3 Ways to Stretch Your Work Boots for More Comfort

The best way to stretch work boots is to use a boot stretcher, which you can adjust inside your boot.

A boot stretcher will gently stretch the upper of your boot and you can use it until your boot is comfortable. For a less costly solution, your best choice is to use a leather relaxing spray on the inside of your boots and then wear them for a few hours to stretch the boot out.

If either solution doesn’t work, the more costly alternative is to take your boots to a cobbler.

Have you ever tried on a new pair of work boots that seemed to fit perfectly, only to find that you could barely walk after a few hours of wearing them?

Me too, and as annoying as it is, I’ve found a few superbly-stretchy solutions to solve the issue.

It’s not that the boots don’t fit—they just need stretching out a little to make them more comfortable. 

Here are several ways to stretch out your boots safely and quickly, so you’ll know what to do the next time you’re hobbling around in new boots.

What You’ll Need to Stretch Your Work Boots

I’ve put together two easy ways that you can use to stretch your boots, and both can be used separately from each other. 

Handily, though, you can combine both hacks to speed up the stretching process, so having all of the below materials to hand will make things much easier.

What you might need is:

• A clean microfiber cloth
• Boot stretcher
• Leather softening spray
• Thick work socks

When choosing a boot stretcher, there are plenty of choices, though some just aren’t up to the job.

My experiences with buying cheap boot stretchers have shown that while there aren’t many moving parts, you get what you pay for. 

Cheap plastic isn’t ideal for putting under pressure, so I suggest going for a metal stretcher if possible. 

The FootFitter Professional Cast Aluminum Combination Instep & Shaft Stretcher is pricy but absolutely superb at what it does. As it can stretch both the instep and the shaft of your boot, you can customize where you stretch your boots, making it an incredibly versatile tool to have.

For a less costly alternative, I’d again try and avoid plastic, and the FootFitter Heavy Duty Boot Width Stretcher, with its cedar wood foot piece, is a great budget option for stretching out your boots.

If you decide to use a boot softening spray, the best I’ve found is the FootMatters Professional Boot Stretch Spray. Putting oil or spray onto the leather can often stain or discolor it, but the FootMatter Boot Spray doesn’t leave a mark.

It’s also fantastic at softening the leather, so you can wear your boots to stretch them out to better contour to your feet. 

Using a stretching spray will involve you immediately wearing your boots to stretch them out, so with that in mind, you’ll need some thick work socks to help push out the boot from the inside.

My personal favorite is the Camel City Heavyweight, not just because they’re thick but also because they’re ridiculously tough, comfortable, and well-cushioned. 

Many thick socks quickly lead to sweaty feet, but the Camel City Heavyweight is thermoregulated, so you’ll be able to stretch out your boots with zero trouble.

3 Easy Ways to Stretch Work Boots

Method 1: Use a Boot Stretcher

Using a boot stretcher is one of the easiest and most reliable ways to stretch your boots because you can ensure each boot gets the same level of stretching. If you take your boots to a cobbler to stretch them, they’ll use a boot stretcher, so why not do it yourself?

With other methods, such as freezing bags of water inside your boots, you’re hoping for the best, and even when it works, you’ll never get the conformity that a boot stretcher offers.

Using a boot stretcher is as easy as it gets.

Step 1: Identify Which Area Needs Stretching

Before you start stretching your boots, you need to know precisely which part of the boot feels uncomfortable. 

If you’ve bought a FootFitter Boot Stretcher, you’ll be able to choose from stretching the instep or shaft of your boot, whichever feels the tightest. You’ll usually find that as long as a new pair of boots are the right fit, it’s the top of your feet or your toes that need additional space.

Once you know which part of the boot needs stretching and by how much, you can move on to step two.

Further Reading

Can Steel Toe Boots Cause Foot Problems? 4 Common Issues

Many workers wonder: can steel toe boots cause foot problems? We’re here to answer all your questions so your feet are healthy for years to come.

Step 2: Using Your Boot Stretcher

Insert the boot stretcher into your boot before you begin to widen the stretcher. Once it’s in place, you can start opening up the stretcher using the mechanism, slowly expanding it to fill out your boot.

Keep testing the pressure on your boots by squeezing them on the outside. Once you feel the boot stretcher is wide enough to push out your boot slightly, give it one more turn of the handle to maximize the pressure.

It’s a fine line between stretching your boots to be comfortable and turning your new work boots into clowns’ feet. It’s a lot like cutting timber to size—better to undercut than overcut. 

If you need to stretch your boots more, you can repeat the process, but if you go too far, you could damage the leather and ruin your boots. If you’re considering using water to soften the leather before stretching your boots, don’t—it’s a quick way to destroy the leather.

You’ll now need to leave your boots for at least eight hours, preferably overnight, to allow the boot stretcher to do its work. I also recommend noting how tight you’ve turned the stretcher so you can use the same tension on both boots.

Step 3: Check, Rinse, Repeat

After leaving your boots overnight, it’s time to test how much they’ve been stretched. I always wear my work socks when trying my boots to ensure I know the fit is right. Wearing the same socks I’ll work in ensures I know my boots are stretched enough.

If everything has gone well, you’ll be able to wear your boots comfortably, but if they need a bit more stretching, it’s back in with the boot stretcher for another overnight stretching. 

Method 2: Use a Leather Relaxing Spray

Using a leather relaxing spray is cheaper than a boot stretcher, but one that’s just as effective if done correctly. 

Also known as a leather stretching spray, this little bottle of magic will soften the leather upper to the point where it becomes much more pliable. 

Using FootMatters Professional Boot Stretch Spray has been a mainstay of my boot toolkit for years, and it’s a great way to stretch out your boots. It can take a little time, but the effort is worth it, as the result can be a boot that’s perfectly contoured to your foot.

The additional materials you’ll need for this method are a clean microfiber cloth and a quality pair of thick work socks such as the Camel City Heavyweight.

Step 1: Applying the Spray

You’ll spray the inside of your boots to help soften the leather enough so that wearing them around the house will stretch them out a little. 

Loosen your laces to open up the boot, and spray inside of your boot. You don’t want to drench your boots until they’re soaked, but you do want to cover every internal surface.

I’ve found using a microfiber cloth to rub inside my boot helps the spray to get to every corner of the boot and helps rub the spray into the leather. 

I spray the boots, then wipe around the inside of my boot with the cloth, then give the boots one final spray.

Step 2: Boot Up

Before putting your boots on, wear your work socks—the thicker, the better. I swear by my Camel City Heavyweights. They’ll handle all kinds of wear and tear while keeping my feet comfortable and well-cushioned.

Once you’re ready, lace up your boots, preferably tightly, as you want to close the boot as much as possible around your foot.

This part of the journey can be a bit tedious because you’ll be wearing boots that don’t quite fit yet, and you’ve just sprayed the insides, so they’ll probably be damp. 

As the saying goes, not all heroes wear capes, so you’ll just have to grin and bear it.

Step 3: Stretch Out Your Boots

I don’t recommend wearing your damp, ill-fitting boots to work, so this stage is all about mooching around your home for a few hours. 

The longer you wear your boots, the better, although even a few hours will do initially. Once your boots are dried on the inside, you’ll need to repeat step two again, but you can repeat the process every evening after work until your boots have stretched.

Steps two and three often take about a week, especially if you’re only wearing your boots for a few hours every night, but it’s a super-effective, cheap, and easy method to stretch out your boots.

Further Reading

Can You Put Steel Toe Boots in the Dryer? 6 Best Alternatives

Are your steel-toe boots soaked? To make your life easier and avoid the pitfalls, I’ve put together the best ways to dry your steel-toe boots.

Method 3: Take Your Boots to a Cobbler

Okay, so you’ve tried a boot stretcher, leather stretching spray, and both methods together, and your boots still won’t stretch. So either you’ve been trying to stretch out a pair of rubber wellington boots, or you need a professional.

A cobbler is your last option as the cost can be high, sometimes as much as the cost of your boots in the first place.

It’s still an option, though, especially as a good cobbler will have all the tools needed to really stretch out your boots.

Before you visit a cobbler, boots in hand, here’s what to make a note of.

Step 1: Where Exactly Do Your Boots Need Stretching?

The first thing a cobbler will ask is where inside your boots feels like it needs extra stretching. It’s possible that your boots can’t or won’t stretch where you need them to. Even a veteran cobbler won’t be able to make a steel toe cap expand.

The cobbler may even get you to try on your boots so they can physically inspect the tight areas on your boot before they stretch them out. 

Further Reading

Can I Wear Steel Toe Boots Everyday? Why Steel Toe Only Is a Bad Idea

Wondering about whether you should wear steel toe boots everyday? Here’s why sticking to steel toe only is a bad idea (and what you can wear instead).

Step 2: Leave Your Boots with a Pro

Your boots are in the hands of the fates, and you’ll just have to hope that the cobbler can work their magic. Once the cobbler knows where the issues are, it’s up to them to use the best tools to stretch out your boots. 

Ironically, two of the best tools at their disposal will be a boot stretcher and leather softening spray.

Step 3: What Happens If Your Boots Won’t Stretch

In a worst-case scenario, your boots can’t be stretched out, even by a cobbler. If that happens, you’ve got two choices.

You can keep wearing your boots and hope that, over time, they’ll start to mold and stretch to your feet, solving the problem for you. This is risky, as you could injure your feet, develop plantar fasciitis, or develop lower back pain from walking with an unusual gait.

Your other option, sadly, is to throw away your boots. 

Even if they’re new, you’ll be lucky to get a refund on a pair of boots you’ve been trying to blow up from the inside out.

Do They Make Steel Toe Sandals?

Until the Steel Toe Sandal (you heard it here at WorkWearSpy first!) appears, knowing how to stretch out your work boots yourself will save you from discomfort and spending more of your hard-earned money. 

I always enjoy finding cost-effective solutions to problems and think FootMatters Professional Boot Stretch Spray is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to stretch out work boots.

Being a boot fanatic, it’s impossible not to love the FootFitter Professional Cast Aluminum Combination Instep & Shaft Stretcher. It’s the most reliable tool to stretch your boots, but I agree it’s not the cheapest.

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