How to speed up stiff shoe break-in?

[Twotone]

I picked up a pair of leather saddle shoes that fit and look great. Only problem is the leather upper is a bit stiff. After wearing them over the weekend, they don't seem to be breaking in as quick as other shoes. Any advice regarding how to quicken the break-in process?

Thanks in advance!

Twotone

 

[economiayocio]

Wear them 2 hours a day for a week as soon as you get home.

There are other methods, but it is better to do it naturally.

 

[Butter]

Use a bigger shoe tree for a short period of time.

 

[pdial]

Originally Posted by Butter

Use a bigger shoe tree for a short period of time.

 

[The Shoe Snob]

take the end of a broom stick (wooden preferably and round) and use it to push against the liner of the leather (where the shoe is stiff) as if you wear trying to push a hole through the upper. Obviously don't put all of your strength into it, but if your shoes are not of super cheap quality this will help soften up the reinforcements that are put in between the upper leather and the liner, which are usually pretty stiff. A broom is not the only thing that you can use but it's handle is usually the perfect size for it. Sorry if this is confusing but it is hard to explain by words. But is a great way though to stretch out leather that is tight on your feet or soften up leather that is too stiff. Good luck

 

[Butter]

Originally Posted by pdial

Worked for me but it was a pair of shoes that were too small for me so my regular shoe trees did the trick. These weren't super expensive shoes mind you. Let me stress again on the short period of time though. I left it in for bout 1 hour. If I were to do everything over, I wouldn't buy a pair of shoes that require breaking in.

 

[bengal-stripe]

There is an old army trick, some people swear by,
I've never tried it myself - so I cannot vouch for it:

Pee into the shoes, slosh the urine around and pour it out.
Then put the wet shoes on and go for a walk of an hour or so.
This is supposed to soften the hardest leather.

As I said, try it at your own risk. - No guaranties!!!

 

[Kurt N]

^ Sounds like the sort of thing the older guys recommend to the newbies. "That way your boots will be all soft and comfy during the snipe hunt, see?"

 

[Master-Classter]

you can put the shoe's mouth over a boiling kettle for about 5 seconds so the hot steam goes into the show. The whole inside with warm up and get damp. Then put on your feet and walk around.

only possible side effect is that the insole might change aesthetically, but it will soften the leather right up.

 

[Son Of Saphir]

Massage and rub the shoe with hands so leather get soft

 

[binge]

Wear them more often.

 

[StopPolloition]

Originally Posted by bengal-stripe

There is an old army trick, some people swear by,
I've never tried it myself - so I cannot vouch for it:

Pee into the shoes, slosh the urine around and pour it out.
Then put the wet shoes on and go for a walk of an hour or so.
This is supposed to soften the hardest leather.

As I said, try it at your own risk. - No guaranties!!!

In the US Army, we never do this. In fact, I've never even heard of this trick. I've heard of soaking the boots in hot water and running in them. Peeing in them sounds way too hardcore for me.

 

[MyOtherLife]

Originally Posted by bengal-stripe

There is an old army trick, some people swear by, I’ve never tried it myself - so I cannot vouch for it: Pee into the shoes, slosh the urine around and pour it out. Then put the wet shoes on and go for a walk of an hour or so. This is supposed to soften the hardest leather. As I said, try it at your own risk. - No guaranties!!!

And how, pray tell, do you get rid of the stench of the piss afterwards? No one should ever attempt this.

 

[IronRock]

Originally Posted by Kurt N

"That way your boots will be all soft and comfy during the snipe hunt, see?"

This whole snipe being a mythical bird thing... I don't get it? It is a real bird that one can shoot. Difficult I grant you but perfectly normal....



or am I missing something...?

 

[Kurt N]

Yeah, true enough, it's a real bird. Nonetheless, in the Boy Scouts a snipe hunt is a traditional prank played on hapless initiates.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snipe_hunt

As the article notes, the armed forces actually have their own variations on the same theme, but "comfy boots while going to fetch a box of grid squares" didn't have quite the same ring to it. (And yes, a grid square a real thing, too

.)