How to Break in Western Nocona Boots

Western Nocona boots may be some of the nicest cowboy boots to look at. However, they're no different than other cowboy boots in the sense that they still need a good breaking in before they can be worn with the natural grace that Western movie stars have in them. Once broken in Western Nocona boots can be expected to last for a long time - here's some tips to getting through the initial break-in phase.

Instructions

1. Buy Western Nocona boots that fit right. Often people hear that they should buy smaller boots than they actually wear because the leather will stretch. This isn't the case. The safest method is to buy boots that fit snugly, but that don't hurt when you initially walk around the store in them for a few minutes. If they hurt in the store, then they'll probably hurt forever.

2. Wear the boots for short periods of time at first. If you wear new boots out on the town the first time you wear them you can be sure you'll come home with blisters. A good way to give the boots a little extra stretch is to wear them with very thick socks or two pairs of socks. Then they'll be sufficiently stretched when you go back down to one pair of regular socks.

3. Wear your boots a lot. The more you wear your boots the sooner they will soften up and conform to your feet. Try to avoid foot pain as much as possible, but if you do end up having to put a band-aid or two on your feet, don't give up - just cover up. You might find yourself wearing two pairs of socks and even double laying band-aids for a time.

4. Take your boots dancing. Dancing with your boots on is a fast, yet potentially painful, way to break them in. However a good two-step can really soften up those new boots.

5. Get the boots stretched. Often times the store where you purchased the boots will also be able to stretch them. Make sure to let the stretcher know where the boots fit the tightest. Any shoe repair shop should be capable of stretching boots. There are also a variety of specially designed "boot stretchers" that range in price from about $25 to $150, if you feel like further investing in your boot-stretching endeavors.

Tips & Warnings

• If it's been a while and your boots still don't fit correctly, you might have to give up. Sometimes a foot and a shoe just don't work together, no matter how hard you try. If you can't take the shoes back, you can give them to a grateful friend or even sell them and make back most of your money.

References

• Nocona Boots - Features and Benefits
• Boot Stretchers

Resources

• Riding in the USA: Riding Boots