breaking in boots

[bnsafe]

i got a pair of north face junga boots from bass pro for 88 bucks. these are the first hiking boots ive ever owned and man are they stiff compared to what we use here in missouri. any tips on how long or how to break a pair of mountain boots in. ive only got 4 weeks.

[foxvalley]

I'm not sure what your boots are made of,but besides wearing them all the time,Fred Bears method of breaking in boots(leather) was to wear them after walking in a lake or stream and getting them soaked. He would keep them on all day as they dryed out and it would help them conform to his feet. I always just wear them as much as possible, 4 weeks should be plenty of time to break them.

[N5J]

I have 2 Pair of Lowa Tibet’s, they’re (leather) stiff mountain boots but I was hiking in the mountains right out of the box. Some boots may take longer than others but depends on how often and long you wear them. 4 weeks should be plenty of time to get them ready, just wear the socks you plan to hunt in and put some miles on them. North Face makes quality stuff I would bet they’ll break in quicker than you think.

N5J

James

[pointysticks]

wear them everywhere..well, maybe not to any weddings.

i have new boots this year too...on one hike, found a single hot spot..left small toe was feeling it. this past weekend it was HOT! i wore some shorts, my hiking socks and my new boots. i looked stupid. girls were in short and half shirts, sports bras..just blasting past me. one girl stopped me and asked.."arent your feet hot?"..

i know she was really asking.."why do you look so stupid?" hahhaha..

i explained the upcoming hike, and she asked, "hunting?"..yup..

she gave me a beautiful smile and told me good luck..my wife was less than thrilled.

[dotman]

Wear them for everything you do, to work, on walks etc. from Aug till Dec all I do is wear my boots this wat you break them in little by little. Make sure you take them on as many good long hikes that you can. Today over lunch I skipped the gym and did a 3 mile hike instead.

[bnsafe]

thanks guys, they are a leather mountain hiking boot. i wore them pretty much all day and did fine in them. so i should be good to go in 4 weeks after using them til then. i will say right out of the box they are more comfortable TO ME than the crispis i had.

[dotman]

Oh yeah, I also recommend getting good insoles like superfeet now. Insoles need to be broken in and it seems like most stock ones that come with boots are junk. It is one of those things that you really do not know how much of a diff they make till you do it.

[bnsafe]

i would love to get better insoles but my budgets about shot after buying a new gps. this is expensive, at least the first time out. but boy am i excited

[mattstanton]

DAMP SOCKS! Not wet but rung out and then worn for a good long hike. This is a great way to break in leather boots. Grew up in a logging town and this is a very popular way of breaking in corks. If it works on them, it will work on anything!