I put my eBay deal Ariat Challenges in the shower yesterday and filled each one with warm water to just below the calf and let them stand (yes, they drained a bit through the zipper) for about 15min, then drained and massaged Stubben hamanol into the ankles. Put the plastic boot forms back in to just above the ankles and let them stand for a while before manually “folding” the ankles a bit. They were dry by this morning so I wore them around the house all day. I suspect I’m about half way there at least…
A new question, as I’m spending my day off wearing boxer shorts, a bathrobe and my tall boots, all clammy:
How long do I have to wear these MoFos? Until they are bone dry and molded to my legs? I mean, leave them on for as long as it takes? I can do that. I generally go balls-to-the-wall with things as necessary.
And I look good doing it… at least in public. Today? Not so much.
Thank you.
2 Likes
[QUOTE=mvp;8558684]
A new question, as I’m spending my day off wearing boxer shorts, a bathrobe and my tall boots, all clammy:
How long do I have to wear these MoFos? Until they are bone dry and molded to my legs? I mean, leave them on for as long as it takes? I can do that. I generally go balls-to-the-wall with things as necessary.
And I look good doing it… at least in public. Today? Not so much.
Thank you.[/QUOTE]
in theory, until they’re dry. That’s the way we used to do it.
I lack the fortitude for this, so instead I slather them with CWD conditioner (especially any areas I want to stretch, like the calf if necessary) and wear them until amputation might be a legitimate concern. It’s been working pretty well on my new deniros.
I read on one of these forums that there is a boot stretch spray you can buy, but it is made of rubbing alcohol. So I wet paper towels with rubbing alcohol and soaked the insides of my DeNiros, then wore them for the day. I did this for several days, and they dropped and broke in pretty easily. The alcohol dries a lot fast than water, but I hear it works as well, so it might be worth a try in colder weather.
Warm water method is a winner.
Fill boots with warm water, allow to saturate (5-10 min) dry with paper towel. Walk until they feel comfortable, then remove. During the drying process, wear boots frequently, for short intervals. If you are feeling resistance, wear longer, rewet the offending area as needed. When almost dry, condition. (I love CWD conditioner).
Using this method, our daughter was able to purchase boots, break in, and show the next day.
Skaters take something like a rubber mallet wrapped in a towel to beat the ankles of their skates. Just throwing that into the mix, for those boots that may require more of a Sopranos approach. I think those boots are what made me go saddle seat instead of hunt seat. lol
1 Like
I have the leather lined Airat Challenges that I bought on close out a while back. I have been afraid to soak them in case the glue dissolves, particularly the glue between the lining and the outside. Is this a legitimate fear? Or will they hold up OK?
If they fall apart wetting them on purpose, they’ll fall apart when they get wet in the rain or the wash stall. I don’t think it’s a legitimate concern, but Ariat does not always have the best quality control, so YMMV.
For those who don’t want to walk around with squishy wet feet (I despise having wet, or even damp, feet), I have a slightly different method of getting the boots wet: I fill up the tub or utility sink and hold the boots upside down, so only the shaft gets wet. Shake 'em out, turn 'em back right side up and put 'em on!
[QUOTE=TC3200;8559523]
Skaters take something like a rubber mallet wrapped in a towel to beat the ankles of their skates. Just throwing that into the mix, for those boots that may require more of a Sopranos approach. I think those boots are what made me go saddle seat instead of hunt seat. lol[/QUOTE]
My mom used to put my brother’s baseball glove in the driveway and drive over it a few times with the car. I’m sure that method would have your boots “broken in” in no time!
1 Like
So good to have the technical details discussed!
I ended up wearing these things for 24 hours. Yes, I slept in 'em. The whole day-long experience was pretty mediocre. They were shaped to me, but a tad (a small tad) damp inside at 24 hours.
They were put into boot trees to finish getting bone-dry on the inside. I’ll condition them a bit with some unusual stuff that’s like the extinct Vogel Boot stuff. Then I’m hoping they’ll be really comfortable. I’ll let you know how this works.
FYI: The boots treated were non-elastic Tredstep DaVincis. They needed to be shaped to me and are not the very best quality… so they need help, will only be so comfortable, ever, and I was willing to experiment with them.
Spray the inside liberally with rubbing alcohol/water mix. Works great for stretching them out, that is assuming of course they are fitting very snug. If the leather is very soft, be careful no to over do it.
I cheated. I bought slightly used boots on ebay.
I just got my second pair of deniros. They are a tiny bit high in the back and I don’t have the nerve to get them wet. Did you do it? Get them wet? I too am thinking of the bathrobe and undies look. I just hope somebody comes over so my reputation can get a boost.
I did my version of the bathtub method with my stiff Deniros trying to get them a little softer on the inside. I just took a wet bath towel and soaked the inside and outside of the calf part, managed to get them on over a thick pair of socks, and wore them all day. Worked great.
