How To Break In Timberland Boots: 6 Best Methods

Written By Sunny

When you buy a new pair of Timberland boots, they are quite hard and sturdy.

In order to get the desired relaxing fit, you need to break into your Timberlands and that can be time-consuming and painful sometimes.

Finding the perfect way to break in your boots can be cumbersome, so to make things easier for you, I have done thorough research and compiled the most practical and efficient methods to break in your Timberland boots.

how-to-break-in-timberland-boots

So, how can you break in your brand new Timberland boots?

Timberland boots can be broken by using different techniques such as wearing them with thick socks, using heat or ice bags, applying a leather conditioner, inserting newspapers or towels, or using a boot stretcher. While some of them are more time-consuming, boot stretchers take much less time.

Now that you know the basic methods you can use to break in your Timberland boots, read till the end to know exactly how to carry out these techniques.

How To Break In Your Timberland Boots

The only way to get rid of the toughness of brand new Timberland boots is by breaking in the boots.

The best way to break in any boots, whether Timberlands or not, is to wear and walk around in them. This allows the boots to break in according to the shape of your feet, giving you a snug yet comfortable fit.

However, the break in the process can be quite uncomfortable and even painful for some people.

If you are one of them, then don’t worry because I have included 6 methods that you can use to break in your new Timberland boots.

And no, none of these methods require you to take the boots to a shoe expert, as you can break in your boots all by yourself, in the comfort of your home using these methods.

Also, follow our separate guide on How To Fix Scratched Timberland Boots.

Here are the six most effective methods to break in Timberland boots:

Wear You Timberlands With Thick Socks

One of the most effective ways of breaking in your Timberland boots is wearing them.

Yes, if you can just bear with it then I would say that wear them, walk around in them, they will eventually break in to fit your feet perfectly.

However, to speed up the break in process, you can wear them with thick and fuzzy pairs of socks. This will create a layer between your skin and the boots, resulting in the leather stretching and breaking in much faster with them than without them.

timberland-with-sock

If you don’t have thick socks, you can double up on the socks when they are comparatively thin.

Like thick socks, layering with two or more socks will speed up the break in process.

Nonetheless, if this process is too painful for you, you don’t have to worry because there are other methods that you can try.

Check out my new post on How Much Do Timberland Boots Weigh.

Apply Leather Conditioner

Using a leather conditioner is an amazing way to facilitate the break in process of your Timberland boots.

For this, all you have to do is apply an even layer of leather conditioner on your boots, let the leather absorb the conditioner and then wear the boots with a pair of thick socks to facilitate the stretching.

The leather conditioner, when absorbed into the leather, causes it to soften. And while the leather is soft and supple, it’s much easier to break in as compared to without any leather conditioner.

timberland-clean-boots

So, if you haven’t tried this yet, you must give it a try to see if you can break into your Timberlands with the help of a leather conditioner.

But before that, you check out how Can You Resole Timberland Boots.

Apply Gentle Heat

To break in your boots using heat, you will need a hairdryer to lightly heat up the outer parts of the boot so that the leather stretches out more easily and facilitates the break in process.

The heat will cause the leather to soften, increasing its stretchability. So, if you wear them after gently heating the tight areas, they will eventually stretch out and break in more easily.

However, you must be careful not to overheat the boots, as that may damage the leather.

Moreover, you will find many different heating techniques online for breaking in Timberlands or other boots.

But I would strongly suggest not to use any heating technique that may damage the leather and the integrity of the boots.

Also, check out my post to know Do Timberland Boots Make You Taller.

Put Ice Bags Inside Your Boots

Funny as it may sound, you can actually use ice bags to break in your Timberland boots.

To explain this process you’ll need to know a water fact: Once water freezes into ice, it expands!

You heard that right, the water expands once it freezes.

So, for this method, you’ll have to put two ice bags filled with water inside each of your Timberland boots and put them in the freezer overnight.

Once the ice is rock hard, take them out in the morning and the boots will be much more comfortable and broken in than before.

You can try out this technique in case you have an important event to attend the next day wearing your new boots, and need an urgent break-in but do not have any tools such as a boot stretcher at hand.

Put Towels or Newspaper Inside Your Boots

One easy and inexpensive method to break in your boots is by using newspapers or towels.

Since you have both newspapers and towels at home, this method may come in quite handy.

If you are using newspapers, then you will need a lot of them. Scramble them up into paper balls and stuff your boots using them.

To speed up the process even more you can apply a layer of leather conditioner before carrying out the stuffing.

Then leave them overnight and try out your boots the next day to see if they have broken in.

In the case of towels, you’ll only be needing two, one for each boot.

Same as with newspapers, stuff your boots with the towels and apply some leather conditioner prior to the stuffing.

Leave them overnight and see if they’ve broken in the next morning.

Repeat the process if necessary till your boots break insufficiently.

Also, check out our separate guide on How To Protect Timberland Boots.

Use A Boot Stretcher

The most effective and simple way to break in your Timberland boots is using boot stretchers.

It is the fastest and safest way of stretching your boots as you don’t risk damaging the leather or the boot itself when stretching.

timberland-boots-stretch

So, if you don’t own a boot stretcher yet, you can get one and consider it as an investment.

All you have to do is put the stretcher in, expand it, and leave it for a few hours.

To speed up the break in the process even further, you can apply a leather conditioner or a boot stretching spray on the exterior of your boots before putting the stretcher in.

The longer you keep the boot stretcher inside, the more your Timberlands will break in.

Conclusion

Breaking in your boots may sound tiring and gruesome, but with the right tools and techniques, it really isn’t that difficult.

Refrain from using direct heat on your boots or submerging them into water. Carry out the methods mentioned above – I’m sure at least one of them is bound to work for you!

If you know any other effective methods to break in your Timberland boots, don’t forget to let me know.

If you have any feedback or queries, feel free to leave them in the comments below.

About The Author
Sunny is all about action and activities. He finds it difficult to contain himself. Be it motorcycling, playing football, or exploring the great outdoors, he loves to keep his legs busy.Sunny quickly realized the importance of footwear to keep himself going healthily. This was when he decided to share all his knowledge and expertise regarding different footwear and their significance.Now, he’s on a mission with this humble platform by his side. With time he plans on doing bigger and better things.Apart from his writing and other hobbies, he loves spending time with his cat Sophie. He loves to cook for his friends and family too.

Leave a Comment