Custom boots came in - does this sound right?

[shadesofbay3]

my custom LM boots came in and are gorgeous!

as i was told, they are super tight… left leg is able to be zipped, but the right is an absolute bear, and is so tight that my leg throbs and i was only able to zip it with the help of my husband

send a text to my rep and this was her instructions-

“ Take a bucket or sink and fill with hot (not scalding) water and invert the boot and totally submerge the calf (or where it is tight, leave the foot out of the water) for 4.5 minutes. Then put them on with thick socks, breeches, whatever, and walk and flex and squat and they will stretch a bunch. I think if it was warm out you may not need to do this but they don’t stretch as quickly when it’s cold! Let me know if that does the trick and if not we can send them for stretching but this should do it. Thank you so much for letting me know!”

does this sound right? for whatever reason, putting them in water isn’t on my top list of priorities after spending a few thousand dollars on 2 pairs of custom boots…

[LCDR]

I have had several pairs of boots stretched by my local tack shop’s leather man, and IIRC the boot was wet down prior to the stretcher being inserted. It sounds like your leg is being used in place of a real boot shaft stretcher. It may actually work more precisely for custom boots than a mechanical shaft stretcher.

[JenEM]

Honestly, sounds scary, but its super effective. Old school, it was known as The Bathtub Method.

I had new boots a couple years ago (not LMs) that came right before Upperville; I had one ride in them at home but was determined to show in them despite being a little stiff and tight. As is wont to happen there, the sky opened up and I ended up drenched before we even stepped foot in the show ring. I kept the soaking wet boots on til I got home, and they now fit absolutely perfectly.

[Ponyplusaninch]

I haven’t had to use the bathtub for any of my three pairs of LM boots (yes, I have a problem).

But that said, I’ve used it on ariats, and it does work. You do need to commit to wearing them wet!

Some other advice—be cognizant what time of day you’re putting them on.

Women are so blessed (I say that with heavy sarcasm) to fluctuate in weight and inflammation on a daily basis. That can really impact how new boots go on (or even old boots). Try very first thing in the morning—provided you didn’t have a lot of sodium the previous night (least amount of body bloat). Or try very end of day/close to bed (body should be least inflamed).

[Halternatively]

This method works! If you’re nervous about it, you can try soaking paper towels with rubbing alcohol and then draping them on the inside of the boots (easiest when the boot is inverted as LD suggested). Wait a few minutes for alcohol to soak into leather, then wear boots around until they dry. Repeat, repeat, repeat until they fit.

There is a boot company that makes boot stretching spray and it is made of alcohol. So a little DIY should save you some time and hassle of tracking down the spray.

I’ve also soaked hand towels in hot water, wrung them out, rolled them up and placed them inside the calf part of the boots, zipped the boots closed and left overnight to dry.

Good luck!

[GraceLikeRain]

I’d try first thing in the morning with compression socks and dampening the inside of the boot. I’ve done a full soak with success but it did create some minor wrinkling. Mine were Ariats so not really an issue but I wouldn’t want to risk it with brand new customs.

[endlessclimb]

Agree with @GraceLikeRain. I did the soak method but I needed quite a bit of stretch, and it did wrinkle a bit.

I’d put a piping hot damp towel in them, let it sit for 10 minutes, and then zip them and suffer.

[shadesofbay3]

is it bad i don’t want to do anything with them ? she said if nothing does the trick they can be sent off for stretching and i sort of just want to do that first. i paid $1500 a pair and dont really feel like sticking them in a tub or spraying them with anything when they are supposed to be “custom”

[lintesia]

I feel your {insert groan} pain…

I had LM show boots for years that were wonderful. When it was time to replace them, I was remeasured and the boots I received were gorgeous but couldn’t be worn because they were so tight. I actually rode in them a few times and I had to get off because my legs were throbbing and felt like they were going to explode.

I should have kept the boots and had them stretched or whatever. But I sent them back and over the next 2 (two!) years, LM would send me boots that had something else horribly wrong with them. I begged LM to simply refund my money but they wouldn’t. I honestly think I received 6 pairs of boots from them, the last of which might be okay but I’m so jaded from the experience they’re just sitting in my boot bag.

[shadesofbay3]

OMG. what did you end up doing?

Honestly, all of this is sort of adding to my body image issues with my fat calves because I can’t get off the rack boots to fit me, which is why I ended up going custom. I ordered two pairs and she said let’s wait on getting the second pair even sent in to be ordered because we wanna make sure the first pair fits correctly but of course I’ve paid for both pairs and now the first pair doesn’t even fit and i’m not getting an answer about sending them in for stretching . and yeah im sure a refund is out of the question

I’ve been riding my whole life, I’m 35 years old now and I’ve never been so frustrated with the whole experience. Between buying expensive horses I can’t ride and now even something simple like getting tall boots (why i even need them to ride a horse that’s just going to try to kill me and rear idk ha!). i’m just so tired and frustrated and angry and would like just ONE THING that i’m spending thousand and thousands of dollars on to go right.

[beowulf]

This method is fine for tough leather but I wouldn’t be putting my brand new custom boots in hot water either. Four minutes is probably overkill.

I use this method for leather strap goods. They’re typically made of high quality leather and synthetic stitching. It does work well to lift out residue and soften leather but it also can weaken the leather fibers. Since the water expands the leather fibers, and then movement and tension is added, it does produce wrinkles and can reduce the lifetime of the leather and glue.

This method is called the bathtub method as another poster said. This method doesn’t take into account that hot water weakens glue and stitching. You don’t want to be moving around too much or stressing anywhere glued or stitched.

In your shoes I would not be impressed with that suggestion. It would be appropriate for off the rack stiff boots at a discount, not custom boots you paid some several thousand dollars for.

Try steaming them up by keeping them close to your shower when you shower and wearing them right out. That might help.

[IPEsq]

I think some of those risks (to stitching and glue) are there with professional stretching as well. I think they just use some kind of last to do it instead of your leg. If you truly don’t want to do anything with them, I’d have them recheck your measurement and ask for the boot to be remade. But if you do want them stretched, you are likely to get a more custom result doing the wet and wear method. But they don’t have to be that soaked through if the leather is soft. Alcohol method also works and is a little more conservative. You could try that first thing in the morning at home with thinner clothes/socks than you’d usually wear to get started.

[BostonHJ]

This would also be my approach. If you send them to get stretched, it’s the functional equivalent and risks over (or under) stretching.

[kenyarider]

I have always had trouble with boots being too tight. (I have 16.5” calves). I have custom (sadly) and they have to be alcohol/water combination for a long, long time (as in months) until they finally fit. The good news is that the custom boots are using better zippers instead of those stupid fashion ones. In the past I would just take the boots to the cobbler and have work boot zippers put in before even fighting with them to get them on. I wish the fashion would change to almost anything else - paddock boots and full or half chaps were so much easier and comfortable. IMO

[atr]

Be very careful if you use alcohol not to get any on the outside of the boots. It’ll take the finish off.

(Don’t ask me how I know… sigh…)

[Kimstar]

The OP didn’t state what time of day she initially attempted to wear her boots, but if you want to be extremely conservative and not physically harm the boots, I would do the following:

• You actually managed to do both sippers up, so try again when you legs are least swollen: either first thing in the morning after getting up, or if later in the day, elevate your legs above your waist for a half-hour and then put the boots on.

• Once your have the boots on, walk around the house in them as much as possible, keeping them on for as long as possible.

• Repeat until they feel more comfortable and are easier to zip up.

• Then try riding in them.

It will take a bit of time, but the boots should be wearable afterwards without subjecting them to somewahat extreme measures. (Anyway, that’s what I’d do first!)

[shadesofbay3]

so bit of an update

i talked more to the rep this morning and she said i can certainly send them off to get stretched … but the way that that gets done is a little sketchy IMO

i download the LM app and check off the boxes where the boot is tight on my calf/foot. then i take an up to 60 second video and upload it. then they send me a shipping label and i send it off. how the hell is that going to give me an accurate stretching? it could easily get under stretched or over stretched

i asked her what she would do if these were hers and she said she would soak them.

i feel like im in a lose lose situation. these boots are non refundable so if i screw them up im out of luck. i’ve already paid for the second pair and she said “let’s get this pair straight first” before we even order the second pair.

i understand the concept of “they zip up so just wear them around the house and elevate”, and that would work for the left boot, but the right is literally so so tight that it physically hurts and i really don’t think i could suck it up with the right one nor should i have to, to be honest. my husband worked on it for 10 minutes and my calf was like a stuffed sardine. like skin bulging out of the top around the knee

i’m just so frustrated right now.

[Peggy]

@lintesia

I honestly think I received 6 pairs of boots from them, the last of which might be okay but I’m so jaded from the experience they’re just sitting in my boot

At times I think their model is to keep sending random boots to people until they give up. Some people have done fine with them; others not so much. One friend finally got a pair that fit by virtue of having a very persistent husband who spoke Spanish fluently.

[js]

I might have missed this if mentioned but how close is the boot (or both boots) to the measurements that were sent in to have the boots made? Just curious if they were measured wrong or made wrong; both or neither.

[Halternatively]

I’m pretty sure I’ve cried a few times after riding in new custom boots, and I’ve spent lots and lots of time talking my teenage daughters into trying again and again with theirs. It’s a process that is often painful but worth it in the end.

I would try the alcohol method I mentioned above, or go a bit further and roll warm, wet towels and place inside the boots overnight. I did this and hung the boots upside down so the water leaked out and not down into the footbeds.

Other lifesavers have been silicone heel protectors, sold by dover and smartpak; heel lifts sold at target and drug stores - these help to keep the widest part of your calf above the top of the boot until it begins to stretch out enough to accommodate your uppermost calf; and finally, good old moleskin for the back of the boot where it will rub away at the back of your knee.