Boot breaking in/Blister prevention?

[10074405]

I have a pair of awesome magnum boots that have never let me down. I used to spend money on the cheaper "Thinsulate patrol boot" which I used to wear until they dropped apart. This year my Dad got me a pair of Magums because I do so much walking and have a better life expectancy!

However I have noticed these are slightly larger than my Patrol boots even though they are both "size 9" as they are larger they tend to move around a little bit EVEN IF I have the laces tightened to their maximum. Now I know people usually advise thick socks but I just can't get along with them.

These boots are Hellishly comfortable, warm and waterproof up to an inch below the top of the tongue (I discovered this the hard way.)

I've heard Zinc tape, Salt water foot bath, "Your boots are the wrong size" , Putting my boots (Feet and all) into hot water to allow the leather to shrink (Not too sure about that, they have a rubber sole?). But what is your prefered boot breaking in method or blister prevention.

 

[Dave-the-rave]

Sounds like ya need some decent insoles to fill them a bit and/or thicker socks. I've found not lacing then up so tight when new to be better than the alternative. Also, skipping some eyelets when lacing can help.

There's two ways of breaking boots in that I know of from experience.

1. The slow gentle approach..wear them for short periods over time.
2. The hard fast approach...Wear them hard, work them hard, run in em, get em wet etc.

The second method might get ya blisters for a bit but so what.

If all else fails maybe they are simply too big for ya.

 

[santaman2000]

Are you talking about all leather boots or the more normal (for Magnum and modern boots) leather toe/heel with fabric uppers type boots? In my experience the latter type don't need breaking in. At any rate they're not gonna shrink any, If they don't fit satisfactorily, you really do just have the wrong size and it's not gonna change.

 

[Ecoman]

If your boots move about on your feet then its going to give you blisters. Dave has given you some excellent advice and I agree when he says get a pair of decent insoles and thicker socks.

Personally I would go for some sort of antifungal/bacterial gel type insoles for comfort and hygiene but that's a personal preference and its trial and error to get the right ones for you. Make sure they offer decent arch support though as some cheaper insoles can negate the all so important arch support. This can lead to fallen arches (flat feet) and foot fatigue very quickly

Thick socks is a must to not only insulate your feet but to also eliminate some minor rub. Decent walking socks also wick moisture away from the feet and help to prevent conditions like athletes foot. I used to hate wearing thick socks and opted for thin socks (usually multiple pairs in winter). My feet ended up in a right state after even short walks of 8-10 miles. I was given advice by a friend to try getting used to thicker socks and I tried it. 15miles later my feet were still in one piece, warm and dry. I have never looked back.

 

[Kong]

Vaseline. Blisters are caused by friction and if you eliminate friction you don't get blisters.

 

[Andy W]

Invest in a good pair of hill walking socks (my last socks cost about £15 but are worth every penny) and a set of insoles, magnum boots are made of different materials, if they are leather make sure you give them a good polish, this will help feed the leather and slightly soften it. I tend to break my boots in slowly wearing them for a couple of hours at a time (most days, even if it is just kicking about the house).

 

[ozzy1977]

I was once told to wear a thin pair with a thicker pair over them, this prevents the foot rubbing on the inside of the boot, works for me.

 

[Duggie Bravo]

I used to break my combat boots in by soaking in hot water, going for a run and then lathering them in polish. I'd keep putting polish on until the salt stopped coming through.


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[Luke.]

The only way I breack in boots is by putting them on and going for a long walk. For stopping blisters I put on surgical spirit it hardens the skin and stops blisters it has never let me down.

 

[jandude]

+1 for a decent pair of insoles. I've done this with great success a few times (I have narrow feet).

+1 for the advice about good socks, too. I love merino wool ones, especially if you can get them in a sale (The Mountain Factor in Ambleside had various Smartwool socks on offer last month). But I don't get on with Karrimor merino socks which feel coarse and aren't comfy.

In fact I even cut the toe end out of thin socks to wear in a pair of Scarpa Alps under my thicker socks. This worked great for years: took up the extra space in the heel without cramming my toes.

It might take some experimentation but unless the boots really are too big, you should be able to work out a solution that works for you.