WESCO-MRLOU-BLK - Wesco® - 10" Horsehide Pull-On "Mister Lou" Engineer Boot - Black

[Oaktavia]

@seawolf yeah I think it will too. I should have typed it was curious to see how this works. Where are you stretching? Just below the lower buckle? That is where mine pushed on my instep.

[seawolf]

@Oaktavia That’s exactly right. That spot is always rough for me with new engineer boots but usually it mellows out. This pair is different, and after a year of regular wear, it’s time to take some action. My right foot has a really high instep and I normally get custom fit Wescos, but I couldn’t pass up the Maryam release last year, and this is my penance for skipping the custom build.

[Oaktavia]

@seawolf the Maryam is really tough and unforgiving. It took me over a year before mine finally stopped being so stubborn. It's such a strong beast. I was worried my instep wouldn't get better but it finally did.

[seawolf]

@Oaktavia if I didn’t have a freakishly high instep on my right foot, I’d probably wait it out. My left boot feels amazing!

[thooy05]

@seawolf i did same process on mine work great!

[seawolf]

@thooy05 Heck yeah! I'm going to check mine soon. Thank you

[AtariHunter]

@seawolf

I had the same problem with my boots, the instep (especially on the right boot) was so tight at the beginning that I almost gave up. The first time I tried them on it took me about 5 minutes (no joke!).

Now, after about 2 months and stubbornly breaking in with the sole, I'm about 80-90% satisfied. I also had some discomfort on the instep and on the side (where the seam of the heel piece runs) at the beginning on both boots while wearing them. However, this has now been resolved.

In the meantime, I have taken the soles out and have now got to the point where I put the soles in with thin socks and take them out with thick ones. I am confident that the boots will break in some more over the next few months so that it will be even easier to put them on and that I can put the soles back in again (also with thicker socks). But yes, those guys are tough!

Good luck with stretching, I look forward to your report!

[seawolf]

@AtariHunter That's great to hear that you were able to get them how you like them!

@thooy05 Yes! That's awesome.

@Oaktavia I think I may have broken this wild horse. We'll see how they feel over a long period of time.

The right boot feels so much better now. I may do another round at some point, but they're good enough for today.

[Oaktavia]

@seawolf this is great news man it may be a problem solver for other folks in similar situations.

[seawolf]

@Oaktavia Definitely! But as others have already stated, the tightness on the instep is part of wearing new engineer boots until they break in, so I would caution against this practice for those that feel impatient. This is a last resort, and a way to make room for an unusually high instep on one freakin' foot! Both of my feet feel the same level of comfort now, thanks to the instep stretch on just one boot. Winner!

[Oaktavia]

@seawolf ah yes that is a good point. Glad it worked our for you.

[seawolf]

@Oaktavia Dude, same. I'm so relieved. I've been wearing these boots hard for the last year, and depending on the weather or my body, that one boot was sometimes kind of brutal to wear.