Breaking in engineers… blisters and heartbreak

[Leilah RW]

Hi folks,

I’m hoping for some guidance, or perhaps some emotional support from the seasoned engineer boot wearers here.

A few months ago, I finally took the plunge and had a pair of custom engineer boots made by Prof Barnets. They’re made out of Maryam horsehide and lined in lambskin. They’re absolutely gorgeous. They feel like s*** brick houses on my little lady feet but I expected nothing less. Impeccable craftsmanship - I cannot praise these guys enough.

However, here’s what I’m dealing with:
When they first arrived, they were incredibly hard to get on, but once I managed it, my feet kind of locked in nicely. The toe box felt good, the length perfect, but the instep on one was noticeably tighter than the other. Now, after half a dozen wears (maybe six or seven short outings), I’ve broken them in just enough that they’re easier to get on - but still much, much harder to get off.

The main issue is that every time I wear them, I end up with nasty blisters on my heels so bad I can barely walk. Today was the worst yet - I ended up tiptoeing back to the car, walking like my feet were on the wrong ankles because the pain was so bad. I’ve worn them with thick sports socks which I now realise may have been a mistake, and a friend has since suggested I try merino wool boot socks, which I’ve now ordered. But still… I’m concerned this is more than just a “wrong socks” issue.

I don’t think it’s a length or width problem - the fit itself feels perfect once I’m in. There’s moderate heel slip but I’ve had worse with my RW’s and that was very temporary.

I’m going to Japan in a few months, and I’d planned to take these boots with me, but there’s no way I could walk around the city in them as things stand. I’m gutted, especially because cool engineer boots in women’s sizing are practically non-existent, which is why I went custom in the first place.

So I guess I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced this? Or if anyone might have a few tips and tricks to fix the heel issue/speed up the break in?

Thanks in advance. I’d really love to make these boots work.

 

[DogFacePonySoldier]

Since you say it’s tight and the fit is good I am skeptical on the thicker socks, but a higher quality sock can help w/e an hq sock means.

I never did anything to speed up the boot process personally but moleskin pads are a real lifesaver, def get that if you haven’t tried it.

 

[Carlos840]

All i wear are Engineers, i have been wearing them close to 15 years, IMO if they are that tight thicker socks are only going to make them tighter.

Personally i have owned engineers that where too tight (my first pair) and they never got better, they where just too small for me.
I even tried to soak them in warm water for an hour and then wearing them untill dry, didn't help.

I now buy engineers with enough room to get 1" of heel lift when they are new and by the time they are broken in they fit like slippers.
Boots should definitely not feel tight when new, you need some heel lift.
No heel lift = blisters.

 

[El Marro]

I have been wearing engineer boots for about 10 years now and I’ve never experienced what you’re describing with any of my boots, not even when they were brand new.

 

[Pandemic]

Japan = a LOT of walking. As much as I love my (well fitting) engineer boots, I’d never bring them as my primary footwear around Japan. Stick with a good pair of hiking boots or sneakers.

 

[Carlos840]

Done a bit of reading this morning, and the first thing that comes to mind is, how do these guys in Indonesia know how to fit boots?

When i bought my first pair of slip on boots (i had only ever worn lace up shoes untill then) i was expecting boots to fit like shoes did, the salesman told me "they are going to stretch" and i ended up with boots that where unwearable.
My second pair was not much better...

It's only by my third pair that i bought the boots a half size larger than my shoe size.
At first they felt too big, my heel was moving up and down, once the sole was broken in and had lost it's flatness the boots completely stopped moving on my feet.
I didn't know that i didn't know how to fit boots to my own feet.

If i look at boot makers like RW, Chippewa, Whites, Nicks, i expect them to have designed and modified their lasts to fit real people based on real experience, their boots have been used as work boots for decades, they know what works.

Looking at prof Barnett, the first thing i see is an influencer video from that Carl dude and pictures of shoes that look made to be looked at, not walked in.

How do you know the maker actually has experience in fitting boots to people to actually live in rather than look at?

Take 5 star leather jackets as an example, they look ok on the website, most people who have used them will tell you they are not designed to be worn by humans, the people making them have no understanding of patterns and how they work on the human body.
It's not their fault, they live in a country where few people wear leather jackets, they don't know that they have no idea how to design a leather jacket pattern.

If a jacket can look like a jacket but be horrible to wear because of lack of pattern undestanding, can a pair of boots look good but be a nightmare to live with because of lack of last understanding?

 

[Leilah RW]

Appreciate the input guys.
I was hoping these would magically break in and be super comfortable but by the sound of things, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to be the case.

@Carlos840 I think you’re bang on.
When I bought my Red Wings, I had quite a bit of heel slip and was convinced they were too big. I took them to Istanbul for a week regardless and wore thick socks and then they magically broke in. Now they’re the most comfortable boots I own. So it seems like half a size up is the way to go. When I ordered these, I too had no idea how to measure my feet for boots. Hindsight and all that.

​

Admittedly I know sweet s*d all about boots, lasts and so forth - I’m a jacket woman. So this is all new to me. All I know is that I’m on my feet all day, I have high arches and my feet tend to tire easily without adequate arch support. Are there any brands with lasts that are good for this?
What about Mister Lou 7600s? I love how they look.

Thanks again for the feedback. It’s been super helpful.

 

[Carlos840]

Appreciate the input guys.
I was hoping these would magically break in and be super comfortable but by the sound of things, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to be the case.

@Carlos840 I think you’re bang on.
When I bought my Red Wings, I had quite a bit of heel slip and was convinced they were too big. I took them to Istanbul for a week regardless and wore thick socks and then they magically broke in. Now they’re the most comfortable boots I own. So it seems like half a size up is the way to go. When I ordered these, I too had no idea how to measure my feet for boots. Hindsight and all that.

​

Admittedly I know sweet s*d all about boots, lasts and so forth - I’m a jacket woman. So this is all new to me. All I know is that I’m on my feet all day, I have high arches and my feet tend to tire easily without adequate arch support. Are there any brands with lasts that are good for this?
What about Mister Lou 7600s? I love how they look.

Thanks again for the feedback. It’s been super helpful.

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I have one pair of each colour that i bought before they discontinued the men's version, they are the best boot money can buy.

These are 12 years old, i never have a second thought about them, they go to the woods, the fields, the city, winter, summer, walking, riding, they are all i wear.

They have been resoled once, the brown ones have seen much less wear as i tend to wear black.

 

[Bfd70]

Most custom makers should be able to add arch support.
i have very flat low volume feet. A pair that would fit in length would be too loose in the instep (7 brands tried). The idea of sizing up would never ever never ever work. in the end i went mtm. Best fitting footwear i own.

 

[Tom71]

Cure for blisters:

Blisters are basically the top layer of the skin separating from the deeper layers due to constant friction. So you have to elimnate the friction:

First open the blisters and remove any moisture.

Buy some medical tape (at least two inches in widhth) and cover the blistered area. Then secure the tape with two more strips placed above and under the first one.
Just make sure you pull the tape off in the evening and use disinfectant.

All these worked during my army days when we had to sometimes hike for days in uneven terrain in inappropriate footwear.

 

[El Marro]

the first thing i see is an influencer video from that Carl dude

That dude is everywhere!

 

[TartuWolf]

Very interesting how @Carlos840 tactic/thinking is the opposite of mine, but, admittedly, I have MUCH less experience.
I understand and think about engineers in 3 parts:
- The lowers (last part) has to obviously be long enough and wide enough to be comfortable when the foot is already in and standing still. A bit too long is okay, too shirt is a complete no go. Ball width and toe box width are completely different things and both are extremely important. Most boots are not wide enough in the toe in my opinion, but we are so used to it that we don't notice anymore (until you wear some footwear with enough toe space). The two key parts in the lowers in terms of movement/heel slip are waist width and heel width (and how well the heel is "cupped").
- The instep. Extremely important for any slip on boots (engineers being more forgiving due to the straps). In my opinion if the boots are easy to put on and take off then the chances of them ever breaking in enough to reach acceptable levels of heel slip are rather low. There should definitely be resistance and a "pop" upon successful insert and some difficulty taking them off - then you have the best chances to avoid heel slip as much as it is possible with slip-on boots.
- The shaft width right above the instep (so basically from behind, how much it curves in) can also help a lot with lowering the heel slip and achieving that "pop"). Anything above that is mostly taste and effect on what pants you can slip on the boots.

Now regarding what Leilah described.

they’re easier to get on - but still much, much harder to get off

This is very strange to me - how can they be easier to put on but much harder to get off? Doesn't make much sense to me unless your foot is catching on something only when coming out (which IS possible).
One foot being tighter in the instep is completely normal and even expected. Both because your feel likely have slightly different instep heights and because it's a handmade item and there will be variation from one boot to the other.
And the instep WILL stretch to a degree, although it will be less and more difficult to achieve with such dense leather as horse rump. A cobbler can rather easily stretch out the instep. That's actually the only part of the boot that can be reasonably stretched.
Blisters on the heels due to the LACK of heel slip doesn't make much sense to me, it's more likely to happed due TO the heel slip. I can imagine the horse rump is rather stiff so it's KIND OF understandable, but I still think that if it is THAT bad then probably the sizing is wrong and will not get good enough with break in and wear.
Sure some folks pride themselves in suffering through such trials and tribulations, and you can try as well, but it might really ruin your relationship with that pair and demotivate you from wearing them in the future.

 

[Authenticstyle]

Appreciate the input guys.
I was hoping these would magically break in and be super comfortable but by the sound of things, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to be the case.

@Carlos840 I think you’re bang on.
When I bought my Red Wings, I had quite a bit of heel slip and was convinced they were too big. I took them to Istanbul for a week regardless and wore thick socks and then they magically broke in. Now they’re the most comfortable boots I own. So it seems like half a size up is the way to go. When I ordered these, I too had no idea how to measure my feet for boots. Hindsight and all that.

​

Admittedly I know sweet s*d all about boots, lasts and so forth - I’m a jacket woman. So this is all new to me. All I know is that I’m on my feet all day, I have high arches and my feet tend to tire easily without adequate arch support. Are there any brands with lasts that are good for this?
What about Mister Lou 7600s? I love how they look.

Thanks again for the feedback. It’s been super helpful.

Mr. Lou and PNW boots in general have excellent arch support. I have found them to be TTS, as well.

 

[Pandemic]

Appreciate the input guys.
I was hoping these would magically break in and be super comfortable but by the sound of things, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to be the case.

@Carlos840 I think you’re bang on.
When I bought my Red Wings, I had quite a bit of heel slip and was convinced they were too big. I took them to Istanbul for a week regardless and wore thick socks and then they magically broke in. Now they’re the most comfortable boots I own. So it seems like half a size up is the way to go. When I ordered these, I too had no idea how to measure my feet for boots. Hindsight and all that.

​

Admittedly I know sweet s*d all about boots, lasts and so forth - I’m a jacket woman. So this is all new to me. All I know is that I’m on my feet all day, I have high arches and my feet tend to tire easily without adequate arch support. Are there any brands with lasts that are good for this?
What about Mister Lou 7600s? I love how they look.

Thanks again for the feedback. It’s been super helpful.

I know how frustrating this must be - you’ve paid a lot of money and had a long wait, to receive boots that you love the look of but can’t wear. I got lucky with my Indo boots in that the fit was pretty good, even with my oddly shaped feet. Mine fit well once on. Getting them on is an effort and getting them off a two handed, red-faced struggle.

You might be able to play around with inserts to get the fit right - there are also sorts of different foam orthotic inserts available. I like Nick’s boots heel arch insole for that. Nicks also make engineer boots with great lasts and arch support. The style tends to be more rugged than sleek, but there’s a lot of customization available. They do make women’s boots, but I don’t know about engineers specifically.

 

[RDS]

I’ve no experience with engineer boots, however whenever I have a similar issue with blisters and new shoes or boots I wear two pairs of socks until they are broken in.
The thickness of the two pairs of sock doesn’t really matter as this will be dictated by what you can comfortably wear in the shoe or boot, but I find this method generally works best with one thin and one slightly thicker pair. The important things is that the inner pair, or the ones in direct contact with the skin, should be the thinner socks.
Two pairs of socks are much better than one thick pair because the two socks will rub together on themselves, whereas just one thick sock will rub directly on skin (which results in the blister causing friction)

 

[jchance]

I haven’t had much experience with engineer boots, but I’ve had boots. Taken what others said here at face value, have you considered getting your boots stretched by half a size? It’s totally possible and you’d get the fit you want.

 

[Zoro]

I'm currently breaking in a pair of boots I got from another lounger myself. When I first broke in my Iron Rangers, I noticed that the question "how do you break shoes in?" is one you can ask to 100 people and get 120 different answers.

Mine is as simple as thick(er) socks and short walks. Going on a longer walk (than initially expected) with normal socks the first day left me with blisters, but now going back to my usual plan works better. Back with the IRs I tried wearing them at home while working (aka just sitting on my ***) and I think it was pretty useless, but going on increasingly longer walks did the trick.

But well, thick socks (or double socks) is something you've already been told. Speaking with my mother earlier today, I was telling her about my new boots and how they're not yet comfy as I was wearing them while talking to her and she told me something I've dismissed cause I think in my case I just need to walk with them and break them in little by little, but that might work for you as you mention they are too tight: Bringing them to a cobbler and having them be left for hours or even days in a stretcher device with a name I ignore in English, you can find it pictured below:

This can basically stretch shoes (both length and width), both my parents did this often back when I was a kid. Obviously there's a limit on how much this will stretch them but it might be enough for you to notice a difference. I would also understand if you don't want to risk putting your shining new boots under this seemingly torture device, tho, as I would also think twice before it, but well, it's still an option.

Lastly, I truly admire the people like you who plan a trip to Japan bringing anything not cushioned, whether they are high end boots or hype Jordans. I know I would just bring max cushioned runners to maximize walking as much as possible in comfort and have an empty suitcase to fill it with whatever I buy over there.

 

[MrProper]

I've also had umpteen boots (and engineers in the past) but I can't actually remember any blisters.
I think the boots just don't fit.
I would stick a blister plaster or something on the heel for the first time and then walk around a lot in the boots. But in such a way that you can take them off at any time. So a day trip with them would certainly not be the best idea to start with.
My boot manufacturer offers those who get blisters on their heels to soften the leather on the heel.
I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get it right. I would take different boots with me on a trip

 

[Monitor]

I'll echo @Carlos840 on both points - Get footwear by a brand that's actually renowned for making footwear because chance that any of these "heritage workwear" bozos know how make a boot are not worth the risk.

If your boots are forcing you to endure over 10 minutes of discomfort, let alone pain, you're either gotten ****med or the maker is fundamentally incompatible with you (which is rarely ever the case).

You have boots that **** ***. They shouldn't be uncomfortable and they shouldn't hurt your feet and you are absolutely NOT supposed to be breaking them in. That you have to "break in" your leather boots is the vilest thing the internet experts made me believe.

You don't break in anything - It's the ****ty boots that literally breaks in your feet. And your spirit.
Brain is good at tuning out incessant discomfort and even pain which will make us think that our new ****ty boots are becoming broken in.

I can with absolute certainty tell you to give Red Wings Iron Rangers a chance. They're the only one of these old looking leather boots that didn't make me feel like I'm wearing old looking leather boots. I didn't try their engineers but if you're dead set on them, give RW's version a chance as well because if they're anything like Rangers, you've nothing to worry about.

 

[twistdh]

I don’t know anything about engineer boots… but to avoid blisters I use some medical tape in that critical area, than I use only merino socks (not that rubbish like smartwool or similar…only 100% merino, like miri**** offers). Whith such a sock The foot remains dry and the rubbing that leads to the blisters is reduced.

I sweat a lot in the foot, so with synthetic (or cotton) socks i can’t live. I have only 100% merino wool socks for the boots. I use 100% hemp for the sneakers (or mix of merino wool and nettle in winter…that combo is phenomenal but you don’t find socks already Made like this to buy)