best way to break in shoes?

[Ambulance Chaser]

Originally Posted by amlai

Even with bespoke, you still need to break in the shoes. I got the tricks that I posted before from a bespoke shoemaker. The shoemaker told me to wear my bespoke shoes normally 2-3hrs per day the first week and to not take any long walks.
+1

I have a well-fitting pair of shoes that I attempted to wear for an entire day the first time out. The shoes were killing my feet at the eight-hour mark.

 

[Schnurretiger]

When I was in the army, they told us to pee into our boots, in case they were not fitting properly. Thank God, I got a pair that did fit okay. ...

 

[entropy kid]

Originally Posted by Schnurretiger

When I was in the army, they told us to pee into our boots, in case they were not fitting properly. Thank God, I got a pair that did fit okay. ...

Damn, you beat me to it.

Actually what you are doing with this method is soften the leather up by a combination of warm water and urea. Mink oil as mentioned earlier would give you the same effect. Both methods may not be applicable to every kind of leather, I guess patent leather will force you to break them in the hard way.

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by gdl203

There shouldn't be any fit issues if (a) you buy your size, i.e. right length and width, and (b) you correct minor fit problems with a tongue pad. I don't believe in "breaking in" a pair of shoes. They should fit comfortably from wear 1. Everything else IMO is just BS invented by salespeople to convince you that you should buy shoes that don't fit
Yes, I try to buy shoes that fit and are comfortable from the very beginning. However, according to some makers such as Lobb, it is recommended that shoes be worn for short periods without getting wet for the first few times the shoes are worn.

 

[vvoc]

my shoe fits nicely when i wear thickish socks, but when i wear no socks or thin sucks the ankle part is stiff and hurts my feet (hope that makes sense) any tips? thanks!

 

[amlai]

Originally Posted by vvoc

my shoe fits nicely when i wear thickish socks, but when i wear no socks or thin sucks the ankle part is stiff and hurts my feet (hope that makes sense) any tips? thanks!

As I said earlier in the thread, you can use a broom handle (or other similar smooth object) and rub the edge lightly, pressing outwards. This will loosen the area up some.