Welcome back to FromTheGuestRoom, we have introduced a lot of articles to solve many annoying problems with cowboy boots.
For example, How to break in cowboy boots, How to fix cowboy boots tight instep, How to stretch cowboy boots at home, etc.
The common point of the above articles is that they solve the problem of tight cowboy boots.
So how about cowboy boots being loose? How to make cowboy boots fit tighter?
Let’s check it out!
Quick Navigation
- How to make cowboy boots fit tighter?
- What happens if you wear boots too big?
- 1. Methods to fix loose cowboy boots on the instep
- 2. Methods to fix cowboy boots are loose on the heels
- 3. Methods to fix cowboy boots with too long and wide toe
- 4. Methods to make cowboy boots fit tighter around the calf
- 5. Method to make cowboy boots fit tighter around the ankle
- 6. Methods to make cowboy boots fit tighter at the width area
- Some other tips to fix loose cowboy boots
- Some notes
- Should cowboy boots be tight at first?
- Should cowboy boots be a little loose?
- How much heel slip is normal in boots?
- Before you leave
How to make cowboy boots fit tighter?
Loose cowboy boots are nothing new to cowboy boot lovers and collectors. This will cause discomfort when you wear cowboy boots.
Cowboy boots often loose at the heel, instep or the tip, and these three wide areas will irritate you a lot.
What happens if you wear boots too big?
- Heel slippage
- Adversely affect your gait
- Less confident while wearing boots
- Lose flexibility when moving
- Discomfort when walking
- Cowboy boots fall out of your feet
- Waste your money
How to fix it? Keep on reading.
1. Methods to fix loose cowboy boots on the instep
When you choose cowboy boots, the instep is the crucial part you need to care about. The instep of cowboy boots should snugly fit, not loose and not tight.
However, you can’t avoid mistakes when you buy cowboy boots online, so how to fix this?
Method 1. Use extra cushion insole
This is a very popular way to fix a cowboy boot that is loose at the instep.
What you need is to lift your foot up, so there’s nothing better than using extra cushion insoles. Put them in your cowboy boots.
The thickness of the extra insoles will help fill in the gaps in your cowboy boots and help them fit tighter. Besides, cushion insoles cradle your feet for comfortable wearing.
- Round toe
- Gel heel and foot pads
- Ats technology
Last update on 2023-03-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Method 2. Use thick socks
Another common method is using thick socks. Thick socks “lift” your feet significantly to fit the instep of cowboy boots.
You should wear sports socks rather than crowd your feet with two socks.
Sports socks usually have thicker footpads than other socks. Wearing two socks can work somehow, but your feet will get hot.
- Soft Breathable Moisture Control Fibers
- Arch Compression Support and Stability
- Ventilation Channels Enhance Air Flow
Last update on 2023-03-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Method 3. Use Ball of Foot Cushions
These patches can be used as cushion insoles to help your feet fit the instep of cowboy boots more.
However, the ball of foot cushions can be quite thin, you can insert two of them into cowboy boots.
Last update on 2023-03-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Method 4. Make cowboy boots fit tighter at the instep with leather pads
If you don’t want to put extra insoles into your cowboy boots to lift your feet up, another way is using leather pads.
You should go to the leatherworker and ask him to cut the leather pads that can insert into the footbeds of cowboy boots.
Make sure the leather pads are a bit wider than the footbeds of your boots (so that they will not slip out of the footbeds).
Then put the leather pads into cowboy boots to lift your feet up.
If the leather pad is not thick enough, just try another thicker one until you find the right thickness to make your instep fit tighter.
Note that the leather pads should be smooth, with no high spots or lumps.
2. Methods to fix cowboy boots are loose on the heels
Besides the instep, it is important that the heels of cowboy boots also fit.
When you put on your cowboy boots, listen to the “pop”, which is the perfect sound coming from your heels and cowboy boots.
But if you don’t hear this sound, there is a problem…
Cowboy boots are loose in the heels, we need to find ways to make them fit tighter.
Method 1. Use heel inserts
Last update on 2023-03-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
There are many different types of heel inserts, all of them can be used to fix the loose heels of your cowboy boots.
Just use heel grips to insert in cowboy boots, the contact area between your heels and cowboy boots will increase.
Besides, heel inserts also help protect your heels from blistering, from slipping, reduce heel pain when wearing boots all day long…
Method 2. Use thick socks
Thick socks are multi-purpose to solve wearing problems.
Wearing a pair of thick socks will help your heels fit better than not wearing them. Besides, thick socks reduces unpleasant smell from sweat (for the boots and your feet) and prevent blisters.
- Material: The mid calf crew socks made from 92.5% Cotton 6.7% Polyester 0.8%Spandex. Suggest machine...
- Comfort: Smooth toe seam and stereo Y-heel, full cushion soft towel fabrics suit for ultimate...
- Features: Thick, soft, stretch and stay up well. Perfect if you are working hard or just daily wear....
Last update on 2023-03-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
3. Methods to fix cowboy boots with too long and wide toe
If the tip of cowboy boots are too far from your toes, then it is also difficult to fit the heel of cowboy boots. In this case, it will cause many discomforts such as heel slippage.
So how do your toes fit tighter with the cowboy boots?
Method 1. Insert cotton ball, toilet paper, soft cloth into toe box
That’s all you need! Look in your home for items such as a soft cloth, cotton ball , or toilet paper to tuck them into the toe box of cowboy boots.
Doing so will shorten the distance of the tip of cowboy boots and your toes. From there, it helps your feet fit tighter with cowboy boots.
Method 2. Use heel grips
This is also a good way to push your feet closer to the tip of cowboy boots. It can also help your instep fit better with cowboy boots.
- Good stickiness: the heel cushion pads feature with good stickiness favorable to keep them in place...
- Rational design: the heel liners adopt hollow cylinder design to adjust the space automatically;...
- Protective tools: these heel cushion pads are made of soft sponge, good for reducing the friction...
Last update on 2023-03-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
4. Methods to make cowboy boots fit tighter around the calf
In fact, you should choose cowboy boots that are a bit loose around the calf to make you more comfortable.
But what if cowboy boots are too loose around the calf?
It will make you look sloppy and unattractive. Besides, you will encounter many problems while working, farming, ranching, riding, walking, etc.
To make cowboy boots fit tighter at the calf, you can use a leather strap to wrap around there, it is really effective!
Another way is wearing calf sleeves, boot cuffs, or soft cloths around your calves to make them fit better with cowboy boots.
Last update on 2023-03-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Besides, wearing double socks is not a bad idea. Some people like to tuck their jeans inside cowboy boots, thereby helping their legs fit tighter with cowboy boots.
We have very detailed instructions here!
5. Method to make cowboy boots fit tighter around the ankle
Quite similar to the method to make cowboy boots fit tighter at the calf, you can use leather string to make cowboy boots fit better at the ankle. Just wrap it around!
Besides, another way is using socks. Fold them many times to the ankle position to make it fit tighter there.
Or you can search for ankle braces on the market, put them on and get your ankle fit better with boots.
- One size fits both feet and up to 11" in feet arch circumference.
- Protect the ankle and minimize the risk of injury. Perfect for chronic and acute ankle injury...
- Open heel design allows wide range of motion during activity and still provide support for the ankle...
Last update on 2023-03-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
My friend, who has experienced cowboy boots getting loose at the ankles, came up with an idea of wearing open-legged jeans.
Just fold the bottom end of the pants a few times around the ankle to make it fit tighter.
Other people tuck their jeans into cowboy boots to fill up the free room at the ankle.
This method is also very creative, despite not being aesthetically pleasing for men, but if you are working and in need of comfort and neatness, who cares what you look like?
Here is a very detailed instruction to make your cowboy boots fit tighter around the ankle!
6. Methods to make cowboy boots fit tighter at the width area
In fact, when choosing cowboy boots, the two most important positions to fit are the instep and heel.
As for the width of boots, you should leave enough room at the ball of the boots for your feet to be comfortable.
What if the ball of cowboy boots are too loose for your feet?
Read more: Best Looking Square Toe Boots
Method 1. Use Forefoot Cushion Pads
Using forefoot cushion pads will increase the width of your foot, then forefoot can fit cowboy boots tightly.
In addition, forefoot cushion pads also relieve the pain in the ball of foot. You can use cowboy boots all day without foot pain.
Read more: Best Ariat Boot Inserts
- This 4-pack of gel metatarsalgia dancer pads fits women’s shoe sizes 5-8 and men's shoe sizes 5-7...
- Alleviate pain due to calluses, bunions, corns, sesamoiditis or Morton neuromas caused by long...
- Relieves pressure on the ball of your foot by providing weight distribution and shock absorption...
Last update on 2023-03-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Method 2. Use thick socks
We are here again! Using thick socks can solve the wide problems of cowboy boots.
However, if cowboy boots are too wide, this method might be useless.
Some other tips to fix loose cowboy boots
- For loose cowboy boots, your feet may slip inside the boots. If that happens, try wearing the non-slip socks of yoga people, it will work well.
- In addition to using the above items to tuck into cowboy boots, you can also use household items (cotton, soft cloth, toilet paper…) to insert into cowboy boots to make them fit tighter.
Some notes
There are some tips online that you should dip both cowboy boots into the water and dry them to make them shrink. No, don’t ever do that!.
Cowboy boots are mostly made from leather, and leather don’t love water at all. Without proper care, cowboy boots made from leather can be completely damaged.
So the idea of shrinking your boots by plunging them into the water and waiting until it is dry is so WRONG, it just destroys your boots!
Another WRONG way is to put on WET socks with WET cowboy boots at the same time, wait for both of them to dry with the hope that they will drink after that.
Well, it is not necessary to take this risk since it’s really harmful to your feet.
Anyway, the water method to shrink cowboy boots is something uncertain. We think that water will soften cowboy boots. And once you put these cowboy boots on and go, they will probably stretch rather than shrink.
Read more: How To Break In Cowboy Boots
Should cowboy boots be tight at first?
No, they shouldn’t be cramped in the first place.
The nature of cowboy boots was born to serve the wild cowboys on the vast grass, they must withstand sun, rain, harsh weather…
So cowboy boots are very durable and sturdy, if you buy tight cowboy boots in the beginning, it will take a long time or a lot of efforts to stretch them.
So you need to choose boots with the heel and instep that snugly fit, these are the two most important areas. As long as the heel and instep fit snugly, it doesn’t matter whether other positions are wide or not.
Should cowboy boots be a little loose?
Yes. cowboy boots need to be little loose in leather around the calf, ball of the feet and toe box.
Again, you should choose cowboy boots that snugly fit at the heel and instep. Cowboy boots that are loose on the instep or heel will result in the heel slippage. This will adversely affect your gait and your comfort.
As long as the heel and instep of the cowboy boots fit snugly, it is no big deal if the rest is a bit wide.
Since the heel and instep of cowboy boots hold your foot tightly, your foot can’t slip anywhere.
In fact, you need to leave a little room at the ball, leather around the calf and toe box to wear cowboy boots comfortably.
We have a very thorough article on how to choose the right fit of cowboy boots here.
How much heel slip is normal in boots?
In fact, it’s impossible to completely avoid heel slippage when wearing cowboy boots. Heel slippage somehow makes you more comfortable when wearing boots. But heel slippage should happen within allowed limits.
For newly purchased cowboy boots, 1/4″ – 3/8″ of slippage is normal. So don’t worry.
You can see more tips and methods to fix heel slippage here.
Before you leave
Overall, there are more ways to fix tight cowboy boots than loose ones. Methods that make them stretch are often very effective, but there are almost no methods that really work to make cowboy boots shrink.
So as you have seen, most of the article is about stuffing things such as insole or leather pads to make the cowboy boots snugger.
If you come up with other efficient methods, leave a comment to let me know!
Good luck!
