Everyone who buys a new pair of boots (from Nick's Handmade Boots of course!) should watch this video. It has helped me resolve the tightness and hot spot areas with minimal effort and solid results. My local Cobbler is a fan of this approach (duh!). Thanks for great footwear Nick's!
Got my Nicks last week. Slowly breaking them in. 30 min while vacuuming the house, next day 45 min around the block with the MuttBull, 1 1.5 hr easy hike though the foothills, etc. Slight discomfort in some areas but no pain. In fact my heel and arch feel better than any other footwear I have ever worn allowing me to walk and hike better. By next week I may try a full day of wear. By the way things are going it seems as if I'll need to start saving up for my second pair because I'm already getting the feeling I will want to wear any other footwear once these are broken in. Slow and steady break-in and they will start molding to your feet. They will make you regret all those years of cheap footwear. Great information on the insoles!
I've never bought a pair of Nick's boots but I'm thinking about buying a pair of builder pros because they are nice boots and I need a boot that will last a long time
I'll share some boot break in pains and what I've learned along the way. Point 1 - broken in just means well worn. There's no good road to this without miles, and shortcuts will dry out or screw up a perfectly good pair of boots. It's leather we're working with, so learn leather and manipulate that, not the chemistry because shortcuts lead to hurt boots and hurt boots lead to hurt wallets. I've never done shortcuts, suffered in many bouts of complaining like a normal dude. I'm tall and thin, so I don't have weight on my side to help push the leather to stretch to my needs, that comes from repetition. For me, the squat bends are the absolute punishers. If I balance on my toes in good boots, I'll give it a minute before it begins to cut circulation off from the sole stiffness (think hard angle, not tippy toes. Like you're doing a pushup or crawling). I have a very well broken in pair of Danner Mountain Lights and they are hands down tailor fit now after many miles. My Danner Rain Forests are somewhat of a chore to wear still, with some miles. The weight is the difference, but I still don't think they're quite broken in, even after some months wearing. They're my winter boots, and I skipped them over spring, summer and I'm just getting back into them this fall. The break in is real. Point 2 - fitment. If you don't have the right fit or size you're going to feel it. You might think you feel it in store, but in my experiences boots feel tight in the toebox then let out as they break in. It's tricky. If you're spending north of 200 dollhairs, let the man use his contraption to size your feet and try the boots on. Point 3 - Come in with beefy socks. If you have winter socks, try those on with the boots. It's a weird trick of mine that hasn't failed me. I can pass/fail boots in three steps with beefy wool socks on. I've also been wearing boots for way too long, so I have a taste for it now. Good boots won't "grind" or rub. They might feel tight, but that will break in. If it's too tight, you might need a wide cut, but some tightness is fine. Part 4 - Don't be afraid to confront. You're the commander of your wallet, if you have questions, ask. If they can't handle it, walk out. If you're coming in looking to invest don't be afraid to protect that choice with some questions. Some salesman are good salespeople and will sell aspects. If they don't know the miles those boots are planned for, walk away. Part 5 - reconstruction. I need to resole my Mountain Lights, I've worn a solid soft spot and Danner wants to run me $140 now (almost half what I paid, or what I'd call three seasons in a pair of Salomons) Many quality boots will be able to be serviced, at a premium. While likely cheaper than replacement, it's worth noting who will service your boot and how well. I was keen to use Danner as a first party, though given their asking price now, I may consider third party. The benefit of recrafting your outsole is you may get options. Example: I'm not super keen to the classic sole they use for many of their boots, I don't find it aggressive enough for the surfaces I find myself on. I like a more dynamic sole. In the end, it's all taste and mileage. I'm a nerd who's worn a LOT of boots in my life. I began to swear by Danner, but that allegiance may wane if they keep commanding a premium while shirking their material. My rusted hardware hasn't gone unnoticed.
Great video! I’m going to try some additional insole in mine. I was fit in store at nicks with a medium weight sock. With breakin I moved to thicker socks and they are almost perfect. I got a size 11 and think I need a 10-3/4!
With all my boots (yet to get my nicks hope soon just over 16 weeks into wait) I pull as tight as I can on laces it makes feel more secure in my ankles with are destroyed from many years of skateboarding
Do the comfort insoles hinder the break in of the boot? Part of the reason I'm looking at Nick's is so I can stop buying insoles for my boots/shoes. I figured the insoles would make it harder for the leather to conform to my foot and therefore be detrimental to properly breaking them in. Was I wrong in thinking this?
I'm a 2 intersole guy and always have been, bought the overlanders and they are hard as a rock. I haven't started wearing them yet other than around the house. I use fpinsole, best ever, i can't even get my foot in the boots with the thin insoles installed. I have buyers remorse but I'm going to give these a try, and hope they prove me wrong.
My Urban Drifters arrived today and I absolutely love them except for one problem. The opening where my foot goes in is so tight I about gave myself an aneurism forcing my foot in. It seems like the tongue leather is too tight which keeps the boot from opening up properly. Is there is a trick to this, or am I missing something? Once I finally got my foot in, the boot fits great.
When you say “adding one width size” with a good pair of socks would that be size B to a D or B to C for example. The leather insole tip is one I hadn’t read before. Good to know. Thx
It often cracks due to being dried up, often you find cracks at bend points from where it flexes when you walk. Dirt, sand ect adds to this when it makes a cosy little home inside of said cracks, making them worse. Easiest way to prevent it is to maintain your boots. Clean them, apply leather moisture (there are many, wax, balsam, oils and so on.) How often you need to do this all depends on how heavily they are used in dirty enviorments/weather like snow and rain. Hopefully this gave you the answers you looked for.
agree with that. treat them as u treat ur feet, in every season if hot, wet or cold esp on where they are used alot (bend), even the threads need care, good maintenance enhances their life... a good pair of boots might get older then u ;)
@ u don't? I apply black dubbin on mine. Over here we have 2 learn it in the army to keep them watertight. Having wet feet really sucks and can cause frozen feet living at 3000ft. Lemme guess, Airforce? 😜
Depending on how long you've worn them it can fix itself by it stretching by its own. Remember when I first wore my leather cowboy boots I thought my feet were going to die after 10 minutes. Now I can wear them all day long. But if the problem is there for a longer time I suggest asking a cobbler for help, leather is easy to work with and they usually have tools to stretch certain parts out.
@Joe Second I ran out of gas one day and had to walk to a gas station my truck was parked on the highway when I came back with the gas can they had to wait for traffic and then I made a dash across the highway and it had these cheapest tennis shoes and I drove my toes right into the asphalt so hard it broke my right toe. I did a complete flip and landed on my back grab the gas can and got up and kept running to the other side where my truck was period ever since then my right foot has been so screwed up my toe does not bend it is frozen I couldn't wear a pair of cowboy boots if my life depended on it I wear steel toe logging boots with big 2-inch heel because I live in the Ozarks and I cannot afford to fall at 60 years old and severe arthritis there's a lot of acorns and loose gravel and wet grass and I need something that's going to lock my foot in the ground at every step. Therefore I don't take any chances when it comes to walking and trying not to fall my feet need to be completely fastened to the ground with no chance of an acorn or a rock or a wet piece of grass messing up my whole life. Are used to buy Red Wing logger boots but when they got up to three hundred bucks that's what I had to say screw it but I will say I got a pair of Carolinas for a hundred and eighty in there just as good as the $300 Red Wings for a hundred eighty bucks I could buy buy me a pair every year and have a new pair on my feet for the money that I would spend on a pair of Red Wings and the Carolinas last just as long and I have a fresh pair of boots every year for the same price that I would pay to have a pair of Red Wings for two years and stink like I haven't and be worn out and dangerous.
Try to use products made specifically for leather. We stand behind the quality of our Nicks Boot Oil, and Nicks Boot Grease but if those are unavailable try to find a reputable leather product. Using vegetable oil won't be as good for the leather
The problem is the leather stretches and they don’t account for this when they build the boots, another great boot company does and wet molds/lasts the boots and they shrink and won’t stretch like a dry boot that’s been lasted ..
I'm sure there's some people in this country who have no idea what it means to "reef" on something. Fortunately, I'm from Wisconsin so it makes complete sense.
Ohh… if you have to do any of these things it’s just a bad fit. 🤦 Seriously? “Tighten the laces”? Lol. If the boot is too big and you over tighten the laces to try and fix it, you can cut off the circulation. How about you just get a better fit?
Well said. I have a very wide foot, and so my least favorite is when a shoe salesman tell me to keep wearing poorly measured footwear until they stretch. Bad advice. Save your feet from the blisters and return them to get a better fit.
All of this is a good idea, but the issue is the boot companies are all about money ! All they have to do is bring back B widths, in the past most companies made B widths and at times a A width ! People check your feet you may have a B width foot and not know it !
I really like the idea of leather insoles. Would Nick's Boots consider selling leather insoles?
They sell leather insoles now
Everyone who buys a new pair of boots (from Nick's Handmade Boots of course!) should watch this video. It has helped me resolve the tightness and hot spot areas with minimal effort and solid results. My local Cobbler is a fan of this approach (duh!). Thanks for great footwear Nick's!
Thanks for the feedback Steve!
Got my Nicks last week. Slowly breaking them in. 30 min while vacuuming the house, next day 45 min around the block with the MuttBull, 1
1.5 hr easy hike though the foothills, etc. Slight discomfort in some areas but no pain. In fact my heel and arch feel better than any other footwear I have ever worn allowing me to walk and hike better. By next week I may try a full day of wear. By the way things are going it seems as if I'll need to start saving up for my second pair because I'm already getting the feeling I will want to wear any other footwear once these are broken in. Slow and steady break-in and they will start molding to your feet. They will make you regret all those years of cheap footwear. Great information on the insoles!
I've never bought a pair of Nick's boots but I'm thinking about buying a pair of builder pros because they are nice boots and I need a boot that will last a long time
I'll share some boot break in pains and what I've learned along the way.
Point 1 - broken in just means well worn. There's no good road to this without miles, and shortcuts will dry out or screw up a perfectly good pair of boots. It's leather we're working with, so learn leather and manipulate that, not the chemistry because shortcuts lead to hurt boots and hurt boots lead to hurt wallets.
I've never done shortcuts, suffered in many bouts of complaining like a normal dude. I'm tall and thin, so I don't have weight on my side to help push the leather to stretch to my needs, that comes from repetition. For me, the squat bends are the absolute punishers. If I balance on my toes in good boots, I'll give it a minute before it begins to cut circulation off from the sole stiffness (think hard angle, not tippy toes. Like you're doing a pushup or crawling).
I have a very well broken in pair of Danner Mountain Lights and they are hands down tailor fit now after many miles. My Danner Rain Forests are somewhat of a chore to wear still, with some miles. The weight is the difference, but I still don't think they're quite broken in, even after some months wearing. They're my winter boots, and I skipped them over spring, summer and I'm just getting back into them this fall. The break in is real.
Point 2 - fitment. If you don't have the right fit or size you're going to feel it. You might think you feel it in store, but in my experiences boots feel tight in the toebox then let out as they break in. It's tricky. If you're spending north of 200 dollhairs, let the man use his contraption to size your feet and try the boots on.
Point 3 - Come in with beefy socks. If you have winter socks, try those on with the boots. It's a weird trick of mine that hasn't failed me. I can pass/fail boots in three steps with beefy wool socks on. I've also been wearing boots for way too long, so I have a taste for it now. Good boots won't "grind" or rub. They might feel tight, but that will break in. If it's too tight, you might need a wide cut, but some tightness is fine.
Part 4 - Don't be afraid to confront. You're the commander of your wallet, if you have questions, ask. If they can't handle it, walk out. If you're coming in looking to invest don't be afraid to protect that choice with some questions. Some salesman are good salespeople and will sell aspects. If they don't know the miles those boots are planned for, walk away.
Part 5 - reconstruction. I need to resole my Mountain Lights, I've worn a solid soft spot and Danner wants to run me $140 now (almost half what I paid, or what I'd call three seasons in a pair of Salomons) Many quality boots will be able to be serviced, at a premium. While likely cheaper than replacement, it's worth noting who will service your boot and how well. I was keen to use Danner as a first party, though given their asking price now, I may consider third party. The benefit of recrafting your outsole is you may get options. Example: I'm not super keen to the classic sole they use for many of their boots, I don't find it aggressive enough for the surfaces I find myself on. I like a more dynamic sole.
In the end, it's all taste and mileage. I'm a nerd who's worn a LOT of boots in my life. I began to swear by Danner, but that allegiance may wane if they keep commanding a premium while shirking their material. My rusted hardware hasn't gone unnoticed.
Wow! I never thought of the leather insole! That's great!
Great video! I’m going to try some additional insole in mine. I was fit in store at nicks with a medium weight sock. With breakin I moved to thicker socks and they are almost perfect. I got a size 11 and think I need a 10-3/4!
That's terrific.
When my boots start feeling loose, I know it's time for new socks
Good talk about the cobbler! Most boot channels never mention this; mine made 11,5 E's out of 11 D's 🙂
That exact pair of socks are my favorite.
What pair/brand is that
Darn tough are great socks
@@dakotafrantz4179 darn tough work socks. I wear them every day as a tradesman and they are great socks.
With all my boots (yet to get my nicks hope soon just over 16 weeks into wait) I pull as tight as I can on laces it makes feel more secure in my ankles with are destroyed from many years of skateboarding
Great tips and information Grant. Thanks a ton
Are you still around would be nice to see another vid from grant
Man... I still love that hat Grant.
My Nicks’s fit perfectly, maybe my future pairs might need this advice, so thanks.
Thanks for that info.
I've been neglecting my boots I need to clean and oil them it's been 6 months almost
Solid stuff here!
what two model of boots were you using in this video?
you guys still doing in store foot messurements for custom boots? wanna come your way in early december
Do the comfort insoles hinder the break in of the boot? Part of the reason I'm looking at Nick's is so I can stop buying insoles for my boots/shoes. I figured the insoles would make it harder for the leather to conform to my foot and therefore be detrimental to properly breaking them in. Was I wrong in thinking this?
I'm a 2 intersole guy and always have been, bought the overlanders and they are hard as a rock. I haven't started wearing them yet other than around the house. I use fpinsole, best ever, i can't even get my foot in the boots with the thin insoles installed. I have buyers remorse but I'm going to give these a try, and hope they prove me wrong.
My Urban Drifters arrived today and I absolutely love them except for one problem. The opening where my foot goes in is so tight I about gave myself an aneurism forcing my foot in. It seems like the tongue leather is too tight which keeps the boot from opening up properly. Is there is a trick to this, or am I missing something? Once I finally got my foot in, the boot fits great.
When you say “adding one width size” with a good pair of socks would that be size B to a D or B to C for example. The leather insole tip is one I hadn’t read before. Good to know. Thx
C to B. It makes a C feel like a B.
Do you make narrow sizes?
My boots are a half size too big, can a cobbler resize them for me?
@ very interesting, thank you for your advice, I will be doing further research on this method. I appreciate the help.
No.If they are too big put an insole in. 1/2 a size should get eaten up by thick socks and an insole.
Question.
Why do leather shoes crack over time .. and how can this be prevented
It often cracks due to being dried up, often you find cracks at bend points from where it flexes when you walk.
Dirt, sand ect adds to this when it makes a cosy little home inside of said cracks, making them worse.
Easiest way to prevent it is to maintain your boots.
Clean them, apply leather moisture (there are many, wax, balsam, oils and so on.)
How often you need to do this all depends on how heavily they are used in dirty enviorments/weather like snow and rain.
Hopefully this gave you the answers you looked for.
agree with that. treat them as u treat ur feet, in every season if hot, wet or cold esp on where they are used alot (bend), even the threads need care, good maintenance enhances their life... a good pair of boots might get older then u ;)
@ u don't? I apply black dubbin on mine. Over here we have 2 learn it in the army to keep them watertight. Having wet feet really sucks and can cause frozen feet living at 3000ft. Lemme guess, Airforce? 😜
I like your hat!
Do u ship ur boot to Indonesia?
👒👒👒Nice look Ranger Bob❗
I like your video , and thanks for sharing with you 😍
Salam siz çox gözəl işlər görürsüz
Mine is tight on My left foot at the big toe knuckle
Cut off your left foot, you’re welcome.
@@bloatedsodium7301 I think I’ll just keep the boots wet with oil while continuing to wear them until the boot forms to My freakish foot
Take a file and file off some of the skin and bone around that big toe and it should fit better
Depending on how long you've worn them it can fix itself by it stretching by its own.
Remember when I first wore my leather cowboy boots I thought my feet were going to die after 10 minutes.
Now I can wear them all day long.
But if the problem is there for a longer time I suggest asking a cobbler for help, leather is easy to work with and they usually have tools to stretch certain parts out.
@Joe Second I ran out of gas one day and had to walk to a gas station my truck was parked on the highway when I came back with the gas can they had to wait for traffic and then I made a dash across the highway and it had these cheapest tennis shoes and I drove my toes right into the asphalt so hard it broke my right toe. I did a complete flip and landed on my back grab the gas can and got up and kept running to the other side where my truck was period ever since then my right foot has been so screwed up my toe does not bend it is frozen I couldn't wear a pair of cowboy boots if my life depended on it I wear steel toe logging boots with big 2-inch heel because I live in the Ozarks and I cannot afford to fall at 60 years old and severe arthritis there's a lot of acorns and loose gravel and wet grass and I need something that's going to lock my foot in the ground at every step. Therefore I don't take any chances when it comes to walking and trying not to fall my feet need to be completely fastened to the ground with no chance of an acorn or a rock or a wet piece of grass messing up my whole life. Are used to buy Red Wing logger boots but when they got up to three hundred bucks that's what I had to say screw it but I will say I got a pair of Carolinas for a hundred and eighty in there just as good as the $300 Red Wings for a hundred eighty bucks I could buy buy me a pair every year and have a new pair on my feet for the money that I would spend on a pair of Red Wings and the Carolinas last just as long and I have a fresh pair of boots every year for the same price that I would pay to have a pair of Red Wings for two years and stink like I haven't and be worn out and dangerous.
What can u advice instead
Greens oil. Can I use butter, or smth else.. what can u advice me ...
Sorry. Bad english
Try to use products made specifically for leather. We stand behind the quality of our Nicks Boot Oil, and Nicks Boot Grease but if those are unavailable try to find a reputable leather product. Using vegetable oil won't be as good for the leather
Thanks. 👍👍👍 from
KAZAKHSTAN...
WISH U LUCK IN YOUR JOB.!!!!!
The problem is the leather stretches and they don’t account for this when they build the boots, another great boot company does and wet molds/lasts the boots and they shrink and won’t stretch like a dry boot that’s been lasted ..
Any Nicks Boots that would be affected like this are still wet lasted. Thanks!
I wonder if anyone has tried getting the right size 🤔
Good boots can last more than 20 years. In that time peoples feet can & do change. Ever think of that?
I'm trying... last year I oredered a 7.5 and it is kind of loose... now I'm getting a 7 and I'll see if thats better!
I'm sure there's some people in this country who have no idea what it means to "reef" on something. Fortunately, I'm from Wisconsin so it makes complete sense.
👍
Них,,я не понял.Но очень интересно!!!
Ohh… if you have to do any of these things it’s just a bad fit. 🤦 Seriously? “Tighten the laces”? Lol. If the boot is too big and you over tighten the laces to try and fix it, you can cut off the circulation. How about you just get a better fit?
Well said. I have a very wide foot, and so my least favorite is when a shoe salesman tell me to keep wearing poorly measured footwear until they stretch. Bad advice. Save your feet from the blisters and return them to get a better fit.
At 4:21 Turn off the blaring music, I could not get to my sound volume fast enough to turn it down. Folks around me gave me the stink-eye.
All of this is a good idea, but the issue is the boot companies are all about money ! All they have to do is bring back B widths, in the past most companies made B widths and at times a A width ! People check your feet you may have a B width foot and not know it !
My nicks are a 10.5 B
Nick's goes down to AAA width if needed. Mine are 8 1/2 & 9 AA.
We have ALL the sizes! 😊
Worn out, not "wore" out
Hope they fit better than your hat...joke
lose the hat
no.
its a stupid hat, if you have to wear it, you better be standing outside in the rain
I wish I had 2 hats just like that. One to shit in and one to cover it up
Maybe spend more time actually making boots and not UA-cam videos and your lead time wouldn’t be 8 months or more.
That doesn't make much sense.