Have you ever gone hiking in a pair of boots that are too small? If so, you know how uncomfortable it can be. The good news is that you don’t have to buy a new pair of boots just yet.
With a few simple steps, you can stretch the toe box of your hiking boots and make them more comfortable. This blog post will tell you how.
How to Stretch the Toe Box of Your Hiking Boots
Before we get started, it’s important to note that stretching a boot’s toe box may cause some wear and tear on the boots over time.
Therefore, if your boots are already showing signs of wear, it’s best to invest in a new pair before attempting to stretch them.
Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty details of how to stretch your boot’s toe box. The first step is to fill two large zip lock bags with water and seal them shut. Then place one bag in each boot and store them in the freezer overnight. As the water freezes, it expands and thus stretches out the leather or other materials that make up your boot’s toe box.
The second step involves using a shoe stretcher made specifically for hiking boots or any other type of shoe for that matter. This device looks like two blocks connected by an adjustable bar at the top, which is designed to stretch out specific areas of your footwear as needed.
You can find these shoe stretchers at most local shoe stores or online retailers like Amazon or eBay. When using this device, be sure to adjust it appropriately and slowly so as not to damage your footwear while trying to stretch it out further than necessary.
Finally, if the above methods prove unsuccessful at stretching out your boot’s toe box enough for comfortability purposes, there is one last technique you can try: heat therapy! All you need for this method is a hairdryer set at low heat (you don’t want too much heat), some newspaper or paper towels (to prevent direct contact between the hairdryer and boots), and patience!
Once all these items are gathered up, put on some thick socks (preferably wool) and slip into the wet boots from earlier; then turn on your hairdryer about 8 inches away from the boot’s toe box area and move around until there is an even distribution of heat throughout its entirety. Finally, remove from feet immediately after treatment has ended!
Conclusion
Stretching out your hiking boots’ toe box doesn’t have to be an arduous task—with these three simple steps outlined above (filling with water & freezing overnight; using a shoe stretcher; applying heat therapy) anyone should be able to easily increase their footwear’s comfortability level without having to purchase another pair altogether!
Remember though – whichever method(s) you choose must be done carefully & responsibly; otherwise, there is potential for permanent damage! Good luck!