I tried to wear them this evening when Brett and I rode after I got home from work. I expected them to be a bit tight since they were never fully broken in before our move. I want to show Lucy sometime this year so they need to be fully broken in. My plan was to wear them at least once a week.
I was able to get the right boot on. It was tight but bearable. The left? No go. I couldn't get it past the base of my calf. It must have shrunk -- I can't believe that one calf swelled up and the other didn't. I need to measure my calf to make sure but I'm 99% certain it hasn't changed substantially.
The boots were expensive; semi-custom Petries. They do not have a zipper or gussets. I can't afford new boots -- heck, these are new boots. What to do? Any advice? I'm going to google the question; I'm not adverse to adding gussets. I need that darn boot to fit.
I'm sending an SOS out to all of you who ride in tall boots.
Have a shoe / boot repair place add zippers. It's done all the time.
ReplyDeleteFind a good boot repair shop. They have specially made boot stretchers.
ReplyDeletethe leather must have shrunk. I would take them to a cobbler and see if they can be stretched and/or put in a zipper.
ReplyDeleteI've read that if you soak them and then put them on and wear them they will stretch to you again but I've never done this. I think I would first ask a professional (aka cobbler)
Do you think you could get them on if you had a zipper installed? A friend of mine had pull on boots that were too tight to pull on, but she had a cobbler (person who does resoling, restitching, etc) install a zipper. The little bit of stretch the zipper provided was enough to fix the boot so she could wear it. I think it cost her forty bucks and it saved a fancy pair of boots.
ReplyDeleteSadly - calves can become independently sized. Mine did.
ReplyDeleteI found a fantastic cobbler?? (is that even a thing anymore) who stretched my one boot to a perfect fit - no surgery necessary.
Nice guy, great price, super fast and reasonable shipping. He's here on the east coast, in NJ. If you want to go that direction and don't find someone out there, let me know.
I'm pretty sure I know who Calm, Forward, Straight is referencing, and he is very good! But, if it's just off by a little bit you can try some of the spray on boot stretching stuff. Kiwi makes one that a lot of riders use, I've never used it myself, though. I've been told it's the same stuff that the cobblers use.
ReplyDelete