How To Break In Leather Walking Boots

5 fast hacks for breaking in your boots, beating the blisters and reducing the ankle rub

Feature type Video

Read time 1 min

Published Mar 30, 2023

Base editorial team
BASE editorial team BASE writers and editors who live and breathe adventure every day. We love adventure storytelling as much as we love adventure itself.

You can’t beat a sturdy pair of leather hiking boots, it’s one of those ‘if you know, you know‘ things, right? But brand new boots can be stiff, inflexible and downright uncomfortable if you haven’t broken them in properly before hitting the trail.

So, how do you break in walking boots quickly? Check out the latest video fresh out of BASE Studios below, where adventure presenter and hiker extraordinaire Ian Townshend takes us through his five top tips. Here’s a breakdown of how to break in leather walking boots the BASE way:

1. Wear them at home

That’s right, simply stomp around your house as much as possible (BASE does not recommend wearing your boots to bed).

2. Flex the sole

Get that stiff sole loosened up by adding weight, or try a more extreme method…

3. Test out different terrain

That’s carpet, grass, gravel, the lot!

4. Give them a bath

A warm submersion can really help to supple up your new boots and mould them to your feet. Bubble bath not advised.

5. Freeze them

It might sound a bit rogue, but freezing your footwear can help to soften and stretch them.

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