Buying steel toe boots is a big investment. You’re going to wear them more than any other piece of clothing. For most people that means at least 5 days a week with over 9 hours a day and walking 6 + miles every single day.
One of the most common questions I’ve gotten, from would-be steel toe boot customers, is “Will steel toe boots break-in?” The short answer is YES they will break-in.
For pull-on style steel toes the sides, the top of the foot, and the insole itself will all break-in or form to your foot.
If you’re wearing lace-up boots you’re going to see stretching in the sides of the boot and the insole will form to your foot. Of course, because its a lace up the instep will not break-in because you’ll be tightening it up every time you tie your boots.
Of course how quickly they break-in depends on how often you wear them, what conditions you’re working in, the type of leather, the type of boot, and more.
how long does it take to break in steel toe boots
Over the years I’ve had many people concerned with how their boots fit in the store and how long it’ll take for them to be as comfortable as their broken-in boots.
So the question remains, how long does it take to break in steel-toe boots? In my experience, it takes usually around 2 months for boots to break in. That means I’m comfortable and love the fit as much as my previous pair.
If you’re wearing the boots every day for 9 hours a day and putting in 10 miles a day your boots are going to stretch much quicker than if you’re only wearing them to walk across the job site.
In my experience when I’ve worn my boots around water and they’ve gotten wet regularly they tend to stretch more quickly. The water makes them more pliable and as I walk the leather forms around my feet.
I have heard of offshore oil workers getting their boots wet with salt water and they’ve shriveled up and had to be essentially broken in again so keep that in mind.
How quickly they break-in is also going to depend on the type of work you’re doing.
If your steel toes are tight in the instep and you’re a welder, who crouches down on the balls of your feet all day, your instep is really going to stretch quickly.
If you’re a supervisor who sits behind a desk for most of the day and only walks a few miles across the job site your boots are going to take longer to break-in.
How Much Steel Toes Loosen Up
Your steel toes are going to loosen. That’s just a fact.
The sides of your boots are going to stretch as you wear them more. If you walk on the outside part of your feet they will stretch out quickly in the width area. If you walk on the inside part of your feet they will stretch out on the inside part of the boot.
When people are worried about their boots stretching it’s usually for one of two reasons.
- The boot fits snug and they want it to loosen up in a certain area while it fits well everywhere else.
- The boots fit perfectly and they are worried the boot will stretch out in 2 months and be unwearable.
When the boot fits snug but is a little too tight in one area I would try one size up in either length, such as going from a size 9 to a size 9.5 or going from a regular width to a wide width or D to a EE. If those are too loose go back down to your original size.
If you think it won’t cause excess irritation on your feet and won’t cause serious blisters you’ll be fine. The boots will break-in to fit your feet.
If the boot fits perfectly it’s going to get looser over time. If you feel like it being a bit looser is going to be a problem try a smaller size or tighter width. Of course, the more you wear your boots it’s going to get looser in the areas that your feet are pushing out on.
Where Steel Toes Break-In
As mentioned before your boots will break-in in the sides, in the instep, in the insole, and even in the heel cap.
As you wear your steel toes the fabric or leather is continuously flexing as you walk. Much like how if you keep pulling at your shirt collar it will eventually stretch out your boots are doing the same thing.
You can expect the most stretching to happen in both the instep and sides as you wear them.
The insole is going to break-in as you put miles into them, eventually, start wearing down where you’re putting the most pressure.
For me the insole wears down on the balls of my feet just behind my big toe. Yours will be different but you can take out your insoles and physically see where its wearing down.
They will not break-in in the steel toe cap. I’ve had so many people ask if they’ll loosen up near the toes where the steel toe cap is. For obvious reasons no they will not loosen in the steel toe cap.
You should also note steel toes do not get longer and no matter how long you wear them it simply buying the right length or width will fix the “too short” or “too tight” problem.
How To Break In Steel Toes Quicker
There are tons of ways to break in your steel toes more quickly and some work better than others. I won’t be going over all of the options and their details but a few ways I’ve had success are:
Using boot stretchers at a boot store or a cobbler – don’t buy a boot stretcher, good ones will cost $100+. Leaving your boots overnight or for a couple of days at a cobbler should only cost a couple of dollars and will cut down the break-in period for tightness in the width or instep.
Water – I like to get my boots wet at the beginning of the day on the first day I wear them. Not so wet that it soaks through to my socks but wet enough for the leather to soften up. Then I’ll wear them regularly. This method only cuts down a very little amount of time but still, any time is better than no time.
If you’re looking for a more in-depth guide on how to stretch leather shoes and boots I’ve created the ultimate guide with over 6 methods.
Conclusion
To wrap things up YES your steel toe boots will break-in. It may take a couple of months for you to see a large difference but they will eventually loosen in the width, instep, and possibly the heel. Your insole will also form to your feet as well.
If you’re wearing lace-up boots your instep will not loosen up because you’ll be tightening them up every time you tie your boots. The width and insole will still form to your foot through.
Depending on what you’re doing for a living, your boots may break-in more quickly or it may take more time. The more active the job the quicker they’ll break-in.
If the boots fit you tightly in the store, to the point you’ll get blisters wearing them 9 hours a day, they will not break-in to the degree you need. Simply go up a size or get a wider width.
If you’d like to speed up the break-in process you can go to a cobbler who will be able to stretch the instep or width. You’ll feel a noticeable difference when you pick them up the next day or in a couple of days.