Boot Hack 101

by Willow Enright

My pair of leather boots

​You got a new pair of leather boots for Christmas or Hanukkah, but they are just a wee bit too tight. Now what? Spend hours in line trying to return them since you can't exchange them because they have sold out? Nope. Don't do that, instead try this simple boot hack to make those new boots more comfortable.

Supplies:

Boots
2 extra large freezer ziplock bags
Water
Freezer

Use 2 large ziplock freezer bags for this boot hack.

​1.) Get your leather boots, and head over to the sink. You want to fill two of the ziplock bags about 1/4 of the way full, making sure to squeeze out the air as you close the ziplock bag. Then place your water filled bag inside the second ziplock bag, seal this bag the same way ensuring air is not in the bag. 

​2.) Stuff the ziplock bags deep into your leather boots so that the water essentially fills the toe and heel of the boots. Be sure that the bag gets into the boot far enough so that the next step will work better.

Boot in the freezer.

​3.) Put your boots into the freezer overnight.

My Leather boots after they came out of the freezer.

​4.) Take your boots out of the freezer and leave them to thaw in the sink for a few hours before trying to work the frozen ziplock bags back out. If you still can't get them out, no worries, leave them a bit longer. Leather boots will not be ruined by getting wet. 

Boots drying naturally on my work table.

5.) Leave them to dry naturally, but go ahead and try them on and see if they are more comfortable. If they are still too tight, wait for them to fully dry and then repeat steps 1-4.

​Leather is naturally flexible to a certain degree, so filling the boot with water via a bag that you then freeze allows the slow stretching out of the leather boot as it expands during the freezing process. Since the freezing takes place slowly it allows the leather time to stretch without too much strain. In the end your boots won't be so darn snug, and you can simply enjoy your gift!