From winning Australia’s Good Design Awards in 2015 to being featured in Gear Patrol’s Best Style & Grooming Products of Winter 2021, Blundstone boots have always been an addictive choice of footwear.
Despite being highly comfortable and durable, it’s tough to break into Blundstones. So, how to break in Blundstone boots?
To break into Blundstone boots, you can either stretch them with a boot stretcher or ice packs, pair them up with thick socks, moleskin, or mink oil, or simply crush the heels manually.
Let’s discuss how these tried and tested methods help give a blister-free journey to breaking into Blundstone boots.
How Do You Break In Blundstones Fast?
To break into Blundstones fast, you need to start slow. Yes, breaking in Blundstones takes time (around two months) and varies from person to person.
Starting from the fastest to the heftiest, here’s a list of methods you can use to break in Blundstone boots:
1. Use a Boot Stretcher
Perhaps the fastest and most painless way to break into Blundstone boots is by stretching them with a boot stretcher. Boot stretchers are devices whose shape resembles that of an actual foot. They have adjustable screws that actually expand the shoe upon moving them.
To break in Blundstone boots, buy a boot stretcher that goes according to the size and type of your Blundstone boots, and do the following steps:
- Place your boot stretcher inside your Blundstone boots and carefully shove the foot-shaped part into the toe of the boot.
- Grab and turn the handle in a clockwise direction to expand the boot. Once it reaches the desired stretch, double-check for pressure and tension.
- Leave the boot stretcher inside the boot for around eight hours.
- Do not leave the stretcher in there for long, or else it may overstretch your boots.
- Rotate the stretcher in an anti-clockwise direction and then take it out.
- Wear your Blundstones to check the fit. If they are still snug or tight, repeat the entire process until you attain your preferred size.
Placing a boot stretcher in your Blundstone boots is like leaving your foot inside without having to bear the pain of breaking in them3.
2. Crush the Heels
This method of breaking works for almost every kind of shoe. Just crush the heel manually a few times to soften the leather, or step on it. This practice will reduce your boot’s stiffness and make it more stretched out.
3. Wear Thick-Cushioned Socks
When it comes to giving a head start to breaking in boots, no other sock type can replace thick socks.
Wearing thick socks with your new boots will speed up the molding in two ways. Firstly, the thick padding covering your feet will prevent them from friction and hence blisters. Secondly, their bulkiness will enhance the stretching of the boots’ material.
4. Use Moleskin or Blister Pads
You can indeed get blisters during your break-in period, and that’s why most people tend to avoid it. So, if that’s the case, then here’s an all-in-one solution:
Wear your boots after applying moleskin or blister pads to the heels of your feet and break in them. The padding is thick enough to layer up the breaking-in process and prevent your skin from breaking out.
5. Expanding the Boots With Ice Packs
Water expands on freezing. So, we can use the exact science for stretching boots. Take a molten ice bag, put it inside your Blundstones, and keep your boots in the freezer. Yes, this might sound uncomfortable to some of you, but let me remind you that we are talking about new/unworn boots here. But ensure that your bag is sealed tightly, or else water may spill into your boots and damage the leather.
6. Softening Them With Mink Oil Or Leather Conditioners
Applying leather conditioners or mink oil to your newly bought Blundstones will make them easier to break in. They will soften the leather material and restore its lost moisture, making them less susceptible to cracking and more durable and flexible.
Why Does Blundstones Give Me Blisters?
Have you got blisters and chafing after wearing your first pair of Blundstones? You are not alone. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry Blunstone owner goes through this phase, and that’s the bitter truth after getting them.
So, why do Blundstones give blisters? Here are a few possibilities:
Incorrect Size:
No matter what shoe you wear, size matters a lot. Both can lead to blisters, whether it’s too small or too large for your feet. Why? It’s because very tight shoes leave no room between feet and shoe wall, whereas large shoes allow unnecessarily extra swimming of feet, leading to enhanced rubbing on hotspot areas. Both conditions cause blisters and chafing.
Incomplete Break-In Period:
No one likes waiting for ages for boots to break in. But what if I tell you that even doctors advise completing the break-in period? Yes, according to podiatrist Dr. Splichal, you should wear your boots around the house and wait patiently for them to break in as it takes time. She gave this advice to patients complaining of blisters and discomfort after wearing their new boots.
Therefore, to prevent your feet from breaking out, try to break in your boots properly.
No Protection Against Moisture And Friction:
If you are not wearing Blundstones of the correct size or wearing them while they are still wet or not entirely broken, prepare yourself for shoe bites.
Excessive contact of skin with the walls of your shoe enhances friction and results in the scraping of the skin. And that’s not all. Not taking enough precautions for moisture (not wearing socks, sprinkling powder, etc.) during the break-in period serves as the icing on the cake. It makes the skin soft and easy to break.
Are Blundstones supposed to be tight at first?
Even if you order the correct size and fit of Blundstones, initially, you’ll still find them challenging to wear.
So are Blundstones supposed to be tight at first? Yes, they should fit snugly enough to keep your foot in place. After some time, they will stretch widthwise but never lengthwise. However, you can still stretch them lengthwise manually via cobbler services or other manual stretching methods.
Should Blundstones be tight or loose?
As discussed earlier, overall, they are supposed to be tight initially. But even in those days, they would be a bit loose around the heel since they aren’t laced boots. Later on, the leather will mold to your heels and tighten up.
Should My Toes Touch The End Of My Boots?
No, you should have a one-finger space gap between your first toe and the toebox wall of the shoe. It means that you should be able to move your toes easily inside the toe box.
How Do You Know Your Blundstone Size?
Blundstone boots follow Australian sizing and are unisex. So, if you are a woman, you would go 2 and a ½ size down from your regular US boot size. But if you are a man, you would just go one size down.
How Are Blundstones Supposed To Fit?
Different models will have different fits. For example, Blundstones having chunky soles are the widest.
Sometimes, the fitting depends upon the shape of your feet. For instance, people with a high arch will have to push their feet sideways to adjust them inside the boot.
But the best part about Blundstones is that they come with a couple of liners that you can use according to your size and fit.
How Do I Care For My Boots?
If you care for your Blundstones, they will care for you. So, to care for your boots, you need to follow the common triad, i.e., cleaning, conditioning, and waterproofing them according to their material.
We have a few tips for you:
- The rule of thumb for cleaning is to wipe off the dirt with a cloth or brush that matches your boots’ material. For example, use a suede brush for cleaning suede boots, a nubuck cloth for nubuck boots, and a soft brush for leather and canvas boots.
- Always air-dry your boots and keep them in a dry place, away from direct heat and sunlight, as heat cracks leather.
- Spray some water and stain-repellent spray after cleaning and drying your boots.
- Always use premium quality cleaning materials for your boots, and never mix products used for another material. For example, you shouldn’t use a suede cleaner on your leather boots and vice versa.
- Condition your leather boots with a leather conditioner to keep them looking good as new.
- Never wash your boots in the washing machine or soak them in water. Instead, always use a mild soap and water mixture to clean or wipe them with a cloth or brush.
Thus if you follow the above routine for nurturing your boots, you are making every penny worth it.
Read more on: Why Are Yeezys So Expensive And Popular?
Wrap up: How To Break In Blundstone Boots?
To sum up, Blundstone boots take around two months to break in and can take a lesser duration if broken the right way.
You can easily stretch your Blundstone boots with the use of boot stretchers, thick socks, hand-heel-crushing, mink oil, blister pads, and ice packs.
If you don’t break in your boots the right way, you will get blisters and chafing.
Related Articles:
