How to Shrink Leather Boots: The Ultimate Guide

Do you ever think about why you need to shrink your leather boots? There are two reasons to shrink your leather boots. The first reason is the buy a little oversize boot and the second reason is your old leather shoes become stretched with time. People often buy new boots in excitement without knowing the right fitting and end up the wrong size or a little bit oversize fitting. If you buy little oversize leather boots, you don’t have to return them because you can simply shrink the leather with authentic solutions without damaging the leather.

how to shrink leather boots

Everyone has a favorite pair of leather boots that you don’t want to throw away. Your old leather shoes naturally stretch with the passage of time. Your leather boot becomes loose after some usage and you cannot wear them properly. It is good to shrink your leather boots with effective solutions if you want to wear your leather boots again. The below methods are easy and reliable so you can easily shrink your leather boots without wasting your time and money. Let’s have a look at the below useful solutions to make your boots tight again.

Shrink Leather Boots With 7 Different Methods

These 8 different methods will teach you about how you can shrink your leather boots. Just follow the tips of each method and shrink your leather boots for making comfortable.

1. Dip in Water Solution

The First solution you can try to shrink leather boots is to submerge your boots completely in water. What you all need is a bucket of water. Just follow the below steps to shrink leather boots.

  • Fill up a bucket with slightly warm water
  • Put your boots in the water for two hours
  • After two hours wear the shoes with thin pair of socks
  • Wear the boots until they dry as the leather will shrink when it’s dry

This method can be a little bit uncomfortable because it is not easy to wear wet boots but you will get good results after applying this solution.

Oils and tannin’s on the leather boots can be affected due to water usage and for that purpose, you can use high-quality leather Conditioning and Polishing to prevent crack and to restore their full shine.

This video will guide you thoroughly regarding this method. 

2. Hair Dryer Can Shrink Leather Too

You can use Hair Dryer to shrink your leather boots and you can easily do that at home. What you all need are a hairdryer and a water spray bottle.  You have to spray water on your boots and after that start giving heat with the help of a hairdryer. You should be very careful while applying heat because excessive heat can burn the leather so always put the hairdryer on low heat and apply heat from a distance. The whole process will take only five minutes because a little heat is enough to shrink the boots. Watch the below video if you are not interested in damaging your leather boots.

3. Use Vinegar Solution to Shrink Leather Boots

Are you worried about to shrink your leather boots then Vinegar Solution is an effective way to shrink your leather boots. You can use this inexpensive solution simply at home. You will need the below things to start this process.

  • White Vinegar
  • Pair of Old Socks
  • Bowl to Dip in Socks

Put one cup of White vinegar in the bowl and dip in pair of socks in the vinegar solution. Take out the socks from Vinegar and place the wet socks inside the leather boots for 3 to 4 hours. Remove the socks after 3 hours and put them to dry at normal room temperature. The leather will shrinks once the boots dry completely. Don’t put your boots to dry in direct sunlight because high temperatures can crack the leather.

Read Also: Keep Thigh High Boots Up

4. Thick Insoles

If your leather boots are loose and didn’t fit well on your feet, then you should try reliable inserts. Thick insoles provide smooth fitting if there is a gap between the top of your foot and the boots. You can experience proper support comfort by using the thick inserts in your boots. The inserts fill-up the looseness of your boots so that the foot’s pain can be avoided. You can buy the insoles from online stores such as Amazon or eBay.

Thick Insoles

5. Shoe Fillers

If you have extra size boots then you can easily wear them with the help of shoe grips. Heel Grips or Cushion Inserts are designed for big-size boots to improve comfort and shoe sizing. Heel Grips helps boots to fit perfectly according to your shoe size and also prevents abrasion. The comfortable soft padding and a strong self-adhesive grip help you to walk with perfect support and comfort.  Heel grips and Toe Fillers fill up the extra space of your boots so you can easily walk around in your boots.

6. Alcohol and Water Solution to Shrink Boots

Is it possible to shrink leather boots with the alcohol mixture? .  You have to make a mixture of 25% water and 75%alcohol. Put the solution in a spray bottle and spray the solution on your boots. You can put shoe trees in the boots after spraying the solution and leave the shoe to dry at room temperature. Your shoe will start getting shrink as the water dries completely.

7. Professional Cobbler Services

Are you looking for exceptional shoemaker services for desirable results? If you don’t get the desired results from the above methods then you can take the professional shoe maker services. The shoe maker can easily shrink your leather boots with the help of machines.  The professional services can cost you some money but give you better results.

Professional Cobbler Services

Why You Should Prefer a Perfect Size Boots?

A perfect size shoe is not only good for your feet health but also saves your time and money. People often buy the wrong size shoes from online stores and experience irritation and discomfort due to the ill-fitting boots. It is important to measure your shoe size before buying boots from online stores.

Recommended to Read: Adidas vs Nike Sizing

The correct size shoe improves your feet health and eliminates the risk of feet pain and injuries. Your boots must be not too much narrow or too much wide because in both cases your feet will get hurt due to friction or rubbing. If you mistakenly buy the wrong size shoe which is a little bit lose then you can try cushioning inserts to make the shoe fit better. Always prefer the shoe size that goes well with your shoe shape and you can experience comfort without bearing any pain.

Thing Not to Do While Shrinking Leather Boots

It is easy to shrink your leather boots but it also requires necessary precaution to avoid damage to your boots.  Don’t put your leather boots in direct sunlight because excessive heat can damage the leather. If you want to apply heat to your shoes with a hairdryer then make sure to apply heat from a distance to avoid damage.

Stitching elastic bands is not recommended to apply on your boots because this method requires proper attention and professional sewing skills. We recommend a shoe cushion pad to make your boot a bit tighter instead of a Stitching elastic band.  Don’t uses ordinary clothe or a towel to clean or wash the leather boots instead of that use cleaning wipes, soft sponges, and soft fabric to remove dirt and stains.

Apply Leather Conditioner After Shrinking

If you are using the above methods to shrink your leather boots then it is necessary to apply conditioner to restore the leather’s original shine.  The leather conditioner enhances leather’s strength, durability, and appearance.  The conditioner prevents creases on your leather boots and makes your boots new. There are many products available in the market for leather boots cleaning and conditioning but very few of them are effective and reliable.  Some conditioners can change the color of your leather boots so always check the product details before buying. IF you want to buy a reliable leather conditioner then Bick 4 Leather Conditioner and Cleaner is a safe choice for your boots to keep them shining.  This video https://bit.ly/3IEBluo for smooth conditioning of your boots.

Leather Conditioner

Frequent Asked Questions (Faq’s)

We chose some important frequent asked question by many other people who have confusion about these questions but here we discuss these questions answer.

What Can I Do if My Boots Are Too Big?

If your shoes are big then you can use thick socks to fill in the extra space but it can be irritating so instead of that use Heel cushions or Toe filler for cushion and support. The cushion inserts provide a tighter grip inside your loose boots.

Should Boots Be Tight or Loose?

Your boots should not be too tight or too loose because in both cases your feet will suffer from rubbing, pain and soreness. If you want to buy new shoes online then don’t forget to measure your shoe size.

Can a Cobbler Make Boots Smaller?

Leather boot shrinking can be easily done by a professional cobbler. The professional shoemaker can easily stretch or shrink your boots with its shoe resizing tools. If your shoe is a little bit larger then you can go to your nearby shoemaker to make it smaller.

Is There a Way to Shrink Leather Boots?

Yes, it is possible by spraying the water on your shoes and after that start giving heat on your shoes with a hairdryer to shrink your leather boots.  If you want quick results then you can apply little heat to your boots. The heat will shrink the leather as the water dries completely. You have to be extraordinarily careful while applying heat to your shoes.

How Do You Keep Leather Boots Looking New?

You can make your leather boots new by applying Leather Conditioner. If you want a good reconditioning of your old and dry leather boots then start cleaning and polishing your leather boots with a reliable conditioner. The Conditioner helps to repair cracked leather and also extends the life of your leather boots by protecting them from water, excessive heat, caustic chemicals, salt, and dirt.  You can use Bick 4 Leather Conditioner, Sof Sole Mink Oil, and Boot Guard Leather Dressing to restore your boot’s original shine.

Final Conclusion

Now you can enjoy a comfortable walk in your favorite boots after shrinking them. You can use all the above methods to shrink your leather boots and also make them shine by applying leather conditioning.  It doesn’t matter that your shoes are a little bit extra in size because you can simply shrink the leather boots. We hope this article will help you to understand How to Shrink Leather Boots.  Do share this article with your family and friends who want to shrink their leather boots. You can use the below form to give us your valuable feedback.

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