About to do the Bathtub Method... a few questions first?

[Ambitious_Kate]

They are harder to zip up later in the day. Your legs have less water retention first thing in the morning. You can wear them for a whole day walking around or completely soak them in warm water, inside and out, with your leg IN them, and wear them until they dry. A good gauge of time be try Saturday or Sunday morning, soak, wear to barn and ride, wear home.

the water method is to encourage stretching, not shrinking to fit your leg. They will stretch where the most pressure is, in this case, around your calf. It won’t hurt them. Personally, if the boots are so cheap that getting them wet will debilitate the glue used, they won’t be lasting long anyway. Most boots don’t rely on glue to hold them together.

[To_the_MAX]

For the ankle problem, get a pair of inserts for the heel. I had that problem with my DaVincis. They came with a pair of heel inserts, did your Donatellos?

Put them on first thing in the morning and wear them all day.

[King_Creole]

[QUOTE=hunterrider23;7197224]
Der dau makes some boot stretcher or you can have them put on a stretcher at a tack store or cobbler[/QUOTE]

This is what I did for my DaVinci’s. They were too tight to zip and after blisters on my hands and ankles, I took them to get stretched. I also bought the Der Dau boot stretcher and I spray it every time before I put them on. Also, get some pliers that can give you leverage when zipping them up. I keep one in my tack box now! And lean forward so the leg you are zipping in in a lunge position (does that make sense? it’ll make your calf muscle go up and easier to zip the boots)

[CrittersMom]

[QUOTE=Steph;7197246]
I had these fitted at a tack shop, they’re well known for being good at fitting boots. They told me that they should be hard to zip because when they stretch out they’ll fit perfectly. They said (and I quote) “You’re not supposed to feel your toes.”[/QUOTE]

I have these boots and the leather is sooooo soft that you shouldn’t need to do all this.

• The boots will get softer in the heal/ankle and eventually will not rub. I suggest wrapping a sock around the back of your heal to protect in the meantime.
• Use the elastic laces to do up the boot to keep your foot from flopping around inside it.
• The calf will stretch, but it shouldn’t be that painful. There is a zipper and a gusset already in there so maybe look at the type of sock, breeches, etc. or consider going upa size.

[TarheelJD]

I broke in a pair of Ariat Crowne Pros using the bathtub method. I was reluctant at first, but decided to give it a shot. As it was, I was losing circulation in my calf when I had them zipped, which I figured could not be good, so I was willing to try just about anything.

I put on my normal breeches and socks, then, with great effort, put the boots on - zipped all the way up. I filled the tub with warm water just high enough so when I knelt in the tub, the whole boot got wet, but the breeches did not get too wet above the knees. I stayed like that for a couple of minutes to ensure they were totally saturated, and then literally wore them all day. I went to the barn, rode, and then did all of my errands in this get-up. I left them on all evening, through dinner. This ensured they were 100% dry before I took them off - I believe this is the key. I put boot trees in them that night. The next morning, I got up and got dressed to go to the barn, and they fit like a glove.

I did not need to do this with my Monacos, because with the stretch panel on the back, they fit pretty much perfectly right out of the box. So, I am not sure if the stretch panel affects the efficacy of this method.

Good luck!