Tips on Breaking in Riding Boots

Riding boots must be a snug fit to protect your feet and legs when riding a horse. The functionality makes the footwear relatively uncomfortable when you first purchase a new pair. The boots go all the way up to your knee and have a tiny heel to protect your foot from sliding all the way through the stirrup. These facts combined with the stiff leather tend to make for a uncomfortable situation at first.

  1. Short Term Wearing

    • The best place to begin when breaking in riding boots is wearing the boots around the house for short periods of time. This begins to stretch the material and helps the boot form to your foot. By wearing the boots in short stints, you avoid unnecessary pain, bruising and blisters. The process will not be entirely comfortable but will be less painful than riding in the boots immediately. Once you get up to wearing the boots for an hour or more, try going out on a short ride. Be prepared for pain spots, and the next time you ride add bandages or other protective coating on your feet and calves to keep from developing blisters.

    Plastic Bags

    • Sliding your sock-clad foot into a plastic bag as you slide it into the boot helps alleviate the painful process of putting the boots on your feet. The plastic allows your foot to slide easily into the boot. Oftentimes, struggling with the boot will cause pain and wear you out before you even have a chance to walk in the boots. This makes it even more difficult to break-in the footwear.

    Thin Socks and Breeches

    • You never want to wear your riding boots against bare skin. Choosing a thin pair of socks and breeches helps to keep the boots from feeling too tight. As you slowly break the boots in, you can add thickness to the socks and breeches until you are wearing your normal size. The stretching of the leather will be noticeable as you wear the thin socks with the shoes. Once your foot and leg seems to have a bit of room to slide it is time for you to add a thicker pair.

    Heel Lifts

    • Riding boots sit right under your knee, but when you first purchase the boots the top needs to be a bit higher. As the leather stretches and settles, it will slide below the knee. You do not want boots that are too short. Because of this height difference, the top is likely to rub or dig into the back of your knee at first. You counteract this problem by adding small heel lifts inside the boot. This helps hold your leg higher while you break in the boot. Once the leather settles, take the heel lifts out and wear the boots normally.