Leather boots are durable and stylish. Aside from their obvious fashion value, they are excellent PPE gear. A lot of models employ steel-toe cages for protection.
But, before you go online and purchase a pair, you want to learn a hack or two about leather boots.
The Leather Boots Hacks
The typical pair of leather boots is crude when you buy them. You have to know how to stretch them and make them comfortable. And, while they have a protective coating, you need to prep them for winter and keep them waterproof.
You can do that with five simple hacks.
The first thing you want to learn is to learn how to stretch leather boots.
How To Stretch Leather Boots
The fastest way to stretch the boots is to wear them. While it may seem counterintuitive, wearing them makes fibers stretch. Stretching makes the leather boots flexible and makes it easier to wear.
Make sure to wear a thicker pair of socks. This way, you’ll put more pressure on the boots and make them expand.
Wearing them at home
The fastest way to stretch the boots is to wear them. While it may seem counterintuitive, wearing them makes fibers lose. When the fibers are loose, the boot becomes more flexible, and it forms to better fit your foot.
Make sure to wear a thicker pair of socks. This way, you’ll put more pressure on the boots, and make them expand.
Use ice
The next method involves ice. To use this method, you’ll need an ice pack or a plastic bag. Fill it with ice, and put the bag in the part of the boot you want to stretch. After that, put the whole boot into the freezer and leave it.
In the freezer, the ice pack gets bigger and stretches the boot as a result. This method is easy to do, and you can perform it in your household.
Use a dryer
The dryer method is the fastest. However, it’s the method that takes your time and effort. For this method, you’ll use the dryer and keep warming the boot from all sides. You’ll keep doing that for around half an hour, and then try wearing the leather boots.
The heat loosens up the fibers, stretches the boot, and makes it flexible.
How To Make Leather Boots Waterproof
Now that you know how to stretch a boot, it’s time to learn how to make the leather boots waterproof. While it may sound like a complicated matter, it’s an easy thing to do. What you need is several home depot materials, and you can enhance your boots.
Wax and pastes
The fastest way to waterproof your leather boots is to use waxes and pastes. You can buy pastes anywhere nowadays. However, waxing is an old-school method that remains in use for over 100 years. The only thing you need to do is put wax over the possible gaps on the boots, let them rest, and repeat the process. Now they are waterproof.
Silicone
You similarly use silicone. Except that silicone has a different density, so you have to show more cation. You want to put a smooth spread of silicone over parts of the boot that are more likely to succumb to water damage. The good thing about silicone is that you need less of it for waterproofing. However, you have to be careful when you do it – You can damage the boots as well.
How To Prep The Boots For Winter
Prepping the boots for the winter is all about being thorough. In the winter, you experience everything that follows harsh weather. Therefore, you need complete protection to prevent damaging your feet, boots, and health.
First, you want to examine the boots. Check if there are any holes or tears. The first thing you want to do is to seal those tears. If you see a steel-toe cage sticking out, you won’t be able to repair them anymore. However, you can cover smaller holes and tears with silicone.
Now, waterproof the boots. You can repeat the same process you have in the previous entry. It’s good to mix paste and silicon. Finally, you want to lather the boots. The processing of lathering means rubbing oil on the leather boots to give a protective coating.
You are winter-proof now.
How To Make The Steel-Toe Cage More Comfortable
By now, you should know how to prepare your boots for various conditions. However, there’s another thing you want to take care of if your leather boots have a steel-toe cage. You want to make them more comfortable.
The steel-toe cage serves to protect your feet and toes from workplace hazards. But, it takes some time before you stretch the boot. To speed the process up, you could do the following.
You can try wearing insoles, bandages, or thicker socks. That way, your feet won’t be in direct contact with the steel-toe cage. In time, the boot loosens up, and you won’t feel the pressure anymore.
But, before boots become flexible, make sure to create a sort of space between the cage and your feet. You are almost ready to make the most of your new boots.
How To Make Leather Boots Last Longer
The final thing you want to learn is to learn how to make the boots last longer. The answer is simpler than you imagine. The only thing you have to do is to maintain them regularly using the other hacks.
Aside from stretching, you can repeat other hacks every few months. When you do them regularly, you ensure the quality and safety of your equipment. Once you buy the basic supplies, it gets even easier to keep track of everything after a few turns.
The only thing left is to try it.
Do It On The Regular
It looks like a tough thing to do. It’s a matter of practice.
Give it a try.
