen Cowboy Boots
Once cowboy boots loosen, it is hard to revert them to their previous state. However, you can make use of some methods. You can implement the submersion method previously mentioned. But it is recommended to avoid that as water is only a temporary solution in this case. The boots will soon revert to their sagging state after the leather fibers break again.
You can use bigger inserts in your boots to cope with the size. You can also use thicker socks or two pairs of socks to make the cowboy boots fit tighter. Alternatively, use a hairdryer to shrink the shoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do cowboy boots shrink over time?
Ans: Cowboy boots do not shrink over time if you continuously wear them. However, if they are stored in a good condition for a long time, they do shrink a bit.
Q: Can I wear my cowboy boots in the rain?
Ans: Yes, you can. Leather cowboy boots are designed to withstand wet conditions easily as they are made to be durable. However, you must take good care of them by letting them dry naturally and often polishing and conditioning them.
Conclusion
Your cowboy boots are a valuable investment that you wouldn’t want to go to waste. There is no surefire way to shrink your boots once they have stretched out. However, this article should give you an idea of what to do to fit your feet size. The most important matter is how you take care of them.
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