Love/hate relationship

[Spots]

I finally got some new work boots. Ive been using my issued boots for almost 2 years now and they finally gave up the ghost. Ive always preffered heavy leather boots, and found a set of Red Dawg 12" tall loggers on sale and picked them up. Ive had them for a week and so far I love the height and sturdiness. Now the hate part. I forgot how much of a complete pain in the ass it is to break in solid leather work boots. Ive worn them in and they get better everyday, but Im getting ready to soak them in water tonight and wear them dry, then when my new can of sno seal gets here Im gonna oil the hell out of them to make them softer and waterproof them a bit. What do you guys do to make the break in process easier? Pass along your tips and tricks

Pics

Fresh from the box



After a weeks work





Tapatalk ate my spelling.

[UncleJak]

I found mink oil works wonders. Also wetting them and wetting them dry works, but it makes your feet miserable for one day solid.

sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

[nightrunner]

Break in process can be an absolute pain on some boots. I just grin and bear it till they do break in. Nothing as comfortable to me as some good broken in boots

[Spots]

I found mink oil works wonders. Also wetting them and wetting them dry works, but it makes your feet miserable for one day solid.

sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

Yeah I always try to soak them and wear them dry on leather boots. I used to use mink oil or neatsfoot oil, but have found snoseal does a better job at waterproofing, and animal oils can turn rancid and make your boots and in turn your feet stink if you aren't careful.

Tapatalk ate my spelling.

[JWC]

I just buy Thorogoods. Last pair i bought were perfect from the first time I laced them up without the break in i expected.

[Murgatroy]

I just don't buy new boots. I have been wearing the same old pair of Ariats for many years now.

 

I reckon I will have to get them resoled eventually, but I can't see the bottoms of my feet, yet.

[Guest Cazador]

Put them in the dishwasher, no soap, on a general clean cycle. Take them out before the drying cycle and wear them till they dry. I started doing this in the military many years ago and has always worked for me.

[Wiljo05]

Bathtub full of as hot a water as you can stand, put em on and stand in it bending and flexing them. Used to do it for motor cross boots, then fell into common new boot practice as well.

[UncleJak]

I just don't buy new boots. I have been wearing the same old pair of Ariats for many years now.

I reckon I will have to get them resoled eventually, but I can't see the bottoms of my feet, yet.

I recently got my first pair of ariays. I'll probably never buy anything else.

sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

[gregintenn]

Oil them and wear them. Redwing sells a fantastic boot oil. Neatsfoot will work too. Water will make them stiffer when they dry.

[Murgatroy]

I recently got my first pair of ariays. I'll probably never buy anything else.

sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

Hell my wife told me I wasn't allowed to buy another pair after she saw what I paid for them.

[Guest Razz]

Put them between your mattress and box spring...wait...I'm thinking of a new baseball mitt. Never mind. :)

[Spots]

Lots.of good advice. Definitely gonna try the batbtub method. My dishwasher has jet dry in it and Im kind of afraid my wife may kill me if I wash my boots in there. As far as water making them stiff, I use the water to make them stretch and break in, then when tbey start to dry, but before they get stiff I oil the hell out of them. I like the snoseal beacuse its beeswax based. I use neatsfoot oil on harness and some other stuff, just prefer the snoseal on boots. My method is this for oiling. It works well for any of the stiffer oils like mink oil or snoseal.

Step 1. Send wife to parents house or shopping

Step 2 set oven to 200 degrees. Place boots inside and leave door cracked

Step 3. Remove boots when they are warm to the touch. Apply snoseal or mink oil and hot leather will melt and absorb it like butter. Apply all they will take.

Step 4 place back in oven and repeat until boots will no longer absorb any oil.

Step 5 Buff off excess and enjoy your soft water resistant boots.

As far as boots being expensive, your boots affect your knees, feet, hips and back. Even as poor as I am I find it best to buy the best boots I can afford. I get much longer service life and my body is much less sore at the end of a long day. My wife understands that, and supports me on stuff like this. But I only buy a pair of work boots every couple of years and I wear them for EVERYTHING.

Tapatalk ate my spelling.
Edited August 13, 2013 by Spots