Boots are hands-down my favorite piece of clothing. They just have this very rustic vibe that no other footwear even comes close too.
I think I have more than 15 pairs of boots!
But there is a major problem that I have noticed with my boots. It is very rare that you would find a boot that fits you perfectly. There’s always some minor flaw with them.
They are either too small, too large, too wide or too narrow. It makes wearing boots a very uncomfortable experience.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
You can change the size of your boots – you can make them wider, narrower, smaller, or bigger depending on the kind of problem that you are facing.
Can boots be made smaller?
So your boots are just too damn big for your feet.
Happens to the best of us. Not all of us are Gulliver (this is a Jonathon Swift reference for all you uncultured people).
Jokes aside, how do you actually reduce the size of your boots?
There is actually no way for you to make the boot tighter or smaller. However, what you may do, is use an insole (or multiple insoles) inside the shoe.
An insole is a detachable sole that is super cheap (You can find one on Amazon for only a few bucks). Slide one inside your boot and voila! It should become much tighter.
If there is still a lot of free space inside the shoe, consider wearing thicker socks.
Can boots be made wider?
So you have got feet that are just too broad, and you want to make them your boots a little wider too in order to incorporate them.
There are these things called boot stretchers that, as the name suggests, stretch your boots.
They are very effective, and in some cases can even increase the size of your boots by one and a half sizes. You can find one on Amazon.
If you want to increase only the width of the boots, get a 1-way shoe stretcher. Simply put the stretcher in the boots, leave them for 24 hours, and you are done.
The whole process takes less than a day, and your feet will thank you for it.
Can boots be made bigger?
So, you actually are Gulliver, and have giant feet. Welcome to the club! I am a size 14 myself.
I know how frustrating it is when you find the perfect pair of boots; but they are just a size smaller. Or even worse, half a size.
It’s enough to make a grown man cry.
But don’t fret, you can easily make your boots bigger.
If you want to increase both length and breadth of the boot, use a 2-way shoe stretcher. Again, just put the boot stretcher into the shoes, and leave it there for an entire day.
There are times where you might feel like everything else is fine, but it’s just the calf region that’s a bit too tight.
Well, don’t worry because there is also a boot stretcher for specifically this problem. You can get it from Amazon.
Can boots be made narrower?
The calf region of your boots is just too damn wide and you want to do something about it.
Depending on the material of your boots, you have a few options here.
If your boots are made of suede or similar softer material, you are in luck. You can go to an experienced cobbler or leather worker to get the calf region of your boots narrowed. The cost will be around 50$.
If your boots are made of leather, what you can do is get thick fabric sewn to the inside of the calf region. This will again cost around 50$, and you would have to go to an experienced leather crafter or tailor for it.
So, these were the different methods I use to alter the size of my boots. I try not to use any DIY methods, because most of my boots are quite expensive, and I would rather spend a few extra bucks to get professional care on them.
I hope you do the same.
My name is Alex Higson and I am the founder of Magic Of Clothes. I have worked in the fashion industry for many years, and clothes and style are a huge part of my life.