If your calf and/or feet are going numb, then they’re too tight. You can have a bit of difficulty zipping them up at first, but a couple of days of wearing them, or spraying them with alcohol should take care of the problem.
Wearing boots that are too tight can seriously compromise the zipper or zipper stitching in a relatively short period of time. If you can afford expensive boot repair and having your boots in the repair shop for several weeks to a month, go for it.
A few recs
Alcohol works better than the bathtub method. Two different professional boot makers have recommended this to me. Pour rubbing alcohol on the inside and outside of the boot until they are drenched, about half a bottle (normal size) per boot.
Start with the boots on bare skin, then add a stocking, then a boot sock, then a thick sock, then a legging, then legging plus sock and on and on. Essentially baby steps. When you can wear them comfortably with breeches and a boot sock, ride a bike in them, not ride. Each time you put them on, use the alcohol.
Yes, they should be painful and your legs should throb as you stretch them over time.
With all of the size options available, boots should never be that uncomfortable. Your legs and feet should never go numb. There shouldn’t ever be that much stress placed on the $50 zipper in your $1200 boots. This is what causes them to break. Yes they may rub you until the leather breaks in and the Equifit gel guards are a huge help, but you should never go numb wearing them.
Thanks everyone for these fantastic suggestions!! They are definitely not so tight that I go numb or anything like that. I can get them on with breeches and socks. It’s more just the rubbing on the back of my ankle that worries me. I will try the heel lifts and Equifit gels. I just want to be sure that the rubbing will go away once broken in. I called the tack shop I got them from and they assured me but I find it helpful to hear y’alls opinions on it.
[QUOTE=Eye in the Sky;8155437]
They should feel like a mammogram for your feet, and a particularly evil boa constrictor for your calves.
Good luck![/QUOTE]
Classic!!
duplicate post
[QUOTE=Nickelodian;8156091]
A few recs
Alcohol works better than the bathtub method. Two different professional boot makers have recommended this to me. Pour rubbing alcohol on the inside and outside of the boot until they are drenched, about half a bottle (normal size) per boot.
Start with the boots on bare skin, then add a stocking, then a boot sock, then a thick sock, then a legging, then legging plus sock and on and on. Essentially baby steps. When you can wear them comfortably with breeches and a boot sock, ride a bike in them, not ride. Each time you put them on, use the alcohol.
Yes, they should be painful and your legs should throb as you stretch them over time.[/QUOTE]
rubbing alcohol can and will damage or disintegrate the leather fibers… water will not (if conditioned afterwards). not something i would do with tall boot$ :eek:
[QUOTE=beowulf;8156261]
rubbing alcohol can and will damage or disintegrate the leather fibers… water will not (if conditioned afterwards). not something i would do with tall boot$ :eek:[/QUOTE]
Not according to the two boot guys I talked to, one at WEF, one in KY. In fact, the “boot stretch spray” from der dau is a majority rubbing alcohol.
From what I was told, it opens the pores and let’s the leather stretch.
[QUOTE=Nickelodian;8156282]
Not according to the two boot guys I talked to, one at WEF, one in KY. In fact, the “boot stretch spray” from der dau is a majority rubbing alcohol.
From what I was told, it opens the pores and let’s the leather stretch.[/QUOTE]
alcohol is a caustic and drying agent. someone who knows more about tanning than me can pop in, but alcohol saturates the leather at first which is what “opens the pores” (you can get the same effect by soaking it with water) - but then it desiccates the leather by drying it - the alcohol evaporates in the leather and in the process shrivels the leather and causes cracks. I would NOT use straight alcohol on my leather, ever. many non-conditioning cleaners ARE made with a little alcohol in it, which is why it is so important to follow up with a conditioner.
they probably told you that so you could go through a pair of boots faster…
Another vote for Equigel bands. The short ones sell in a pair, but the taller ones are individual (when you’re pricing them, keep that in mind.) I got the short ones because my ankle was rubbing on my tall boots. They work wonders. They work so well, I am afraid to NOT wear them to see if the boots feel better without. I just keep wearing the bands. 
[QUOTE=beowulf;8156295]
alcohol is a caustic and drying agent. someone who knows more about tanning than me can pop in, but alcohol saturates the leather at first which is what “opens the pores” (you can get the same effect by soaking it with water) - but then it desiccates the leather by drying it - the alcohol evaporates in the leather and in the process shrivels the leather and causes cracks. I would NOT use straight alcohol on my leather, ever. many non-conditioning cleaners ARE made with a little alcohol in it, which is why it is so important to follow up with a conditioner.
they probably told you that so you could go through a pair of boots faster…[/QUOTE]
Meh, I don’t really think so. I took them to them to have them stretched. Both (independently) said don’t waste your money and use alcohol. I was freaked out by the concept but when a second leather expert told me to do it, that’s what I did. Worked like a charm.
[QUOTE=Nickelodian;8156331]
Meh, I don’t really think so. I took them to them to have them stretched. Both (independently) said don’t waste your money and use alcohol. I was freaked out by the concept but when a second leather expert told me to do it, that’s what I did. Worked like a charm.[/QUOTE]
I’ve been ordering boots from the same tack shop for many years. They DO use alcohol and an inserted boot stretcher to stretch boots. However, they DO NOT saturate the boots with the alcohol. They spray the boot lightly inside and out, insert the stretcher and let it hang overnight.
I’m a fan of the bathtub method…never, ever had it fail. Water will not hurt your boots. Otherwise, many of us would have ruined boots after showing at some less than stellar weather shows early in the year!
I have just broken in one pair of tall boots recently and, in my case, putting Scholl inserts solved the painful rubbing around my ankles.
With inserts, I killed two flies with one shot- I used them in lieu of heel risers and they provided better foot support (boots were flatter than I expected).
It has been working great so far.
Like some others I no longer buy so that they are a struggle to do up and so tight they cut off my circulation .
I was finding that buying that tight the zippers kept breaking before the boots stretched to fit properly and it was ticking me off royally! My last boots, I made sure there was elastic running down the zipper on only the outside (elastic on the inside I found rubs and tears or if on both sides is harder to repair )they were easy to zip, but the height is still tall enough that it does dig the backs of my knees (they always drop). Fitting this way I have not had zippers break as I’m not forcing my calves into boots too narrow, and they haven’t stretched at all but still fit and look beautiful. The ankles haven’t rubbed but have a lovely buttery feel from dropping and the only place I had a few rubs was behind my knees while they dropped!
After 40 years of riding and breaking in boots, this is my new “quick fix” to breaking in: rub neatsfoot oil on the inside, and roll the leather like you were breaking in a baseball glove. this softens the leather especially in the stiff ankle area. For the first few rides with them I put more neatsfoot oil on the inside before I ride. The body heat warms the oil and helps break them and soften them more (didn’t have any problem with the oil staining socks). If you getting rubbed while breaking them in, the latex sleeves are great.
I had a pair of gorgeous boots made for me that were so painful I lost feeling in both legs. They were from Argentina (and I am not) so it was not like I could go back and have the boot shop do something. In desperation I spent a day wearing them after kneeling in a warm tub for a few minutes and ta da! they fit beautifully now.
[QUOTE=HWS;8156168]
Thanks everyone for these fantastic suggestions!! They are definitely not so tight that I go numb or anything like that. I can get them on with breeches and socks. It’s more just the rubbing on the back of my ankle that worries me. I will try the heel lifts and Equifit gels. I just want to be sure that the rubbing will go away once broken in. I called the tack shop I got them from and they assured me but I find it helpful to hear y’alls opinions on it.[/QUOTE]
Buy those cheap little yellow tack cleaning sponges. Insert one at back of each heel where rubbing is occurring. This prevents the boot from breaking in with the leather folding into the ankle/Achilles and rubbing you to death.
My boots have fit comfortably snug since the day I bought them new and I’ve really not missed that pulsing feeling…
This makes me think that the folks from Dover really swindled me into boots that are much too tight because they didn’t have the size I needed in stock. My right calf is smaller and that could probably break in to be fine. The left calf is bigger and so incredibly painful with pulsing and numbness. It sucks.
https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/leather-cpr-cleaner-and-conditioner-4071 This stuff really helped me break in my tall boots!
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